Joy on the summit of Ngoc Nam

This period is very joyful for Ho Thi Hau (born in 2007), who lives in Ngoc Nam hamlet, Tra Tap commune, because she knows she has been directly admitted to the Literature Education major at the University of Education (Da Nang University) thanks to her 12 years of excellent academic achievements.

Thanks to her excellent academic record for 12 years, Ho Thi Hau, a girl from the Xe Dang ethnic group, was directly admitted to the Literature Education major at the University of Education ( Da Nang University). Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

In the heartfelt words of this young woman from the highlands, her journey to the city carries with it the aspiration to change her life and the hope of one day returning to her homeland to spread literacy amidst the vast mountains and white clouds.

Besides my family and teachers, I decided to share this good news with Mr. Nguyen Binh Nam, the head of the "Friends Who Care" Club - who helped me focus on my studies with the "Studying in the Mountains" project.

The message Hau sent at 7:46 PM on July 21st, besides the admission results, also contained a short but heartfelt message expressing joy and gratitude: "Uncle Nam."

Simple words, sent from a small, remote house in the Trường Sơn mountain range, where every step to school means crossing streams and climbing mountain passes.

Hau is the second of three sisters in a family where her father passed away early and her mother toiled in the fields year-round. Her journey to literacy was a series of hardships.

Throughout her high school years, Hậu had to walk more than two hours through the forest to get to Nam Tra My Ethnic Boarding High School. Her daily meals consisted only of wild vegetables and stream fish, but she always dreamed of becoming a teacher.

Mr. Nguyen Binh Nam still vividly remembers meeting Hau in 2022, when she was one of the first two Xe Dang students selected for support by the "Going to School in the Mountains" project.

He said that, with Hau's excellent academic results for many consecutive years, he knew Hau was a precious seed that needed nurturing and cultivation. From then on, the "Friends Who Care" Club supported Hau with monthly financial assistance, school supplies, and encouraging messages.

The news that Hau had been accepted into university was like a ray of sunshine amidst the rainy days in the vast mountains. That joy spread quickly from Ngoc Nam hamlet to neighboring hamlets, permeating every group of Xe Dang students studying at the boarding school, making teachers and friends alike proud.

Because in a region where even completing high school is rare, someone getting into university becomes a great joy for the village.

As for Hau's mother, when she heard the news that her daughter had been accepted into university, she cried silently with happiness. Having toiled her whole life, she probably never dreamed that her daughter would one day become a university student.

And now, getting into university is no longer just Hau's dream, but the sweet reward of many seasons of hard work in the fields, the hope of the whole family.

Perhaps, in the not-too-distant future, the day Hau leaves Ngoc Nam mountain and goes down to the city to attend school will be a special day. Over the phone, she talked about her dream of living in a dormitory and being given job opportunities to support herself on the long journey ahead.

She said she might miss home very much, miss the days of going to the fields with her mother, miss the slopes on the way to school, but "she will try her best to study well so as not to disappoint her mother, teachers, and those who have believed in her."

Source: https://baodanang.vn/niem-vui-tren-noc-ngoc-nam-3298003.html