Quietly sowing knowledge and instilling hope in disadvantaged children, he helps spread the image of Uncle Ho’s soldiers who stay close to and serve the people.
In the late afternoon, soft sunlight filtered through the leaves and the small window. Inside a modest room, Senior Captain Tran Quang Huy patiently guided orphans and underprivileged children in the area to learn English vocabulary through familiar topics. His calm, warm voice helped the children gradually gain confidence in every word and sentence.
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Senior Captain Tran Quang Huy and his students |
The class has been maintained for three years. There are no report cards or pressure of grades, only the joy of learning and growing confidence shining in young eyes. The model “English teacher with a charity class,” proposed and directly implemented by Senior Captain Tran Quang Huy, has become a highlight in mass mobilization work of the Ho Chi Minh City armed forces.
Each session usually begins with familiar greetings: “Hello teacher!”, “How are you today?”. Small hands that were once timid have become more confident after each lesson. The teacher-soldier patiently corrects pronunciation, sentence formation, and explains using relatable examples, mixed with humorous stories to help the children remember better. He shared that teaching English to disadvantaged children is not only about language, but more importantly about helping them believe in their own abilities and future.
Most of the students cannot afford extra classes. Many are orphans or have to help their families by selling goods or collecting scrap. Without this class, they would hardly have the chance to fill the gap in their English knowledge. The idea of opening the class came from Huy’s field trips during mass mobilization work, where he witnessed many children forced to drop out. Wanting to help them in a practical and sustainable way, he reported to his superiors and received support.
In 2023, the class was officially opened in residential area No.34. To date, he has taught more than 400 sessions to over 100 disadvantaged and orphaned students. Since 2025, the class has enrolled 53 students and has been maintained regularly with two to three sessions per week.
Although there is no standardized curriculum like in formal schools, each lesson is carefully prepared to suit each student’s level. Desks, a blackboard, and electric fans have been supported by his unit and benefactors.
In addition to teaching, every year he also proposes mobilizing more than 300 gift packages along with books and school supplies for the students. The officer shared that there are days when he returns late and exhausted from training and duties, but thinking of the children waiting for class gives him renewed motivation.
Nguyen Ngoc Tam Nhu, a sixth grader at Duy Tan Secondary School in Vung Tau ward, who has been with the class since the early days, said, “I used to be very afraid of English because I didn’t understand and didn’t dare to speak. Thanks to teacher Huy’s dedicated teaching, I can now read, write, and achieve good results in English at school. I hope the class will continue so that more students like me can have opportunities to learn.”
Nguyen Ho Kim Ngoc, a seventh grader at Thang Nhi Secondary School in Vung Tau ward, arrives early for every lesson. She shared that teacher Huy teaches in an easy-to-understand way and often tells funny stories, making learning enjoyable. Thanks to him, she is more confident in communication and performs better at school. She hopes to become a tour guide in the future.
Alongside community teaching activities, Senior Captain Tran Quang Huy is also a dynamic and creative officer in training and professional work. Since 2022, he has had four initiatives effectively applied and awarded at various levels. Notably, in 2023 and 2024, his initiative “Smart rescue wrist float” for training and exercises won a B prize at Military Region 7 level and a consolation prize at the 24th Military Creative Youth Award in 2024.
With persistent efforts, he has been awarded many higher level titles and certificates of merit. However, for him, the greatest reward is not the certificates, but the daily growth of his students.
Translated by Chung Anh