The first summer camp for children with special needs.

The officials participating in the summer camp for children with special circumstances couldn't even remember exactly how many times they had attended. Compared to neighboring provinces and cities, the summer camp organized by An Giang province for over 10 years has been very meaningful: prioritizing children experiencing it for the first time, a multi-day trip outside the province to broaden their horizons and hone their skills. Above all, it is a well-deserved reward during the summer vacation for the children who have overcome difficult circumstances to achieve good results after a year of studying.

This year's summer camp, attended by 77 children from various localities, the Provincial Social Protection Center, and the School for Children with Disabilities, took place over three days in Da Lat City (Lam Dong Province). According to Mr. Dang Huy Chau (the head of the delegation), it is a tradition for the province to organize summer camps for children with special circumstances every year, under the responsibility of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (now the Department of Health ). During the camp, the children receive additional life skills training, visit beautiful landscapes of the country, and have new experiences. This gift demonstrates the great concern of the department's leaders and their hope that the children will strive for better academic performance in the coming school years.

Over the three-day journey, through conversations with teachers, staff, and friends, the children opened up more and quickly integrated into the new environment. This also led to the sharing of many different circumstances, fostering empathy. The group from Cho Moi district had the largest number (12 children), some of whom didn't have phones and were bewildered by the beautiful and unfamiliar scenery. Staff had to closely monitor them to prevent them from getting lost. Teacher Truong Phu Chinh (from Chau Thanh district) was in charge of a group of 5 children, taking photos to update parents, caring for the children's meals, washing clothes, and providing medicine. The teachers also helped each other support children with disabilities or mobility difficulties.

Presentation on collage art with a children's theme.

Two impressive aspects of the summer camp were the skills-building activities and the campfire gala. Watching from the sidelines, the teachers shared in the joy of witnessing the children playing and laughing. Behind the scenes, some children were living without a parent, some had relatives involved in social vices, some were orphans, and many others faced other hidden hardships that prevented them from having a complete childhood. Perhaps finding empathy in their circumstances, everyone at this playground connected and unified their ideas to create toys and collages with a children's theme. Entrusting their dreams to these hastily created artworks, the children's simple wishes were to learn, play, and live in an equal environment, free from the need for children to be forced into the harsh realities of life…

The campfire gala night concluded the journey, and after the laughter and singing came tears of emotion and regret. Luong Thi Kim Ngan, a student from Binh Phu Secondary School (Chau Phu district), said emotionally: “Here, I met people I had never met before, but I felt closer and warmer than ever. Many of my friends are facing difficulties and have disabilities, but they are very cheerful and enjoy themselves without any discrimination. I feel much happier than many others, because many of them have never participated in a summer camp, only knowing Da Lat in their dreams, and even my parents have never known this place.”

Among the group, Hoang Phuc (from Chau Doc City) seemed the most mature, always cracking jokes, which attracted the attention of the younger children. “I can’t find the most memorable thing about the journey, because from start to finish, every moment was a beautiful and cherished memory spent with my friends,” Phuc expressed. The 77 children at the gala night held hands even tighter, shrinking the circle when they heard a child from the An Giang School for Children with Disabilities share his feelings. The boy, who has a disability affecting his limbs and also has difficulty speaking, still tried his best to pronounce each word so everyone could understand how happy he was, how grateful he was to his teachers, and grateful to Mr. Chau… for leading the group to such beautiful places.

“Three short days, but the life skills we equip the children with will be an essential part of their journey through life. We are always delighted to organize this event. This year's summer camp, in particular, required three months of preparation to run as planned. There are many children with special circumstances, and everyone wants them to participate and enjoy the fun, but we prioritize those who are most in need. We hope that with this care and attention, the children will become good children and excellent students, striving to build a better life for themselves and their families,” shared Mr. Dang Huy Chau.

Having participated in the summer camp for many years, Mr. Tran Quoc Kiet (Bui Huu Nghia Secondary School, Long Xuyen City) said that this activity has been maintained since the time of the "Pink Dream Summer Camp" organized by 5 provinces in the Mekong Delta region. Accompanying hundreds of children in the summer camp, he believes the activity is very humane. He hopes that every year, not only with this summer camp, children in general and children with special circumstances will always receive education in a safe environment, participate in all activities related to children's rights, and live happily with their families, parents, relatives, teachers, and friends.

MY HANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/trai-he-dau-tien-cua-tre-em-hoan-canh-dac-biet-a422734.html