With love and responsibility, the border guard troops have accompanied the students to help them overcome difficulties and improve their studying. Cherishing the practical support from Non-Commissioned Major Phan Van Tham, a member of the Mass Mobilization Team of Mon Son Border Post under the Nghe An provincial Border Guard Command, locals call him a lovely name, “Father Tham.”
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Non-Commissioned Major Phan Van Tham taking care of a student |
Thanks to the instruction from officers and soldiers of Mon Son Border Post, students in the dormitory are accustomed to the schedule. They follow the routine of eating, sleeping on time, maintaining personal hygiene, washing, and hanging clothes… The close guidance and care of the border guard soldiers, including Maj. Tham, have helped the children gradually become more confident and well integrate with school and friends while living away from home.
La Thi Nguyen is one of the students living in the dormitory. She recalled, “At first, I really missed my family. But with the care from the soldiers, especially Father Tham, I gradually got used to living here. In the dormitory, we not only have good meals and warm beds, but we also receive careful guidance from the soldiers and teachers, so we can study with peace of mind.”
After tree years staying in the dormitory, Quyen has become more mature in every aspect and now understands the hardships of her people, motivating her to study harder to fulfill her dream of helping her village escape poverty.
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Maj. Tham and benefactors hand over gifts to students at the dormitory. |
Similarly, La Thi Ngoc, an eighth-grade student, added, “I’ve been staying at the dormitory since the sixth grade. At first, I was very worried about being away from my family, but with the love and guidance from Father Tham, I gained confidence to study with my friends. I love Father Tham and consider him my second father.”
In the 2025-2026 academic year, Mon Son Secondary School have 66 students from the Dan Lai ethnic group in Khe Bung and Co Phạt villages, located 20km from Mon Son commune’s center, living at the “Border Area Dormitory.”
In the past, due to difficult roads, especially during the rainy season when the roads became muddy and slippery, the children faced many challenges getting to school. Many of them, especially those living away from home for the first time, were not used to living independently, which led to dropouts. The school, local authorities, and relevant agencies had to directly go to the villages, visiting each household to persuade the children to return to school.
Understanding the hardships and challenges the poor students from the border areas face in their pursuit of education, the Nghe An provincial Border Guard Command cooperated with the local authorities to conduct the “Accompanying the Border Area Dormitory” model. Since the “Border Area Dormitory” was put into operation, it has partly eased the children’s difficulties in their studies and helped ensure their safety. The unit has assigned a working group of three officers, led by Maj. Tham to regularly stay at the dormitory to guide and assist the students in adapting to new living environment.
To complete the task, Maj. Tham and his comrades have applied their experiences gained from military semesters and years of serving as leaders of platoons of the Training and Mobility Battalion of the Nghe An provincial Border Guard Command to guiding the students.
“With the responsibility of a border soldier, I always treat the children like my own, dedicating all my care to them, guiding them in their studies with the hope that one day they will become good citizens. For the children new to the dormitory, I have to guide and teach them more so that they gradually get used to the new environment,” Tham said.
Together with helping the students get used to the routines, Tham has called on organizations, individuals, and benefactors to provide the material and spiritual support for the students, thus enhancing the quality of their meals and daily living.
According to Maj. Hoang Ngoc Binh, Political Commissar of Mon Son Border Post, when implementing the model, the unit sent a mass mobilization team to ensure security and help the children focus on their studies. In this team, Maj. Tham is always dedicated and well-liked by the children, who see him as their father.
Nguyen Van Vy, Principal of Mon Son Secondary School, confirmed that over the years, the dormitory has helped the school manage, educate, and support students from remote villages. Particularly, Maj. Tham has wholeheartedly provided the children with life skills and taken good care of them, helping them overcome inferiority and strive to excel in their studies. This model is also an effective solution to reduce dropout rates in remote and difficult areas.
With their love and responsibility, the border guard soldiers like Tham will be surely be forever admired by the Dan Lai students at Man Son Secondary School. It is sure that there will have more children to the dormitory to receive the care of border guard soldiers like Father Tham in their journey to acquire knowledge.
Translated by Tran Hoai