The one who sows words in the clouds.

Nguyen Van Danh (born in 1976) is a teacher who has spent 20 years at Nam Nga Ethnic Boarding Primary and Secondary School in Ta Tong commune, Muong Te district, Lai Chau province. He is one of many teachers from the lowlands who are willing to dedicate their youth and enthusiasm to "sowing knowledge in the clouds," bringing the light of knowledge to the highlands.

The photo was taken in 2016 at a school in the village.

The determination of the young teacher

Born and raised in Hoa Binh, after graduating from the College of Primary Education , Mr. Nguyen Van Danh became a teacher in his hometown. Throughout his year working in his hometown, he always longed to do something meaningful. With the support and encouragement of his family and the inspiration of his senior teachers, Mr. Danh decided to apply to the Department of Education and Training of Lai Chau province. In October 2004, Mr. Danh received a transfer order to work at Ta Tong No. 2 School (now Nam Nga), Ta Tong commune, Muong Te district.

Despite mentally preparing himself, Mr. Danh was still overwhelmed by the hardships and difficulties of the place. That day, from the Po Lech bridge, Mr. Danh had to continue walking to the main school. The path was narrow, sometimes steep, sometimes slippery, and extremely dangerous. Locals often called it the "buffalo trail." He started walking in the morning but didn't reach Ta Tong 1 until 5 PM. Throughout the journey, Mr. Danh was guided and encouraged by Mr. Vu Dinh Vang (from Hai Duong province), the vice principal at the time. Resting at Ta Tong 1, Mr. Vang instructed him on preparing food and drinks for Ta Tong 2. The first leg of the journey was difficult, but the second was even harder. He had to replace his backpack with a military-style backpack for sturdiness and convenience. The second leg was shorter, but he had to walk like a cow, climbing steep slopes and clinging to anything he could find, so he didn't arrive until dusk.

School in 2016

That dinner with Teacher Dành was one he would probably never forget in his life. That day, Teacher Dành ate with the other teachers at Tà Tổng 2, and everyone felt warm and sincere. The teachers looked at Teacher Dành with a mixture of affection and worry, wondering if he, being so young, could stay there. One teacher asked, "The facilities here are so poor, just makeshift wooden and bamboo walls like this, no phone signal, language barriers, and countless other difficulties. Can you really manage to stay here?"

"Looking back now, would it be worthy of a man to leave? Why can the teachers here stay for so many years while I can't?"... Teacher Danh kept pondering these questions, determined to succeed at all costs, not wanting to disappoint the trust of his teachers who had guided him and the encouragement of his family.

During the most homesick moments, especially on holidays, even a strong, usually cheerful person like the teacher would get teary-eyed. In the first month away from home, he wrote letters every day, but often couldn't send them because there was no one to go to the commune. Telegraphs from outside sometimes took a month to arrive. Countless times, Teacher Dành had to encourage himself to persevere. Seeing the tiny children crossing mountains and streams to get to class, still smiling brightly, and seeing his colleagues patiently guiding students despite the language barrier, Teacher Dành's resolve to stay and dedicate himself to the village and the school grew stronger.

Sowing words on the clouds

When Mr. Danh first arrived in Ta Tong, he didn't know the local language, so for the first six years, he worked at the main school. After that, he successively went to the villages of Pa Kha and U Na, and in 2023, he continued his work in Nam Nga.

The Nậm Ngà Ethnic Boarding Primary and Secondary School has students who are all children of the Hmong and Ha Nhi ethnic groups from the villages of Nậm Ngà, U Na, Tia Ma Mủ, Pà Khá, Nậm Dính, Xế Ma, and Cao Chải. In the early years when Mr. Dành worked there, the school mainly consisted of bamboo and wood walls, making maximum use of natural light because there was no electricity. For many years, both teachers and students struggled against the sun and wind to bring education to their future.

Mid-Autumn Festival 2023

In 2010, the central school in Nam Nga finally had a road leading to it, and in 2016, it received electricity. Teachers no longer had to use generators powered by turbines plugged into streams, and the lives of both teachers and students gradually improved. In 2018, images of teachers and students at Nam Nga school holding their opening ceremony by the stream, shared on social media, evoked feelings of sadness and regret in many. At the smaller school branches of the Nam Nga Ethnic Boarding Primary and Secondary School, many students still have to study in temporary classrooms.

In 2020, students at the main school campus had a spacious boarding facility thanks to the support of the government, local authorities, and the contributions of philanthropists and sponsoring organizations.

The teachers here believe that since their students have traveled dozens of kilometers to reach them, and the local people trust them, they must wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to their profession so as not to feel ashamed. Teacher Dành, like many other teachers, tirelessly sows the seeds of knowledge day and night in the high mountains, holding chalk and taking care of the children's meals and bathing. These teachers act as mothers, fathers, and teachers all at once, never shying away from any task.

Out of compassion for the children whose meals of plain rice and cornmeal weren't enough to fill their stomachs, the teachers collaborated with volunteer organizations to improve their meals. Together, the teachers and students nurtured the green vegetable plots and raised pigs and chickens, fostering dreams of a better future.

The words on the clouds will turn into a rainbow.

Having spent 20 years in Nam Nga, Mr. Danh has witnessed the changes in this land and the growth of each generation of students. Thanks to the attention of the government, the Department of Education and Training, and the teachers who came before him, the path of bringing literacy to even the most remote villages has been further strengthened. Mr. Danh says he feels very small, just like other teachers, and that what he does is driven by his professional conscience. He says he hasn't walked this path alone; he has the support of countless people from all levels of government to social organizations and the local community.

Teacher Dành - right cover

The local people have literacy, and through education, they will gradually shed outdated customs. Life will no longer be confined to the stream and fields, but can extend further, reaching new lands. Now, countless students from Nam Nga school are university students, officials, and teachers... They are bringing hopeful change to this land every day.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-gieo-chu-tren-may-185241011143940896.htm