'Linking hands' brings warmth to the highlands

During the 2 days of November 7-8, on the journey of 'Connecting Warm Hands', the program sponsors visited a number of schools that were heavily damaged by storm Yagi to visit and encourage students and give many gifts to support the provinces of Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Yen Bai , and Cao Bang.

"There was a flood, my house was flooded up to the roof"

It has been exactly 2 months since storm number 3 (storm Yagi ) made landfall in Vietnam, but the severe consequences and echoes of the storm are still present in schools in the northern mountainous provinces.

Ms. Cao Thi Ngoc Dung (right) , Chairwoman of PNJ Board of Directors, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Golden Trust Fund and Ms. Vu Thi Tan, Vice Chairwoman of Lao Cai Provincial Women's Union, presented gifts to students in Lao Cai

In many places, schools were severely damaged, with many school supplies, books, and teaching equipment ruined and unusable. Many children in remote areas faced even greater difficulties in attending school. In response to this situation, the Central Youth Union, Thanh Nien Newspaper, the Golden Trust Fund, and PNJ announced the "Connecting Warm Hands" project, along with many businesses, to provide educational support for children in areas affected by natural disasters.

At Tuc Duyen Primary School in Tuc Duyen Ward, Thai Nguyen City, Principal Pham Quynh Trang stated that due to the impact of Typhoon No. 3, the entire school was severely affected, with water levels reaching 150-200 cm. As a result, equipment including desks, chairs, blackboards, learning materials, books, and teaching aids were submerged and damaged, rendering them unusable. The initial estimated total damage is approximately 2 billion VND. Two outdoor green library areas and the library room, spaces where students learn, connect, and develop life skills, were severely damaged and deteriorated. Furthermore, many students lost all their belongings and school supplies due to the flooding.

"These contributions not only help the school quickly overcome the consequences of natural disasters but are also a great source of spiritual encouragement, helping us to be more confident and determined to continue fulfilling our educational mission."

Ms. PHAM QUYNH TRANG (Principal of Tuc Duyen Primary School, Tuc Duyen Ward, Thai Nguyen City)

"The school has 776 students. When the flood passed, 615 families had their houses submerged, many up to the roof. Therefore, most students had to carry their belongings in plastic bags when they came to school," Ms. Quynh Trang shared.

Therefore, when the "Connecting Warm Hands" project brought funding to support the school and donated school supplies to the students, Ms. Quynh Trang emotionally stated: "These contributions not only help the school quickly overcome the consequences of the natural disaster but also serve as a great source of encouragement, helping us to be more confident and determined to continue fulfilling our educational mission."

Journalist Bui Quang Duan, Deputy Secretary General of Thanh Nien Online , handed over project support resources to Cao Bang Provincial Youth Union.

As a student from a very difficult background, Vu Bao An, a 5th-grade student, shared: "My father passed away when I was still in my mother's womb, so there are only three of us in the family: my mother, my older sister (who is in 7th grade), and me. My mother doesn't have a stable job; she only does odd jobs to earn money. When the flood came, our house was submerged up to the roof, so we lost everything." Upon receiving the scholarship and school supplies, Bao An was very happy: "I will try my best to study hard and become a useful member of society."

"THE CHILDREN WILL NO LONGER BE COLD"

In Lang Son province, the delegation visited Co Huong school, part of the Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary School No. 2 in Huu Kien commune, Chi Lang district. This school is located in a disadvantaged commune (Category III) with particularly difficult conditions. Typhoon No. 3 caused severe damage to many sections of the road, making travel extremely dangerous with a deep ravine on one side and a severely eroded mountainside on the other. Therefore, after the storm, students' travel became even more difficult. A large number of students needed to stay at school, but the school lacked sufficient accommodation, meals, and toilets, especially a water supply, as the water pipes from the mountain were destroyed by the storm.

Ms. Vi Thi Diu, the school principal, said that winters here are very harsh, sometimes dropping to 4-5 degrees Celsius, making the students very cold. Most of the students are from the Tay ethnic group, and their lives are still very difficult. Of the 121 students, 48 ​​are from impoverished families, sometimes going to school in winter with only a thin jacket and a pair of flip-flops. The school only hopes to have a clean well to provide water for cooking meals for the children and warm water for them to use during the winter.

With funding from the project to invest in facilities and the donation of warm clothes and school supplies for students, Ms. Dịu happily said: "This means the children won't be cold this winter anymore. We are very grateful and touched that the project has brought warmth to the students and the school, helping us overcome difficulties."

Teachers and students of Co Huong school, Lang Son province, received warm clothes from the donation program.

In Lao Cai province, the delegation visited the No. 1 Ethnic Boarding Primary School in San Chai commune, Si Ma Cai district. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Chung, the school's principal, said that the floods caused by Typhoon No. 3 damaged several parts of the school, including the front landscape area; some of the small gardens and the student dormitory area also suffered landslides, resulting in the loss of one room, making it uninhabitable for the students.

According to Mr. Chung, 100% of the students in the school are from the Mong ethnic group, and their families face extremely difficult economic conditions. Despite government support, some families still work far away, leaving the children to live with grandparents and relatives, which is very challenging. In particular, the recent floods have made life even more difficult for these families. "Today, receiving support from the Central Youth Union, the Golden Trust Fund, PNJ Company, and Thanh Nien Newspaper, I am deeply moved. Through this, I would like to express my gratitude to all the organizations that have shown concern for the lives of these students in the highlands," Mr. Chung said.

Corporate responsibility to the community

As the sponsor contributing 3 billion VND to the program, Ms. Cao Thi Ngoc Dung, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of PNJ and Chairwoman of the Management Board of the Golden Trust Fund, shared that throughout its 36-year development journey and in building its future direction, PNJ has always been committed to sustainable development. This philosophy has affirmed the correct path that the company has pursued since its inception, always placing customer and social interests alongside the company's interests.

"PNJ has always believed that businesses should not only create economic value but also contribute to the community. Recognizing the value and significance of the 'Connecting Warm Hands' program, we wish to demonstrate the spirit of sharing and love, values ​​that PNJ always strives for. The donation of 3 billion VND from the Golden Trust Fund is a testament to PNJ's commitment to the community, especially the younger generation. We believe that children are the future of the country, and investing in education is a meaningful long-term action," Ms. Dung stated.

Besides PNJ, the "Connecting Warm Hands" project also received support from the Dragon Capital Company's Employee Charity Fund (400 million VND), Duy Tan Recycling Joint Stock Company (200 million VND), Talentnet Joint Stock Company (200 million VND), and the Ho Chi Minh City Women Entrepreneurs Association (HAWEE) (over 300 million VND)... In addition, Hanoi Education Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (Vietnam Education Publishing House), Hai Ha International Investment Joint Stock Company - Classmate, and Vietnam Publishing and Educational Equipment Investment Joint Stock Company (VEPIC) also offered many special discounts on books and school supplies for the program.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/noi-vong-tay-am-mang-hoi-am-len-vung-cao-18524110820380868.htm