A heart for underprivileged children.

At the Social Welfare Center and Special Education School in Ca Mau province, many teachers and social workers quietly stay with underprivileged children with genuine love and care. For them, the most precious thing is not reward, but seeing the children grow up day by day, smile more, speak a few more words, open their hearts, and believe in life.

• Standing alongside and sharing with people with disabilities.
• The resilience of the disabled student
• Giving hope to people with disabilities and orphans.
• Sharing experiences in inclusive education for children with disabilities.

Alleviating imperfections

Leaving the kindergarten where she had worked for 14 years, teacher Huynh Thi Kim Thoa decided to join a class for children with developmental delays at the Ca Mau Provincial Special Education School. Although she's only been there for a few months, the young teacher (born in 1991) has experienced a wide range of emotions with her young students. Initially, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. The children here cannot express their desires like normal children. All their emotions and needs require adults to patiently listen and understand through their eyes, gestures, and even their incomplete speech.

Some children are well-behaved, while others react strongly because they don't know how to express their emotions. Every day, Ms. Thoa learns to understand her students from the smallest things. From their gaze, the way they pull her hand, or their murmurs, she gradually senses the unique world of each child.

Each of Ms. Thoa's lessons brings laughter and helps the students learn essential skills.

"There are times when I'm very tired and stressed, but my love for these children outweighs everything. They have suffered so much, so I only hope I can help them learn life skills and regain some of their language skills so that they can integrate into life like other children," Ms. Thoa shared.

In that special school, love is what keeps the teachers there. They patiently teach the children to speak, express their emotions, and learn their first letters. After class, the teachers take the time to prepare lesson plans and find new methods suitable for each child.

Ms. Thoa smiled gently: "We consider the classroom our home. The students are not just our pupils, but also like family members."

Circle of Love

While Ms. Thoa approached caring for children with a heartfelt choice, Ms. Nguyen Kieu Oanh's journey was even more special. She was once an orphan, raised in the loving care of the Ca Mau Provincial Social Welfare Center. Upon reaching adulthood, she returned to the place that had sheltered her to continue caring for those like herself, thus continuing the cycle of love.

From a child who grew up in a simple communal room, sharing meals and receiving care from the center's staff, Ms. Oanh has now become a companion, supporter, and source of hope for underprivileged children. Ms. Oanh is in charge of a group of young children and children with disabilities who are bedridden. Her work demands meticulousness and patience. Every day, she goes to each bed to talk to the children, because she believes that they understand, they just cannot express it in words.

During mealtimes, caregiving, and personal hygiene, she and the other staff members have to be very gentle and considerate to understand the needs of each child. "Seeing these disadvantaged children makes me feel even more compassion for them. They can't walk, but they still hear and understand everything we say and do," Ms. Oanh shared emotionally.

Ms. Oanh is like a mother, not only taking care of their meals and sleep but also sharing her thoughts and feelings with children with disabilities.

Besides caring for children with disabilities, she also supports children with developmental delays or significant psychological trauma. Some children were withdrawn, depressed, and unwilling to talk to anyone. Others carried bad habits from their outside environment. Through her closeness and sincerity, Ms. Oanh gradually helped them open up. "When they first came here, many children kept their distance and didn't trust anyone. But when you genuinely love them, they sense it and gradually share more," Ms. Oanh recounted.

The work pressure is much greater than that of an average person, but Ms. Oanh has never thought about leaving. Because for her, the children in the center today are a reflection of herself in the past.

Ms. Oanh said : "I only hope that the children will be well-behaved, study hard, and have a profession when they grow up so they can support themselves. I started from here, so I want to use my own story to inspire them."

Those like Ms. Oanh, who have quietly dedicated over 20 years to caring for children with disabilities, or those like Ms. Thoa, who have recently joined the cause, are persistently weaving the golden threads of compassion, nurturing bright futures little by little, silently illuminating the future for these less fortunate children.

Lam Khanh

Source: https://baocamau.vn/tam-long-vi-tre-kem-may-man-a129329.html