Nurturing dreams of finding letters

Behind each letter, there are the shadows of people who silently sow love. People who have chosen to accompany the children with sincerity and a belief that letters can open a different path for their lives.

The smiles of children at the Lua Viet Club (Tan Phu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) - Photo: BE HIEU

Where love stays with words

In a classroom of only 15 square meters, children are absorbed in each letter.

Some children are orphans, living on the love of their relatives. Some children have parents who have to work hard every day, sacrificing their strength to provide for their meals and clothes.

Some children, when asked about their dreams, simply said: "I want to be a car washer." Although fate has drawn rough lines in their lives, in their hearts they still have a common desire to study, to write, to step out of their narrow fates with words.

“After more than 11 years of steering the children to find letters, each year that passes I still wonder where they will go, what will happen to them when they leave the embrace of the classroom” - Mr. Huynh Ngoc Dinh, head of the Lua Viet club, emotionally confided.

15m², 11 years, hundreds of disadvantaged children with literacy met in a classroom, with the love of silent people.

Not every child has the conditions to continue the long journey to get a secondary or high school diploma.

Some students had to stop early because of the need to make a living. “Every year, many students ‘graduate’. They smile, but I feel sad,” said Mr. Dinh.

From the moment they 'graduate' from primary school, their life story turns a new page, a journey without teachers by their side. The hope of those who accompany them in their quest for knowledge is that they will have enough health and determination to overcome themselves, to overcome the adversity that they were born to face.

“Don’t think you are unhappy, just think that life is inconvenient. Whatever is inconvenient, there is still a way to solve it” - the words that Mr. Dinh sends to students through each 'graduation' season.

In a small classroom at the Lua Viet club, there is a teacher and student who have been quietly attached to each other for nearly a decade.

Dang Truc Anh, 22 years old, is now a fourth-year law student at Trung Vuong University. Truc Anh used to be a student in the class, and now she is the teacher, guiding the students at the same place where she studied.

Truc Anh (red shirt) accompanies and guides the children in each lesson - Photo: BE HIEU

Truc Anh knew about Lua Viet since 8th grade when she took extra classes in basic cultural subjects. By 9th grade, Truc Anh became a volunteer to support teachers in teaching and caring for children.

In grade 12, Truc Anh started teaching as a volunteer teacher. Without a teaching degree or formal training, the little girl tried her best to study each lesson and prepare each lesson with all her love for the students.

Now, after 8 years of working with the Lua Viet Club, Truc Anh has witnessed many children grow up. Some children who only knew how to read the alphabet are now in middle school and high school. Some continue to study at a higher level, while others choose to work early due to financial circumstances.

“Maybe tomorrow I will be busy with work, busy with my personal life. But as long as I can, I will still come back even for a few hours, because this place is my home” - Truc Anh shared.

There are people who can't bear to leave.

Mr. Ho Kim Long (43 years old, volunteer martial arts teacher) and his wife Ms. Le Ngoc Mai (41 years old, volunteer cook) are the ones who came and couldn't bear to leave.

Understanding the feelings of parents who send their children to the club, the couple tries their best with Mr. Dinh to complete the task of caring for, looking after and educating the children from the basics.

Mr. Long is present at the martial arts class for children after a long day of work - Photo: BE HIEU

During the day, Mr. Long works as a truck driver on long roads. When he has free time, he returns to the workshop to do glass pressing. But for him, a day only truly ends after he completes his third job, teaching martial arts. Up to now, he has been with the children at the Lua Viet Club for more than 5 years.

Mr. Long used to study martial arts more than 20 years ago. But then the hustle and bustle of making a living forced him to temporarily put his passion aside. Until the day he met the children in Mr. Huynh Ngoc Dinh's class.

Seeing those kids like that, I feel so sorry for them. I teach them not only martial arts, but also how to be confident and stand up straight to live. If they are willing to learn, I have a reason to rekindle my old passion.

Mr. Ho Kim Long

As for Ms. Mai, she simply took her son to the club with Mr. Long. But then, after many interactions and seeing children from different backgrounds gather together to practice and play, she loved them like her own children.

“The kids are always well-behaved and understanding. At first, they only helped Mr. Dinh with some cooking, but gradually they became attached to him until now,” Ms. Mai shared.

The "little kitchen assistants" team each has a job to help Ms. Mai - Photo: BE HIEU

For nearly 6 years now, she has been assisting Mr. Dinh in taking care of the children. As for volunteer cooking, Ms. Mai has been accompanying the class for nearly a year. Every time she rolls up her sleeves in the kitchen, she has a group of “little kitchen assistants” surrounding her, holding knives and cutting boards, eagerly learning how to pick vegetables, cut roots, and season.

“At first, only one or two kids helped me, then the other kids wanted to do it too. One kid cut his hand the first time he held a knife. Now they are used to it, and they all do it quickly and skillfully,” Mai said, smiling gently.

The small, clumsy hands of the past now know how to pick vegetables to help the class's special chef. They not only learn to cook, but also learn to share and appreciate what they have.

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Good boy

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/uom-mam-nhung-uoc-mo-tim-con-chu-20250829161129647.htm