With their love and responsibility, troops of border posts of the Quang Nam provincial Border Guard Command have adopted and created most favorable conditions for many needy children to study to become good citizens.
Saving to nurture needy students
One of the big problems in border localities of Nam Giang and Tay Giang districts of Quang Nam province is high illiteracy rate since many families cannot afford to send their children to school.
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An officer of La Ee helping his foster children study |
Learning about the situation, the Quang Nam provincial Border Guard Command has launched many practical programs to improve local people’s intellectual standards, contributing to the efforts of protecting national sovereignty and border security in the new situation. One of the programs holding profound humanitarian significance is “Paving the way to school for children – Border posts’ foster children,” which has been implemented since 2016. Since the program was launched, A Nong, A Xan, Gari, Dac Pring, La Ee Border Posts and the Border Post of Nam Giang International Border Gate have taken care of 50 needy Co Tu and Gie Trieng students who are keen on learning.
According to the program, each student receives a monthly allowance of VND 500,000 until they finish high school. In 2019, the provincial border guard command decided to adopt needy children and take them to their barracks for regular care. Through the program, each border post in Tay Giang and Nam Giang districts have been fostering two students and considered them their beloved children. Apart from providing accommodation and food for them, the border guard units’ troops have taken on the role as tutors and parents who assist them in learning and take them to school everyday.
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Gari Border Post presenting school bags to students of Gari Primary School |
To run the program, each officer and soldier of the provincial border guard command voluntarily donates at least 30,000 VND/month, while departments and divisions of the command which do not joining the program donate from VND 2 to 5 million/year/each to support units that adopt children. They have also mobilized organizations and individuals to donate clothes, shoes, books, school supplies, bicycles, scholarships, and money to repair houses for the adopted children’s families. On special occasions, the foster fathers don’t forget to prepare gifts to their children.
In addition, border posts in the province have called on collectives and individuals to give clothes, books, bicycles, pencil cases, and scholarships for disadvantaged students in the area; and allocated billions of VND to build school facilities. Notably, Dak Pring Border Post built a playground for Dak Pring-Dak Pre Inter-commune Primary School in Nam Giang district. Gari Border Post presented school supplies and a playground to Ch'om commune Primary School in Tay Giang district. Lately, Gari Border Post have completed a Primary School in Put village, Gari commune. The school with two classrooms, two toilets, and a playground was build on an area of 320sq.m at a total cost of VND 621 million.
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Teacher and pupils of the Primary School in Put village in a newly-built classroom |
According to Major Nguyen Phuc Truong, Political Commissar of Gari Border Post, after the historic flood in October 2020, the school in Put village was degraded. Gari Border Post called on sponsors in Ho Chi Minh City to donate to rebuild the school; sent troops to join the construction, and mobilized local people in Gari commune to give their land for the school construction.
The officer said that through the practical deeds, border troops would like to ease difficulties confronting teachers and students in the border area and facilitate children to pursue their dreams.
Efforts paid off
Born in 2009 in Abaanh 2 hamlet of Tr’Hy commune, Tay Giang district, Co Lau An, a Co Tu ethnic minority boy, was orphaned when he was little. Without his parents’ love, the boy always looks sad. In late 2020, following the "Border posts’ foster children” model, An was adopted by A Xan Border Post where he met another Co Tu boy, named Hoi Duc Huu. Sympathizing with each other’s situation and sharing the same dream of going to school, the two boys have become close friends. Every day, they go to school together and help each other study after school-time. The two boys often find Captain Nguyen Van Trong, Head of the Mass Mobilization Team, to get help with difficult homework.
At present, A Xan Border Post’s troops are living and working in cramped conditions since their unit is under construction. However, they have spared the best places for Co Lau An and Hoi Duc Huu to sleep and study. According to Major Phan Minh Xuan, Deputy Political Commissar of A Xan Border Post, the unit’s troops are living far from their families, but they still feel family atmosphere thanks to the presence of the two boys. The boys also remind each officer and soldier to behave correctly because they understand that they are role models for their foster children.
Major Xuan said that the unit’s personnel have created the best conditions for the children with the hope that they will become citizens useful for society and active in protecting the border.
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Foster children equipped with life skills |
Co Lau An and Hoi Duc Huu are two out of dozens of ethnic minority children who have been taken care by troops of the Quang Nam provincial Border Guard Command. Apart from providing food, clothes, and opportunity to go to school, the province’s border guard troops have equipped children with essential life skills and inspired them to pursue their dreams. Sharing his dream, Co Lau An said that he will join the military after completing high school to give support to more people like their foster fathers have done.
According to Political Commissar of the Quang Nam provincial Border Guard Command Senior Colonel Hoang Van Man, of the students who have been fostered by units of the provincial border guard command following the “Paving the way to school for children - Border posts’ foster children” program, nine have passed the university entrance exams; one won a consolation prize in the provincial excellent contest; and many students have been honored with good academic results.
Colonel Man said that the obtained results are source of encouragement for border guard troops to try harder and be more responsible.
Translated by Tran Hoai