“My small efforts today can bring positive changes to children in the future”

This is the sharing of Mr. Dao Duy Hung, presenter of the "Leader of Change" Club of Suoi Giang Primary and Secondary School, Van Chan District, Yen Bai Province. Mr. Hung is one of 10 individuals with outstanding achievements in implementing Project 8 Phase I (2021-2025) who have just been commended and rewarded in Hanoi.

Mr. Dao Duy Hung shared with PV of PNVN Newspaper about the impressive journey of change of the members of the "Leaders of Change" Club of Suoi Giang Primary and Secondary School:

Mr. Dao Duy Hung, presenter of the "Leader of Change" Club of Suoi Giang Primary and Secondary School, Van Chan District, Yen Bai Province, is one of 10 individuals with outstanding achievements in implementing Project 8 Phase I (2021-2025) recently honored in Hanoi .

- Is there any memory/story from the early days of the "Leader of Change" Club that you will always remember?

The place where I work is a mountainous area mainly inhabited by Mong ethnic people, where life is still difficult. The most impressive thing for me when I went to work was the image of Mong women with their daily work in the fields, their shyness and hesitation when interacting with people... I always wanted to do something to help the women here have positive changes in their awareness and life.

The school's "Leaders of Change" Club was established in October 2023 with 30 members (students from grades 6 to 9) and Mr. Dao Duy Hung, the team leader, was assigned as the club's host. Most of the club members are ethnic minorities, so they are still shy and timid in communication.

That's why when the Women's Union decided to establish the "Leaders of Change" Club, my wish was fulfilled because the Club's goals are to change the lives of girls in the highlands, bringing them good things.

When the club was first established, I still remember the radiant, joyful image of the girls in the club when they knew they would be the pioneers for changing all aspects of women in their commune.

- Can you tell us about some of the most memorable moments working with the members of the club?

There was a moment that I will always remember, that is, in the club, there was a student in the club who was very shy, timid and very afraid of standing in front of a crowd. After a period of participating in the club, he became more confident and bolder. And it was a surprise when one day he came to see me directly to discuss and confide that if in the future there was any competition or contest organized, I must guide him and let him participate with his friends because he really liked the club's activities.

- During your time with the club, was there ever a time when you felt really tired or wanted to stop? What helped you overcome it?

During the time I was with the club, sometimes I felt tired because of school work and busy family, it was difficult for me to arrange everything properly, but thinking about the joy, positive changes as well as the future of the children, I encouraged myself to try harder. Because I think, my small efforts today can bring about big positive changes for the children in the future.

- Is there any member of the club who left a special impression on you?

The "Leaders of Change" Club has equipped students with a lot of useful knowledge and skills, encouraging them to speak up, change their way of thinking, learning, working, and contributing to eliminating backward habits and customs in the highlands. Here, people still have a strong male-dominated ideology, so when propagating, the Club's Board of Directors often emphasizes the role of women in the past and present, affirming that women today also have the right to be happy, the right to participate in learning like boys, and giving examples of successful women for students to learn from.

Mr. Dao Duy Hung, presenter of the "Leader of Change" Club, Suoi Giang Primary and Secondary School, Van Chan District, Yen Bai Province

The member who left the deepest impression on me was Vang Thi Xa, a 9B student. Xa's family is poor and lives in Tap Lang village - the farthest village of Suoi Giang commune. When I first invited her to join the club, she was hesitant to join because she was shy and her family was poor, but I encouraged and convinced her to join and finally she agreed to join the club.

Since joining the club, I have gradually become bolder and more enthusiastic in participating in activities, becoming an active member, making progress in my studies, achieving good grades at the end of the year, and passing the entrance exam to Mien Tay Boarding High School - a high school with very high entrance exam scores for grade 10. That is not only Xa's joy but also the pride of his family, teachers, friends and club members.

- Are there any situations when organizing club activities that made you feel "headache" but now when you remember them, you feel happy, sir?

In the club, the members are of many ages, each member comes from a class, the proportion of girls is higher than boys. At first, when the club was first organized, the members were shy and embarrassed to work together. After a while of joining the club, the members participated in activities such as games, drama, and storytelling, which helped them understand each other, become closer, more united, and ready to share and help each other.

I feel very happy and proud when seeing the growth of the club members day by day, feeling that I have contributed a small part in their beautiful growth process.

- Has the club ever encountered any difficulties or obstacles that seemed insurmountable? If you could choose again, would you still choose to accompany the club?

Most of the children in the club are the main breadwinners in their families, so sometimes the activities cannot be organized with enough members, so I have to divide the group or have a plan to propagate and disseminate the content separately for the absent children. I will still choose to accompany the club, whether now or in the future.

Confidence of members of the "Leaders of Change" Club of Suoi Giang Primary and Secondary School

- As a club leader, have you ever received any special thanks or feedback from students or parents?

Although they are not valuable material gifts from parents or students, to me, the smiles, joy and sincere thanks from the children have made me very happy and encouraged. Those are priceless gifts, a source of motivation for me to try harder every day.

- If you could send a message to students who are and will join the club, what would you most like to say?

There are many things I want to say, but perhaps the thing I want to convey to you most is: Always be bold and confident in yourself. Each of you has different strengths and weaknesses. Show off your strengths well because then you will have positive changes in your life.

- Thank you very much for taking the time to talk!

Suoi Giang is a highland commune in Van Chan district, Yen Bai province. The main ethnic group is Mong, accounting for 98%, so the students at Suoi Giang Primary and Secondary School have common characteristics such as being ethnic minority children with difficult economic conditions, the rate of children from poor and near-poor households is high, which greatly affects their studies. Many students have not received attention from their families and have not had time to invest in their studies. The residential area is not concentrated, many students have to go to school far away, and their living places still have backward customs and gender prejudices.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/su-co-gang-nho-cua-toi-ngay-hom-nay-co-the-mang-den-su-thay-doi-tich-positive-cua-cac-em-trong-tuong-lai-20250526172751519.htm