Taking proactive measures to prevent disease and safeguard schoolchildren’s health
As the rainy season begins, heavy downpours have caused widespread flooding across Abyei, creating ideal conditions for the spread of dangerous diseases such as Ebola and malaria, posing a serious threat to children's lives. To help establish safe and healthy learning environments, medical staff from the Vietnamese Level-1 Field Hospital conducted practical health education sessions directly in schoolyards. Standing on the red-earth playgrounds, they demonstrated the “no-touch” hygiene principle and personally guided each child through the six-step handwashing technique recommended by healthcare professionals.
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Medical staff from the Vietnamese Level-1 Field Hospital instruct local students on proper medical hand hygiene and disinfection procedures. |
Bus of joy to Highway carpentry workshop
Perhaps the greatest joy for the students of Abyei during this occasion was being the special guests at the carpentry workshop of the Highway Base. Deeply empathizing with the hardships of students who had to sit on the bare ground to study, the Vietnamese military artisans repurposed old iron frames and fitted them with new wooden planks, bending over their work to craft and gift dozens of sets of desks and chairs.
Moreover, the Vietnamese blue-beret soldiers transformed the unit's carpentry and mechanical workshop into a classroom without a podium. Round, curious eyes stared in wonder at the sanding machine, then lit up with joy as the soldiers took them by the hand, showing them how to use a ruler, tighten screws, and smooth out rough wooden surfaces. The sweat of the soldiers mingled with the scent of fresh wood, blending with crisp laughter and curls of sawdust caught in the children’s tightly coiled hair.
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With no desks available, many children in Abyei have been forced to use the ground as their writing surface. |
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A classroom at the Highway base |
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Vietnamese military artisans work around the clock to complete dozens of sturdy desks and chairs to donate to local schools. |
It was not just an extracurricular hour, but truly a first-ever vocational lesson, a place where the Vietnamese military artisans sparked in the hearts of these African children a respect for labor, self-reliance, and belief in the power of their own hands.
Reinforcing school roofs: Race against peak of rainy season
New desks and chairs and improved health conditions alone were not enough to secure the children's education when Minyang School's roof had been torn apart by powerful windstorms. With the peak of Africa's rainy season fast approaching, Vietnam's blue berets immediately launched a race against time.
Making the most of every break in the relentless heat, they carefully straightened warped corrugated metal sheets before the next torrential downpour arrived. Damaged sections of the roof were repaired, while every bolt was firmly secured to strengthen the supporting framework.
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The devastating damage to Minyang School following severe windstorms |
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Under the scorching African sun, Vietnamese peacekeepers race against time to repair the damaged roof of the local school. |
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The Minister of Education of the Abyei Administrative Area inspects the completed furniture and expresses his appreciation for the contributions of the Vietnamese peacekeepers. |
During a visit to the carpentry workshop at the Highway base, Karbimo Dut, Minister of Education of the Abyei Administrative Area, inspected the sturdy desks and chairs recently completed by the Vietnamese peacekeepers. Deeply impressed by their efforts, he remarked that in less than a month, they not only repaired and reinforced the roof of Minyang School to better withstand storms, but also devoted themselves to producing dozens of beautiful, durable desks and chairs for local children. These meaningful acts have helped beautify the image of Vietnamese blue berets in Abyei.
Although June has come to an end, the sentiment of Vietnamese blue berets has taken root in the land of Abyei. The noble qualities of the Vietnamese People's Army continue to shine through the simplest yet most meaningful actions: providing children with sturdy desks, secure classrooms, and the knowledge to protect their health. These are the most practical and lasting ways of sowing the seeds of peace.
Translated by Quynh Oanh