This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund (March 5, 1999 - 2024) and the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the "For Beloved Hoang Sa - Truong Sa" Club (August 1, 2014 – 2024).
Former Vice President Truong My Hoa, Chairwoman of Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund and Head of the "For Beloved Hoang Sa - Truong Sa" Club, recalled, “During a visit to the Truong Sa (Spartly) Islands, I visited a classroom where a teacher had to teach students of multiple grades in one session. After teaching the first-grade students, the teacher would then turn to the second and third graders. At that time, Truong Sa Islands did not have a formal school; it was just a temporary classroom with insufficient books and school supplies. Upon returning, I proposed building a proper school for the students of Truong Sa, and received strong support from various levels, sectors, sponsors, and the public.”
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Children at Sinh Ton Primary School on Sinh Ton (Sin Cowe) Island, Truong Sa island district, Khanh Hoa province receiving scholarships from the "For Beloved Hoang Sa - Truong Sa" Club |
Since then, many essential facilities have been built to serve the island’s residents, such as cultural houses, medical stations, temples, systems of solar power and wind power, and fishing ports. In 2013 and 2014, Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund partnered with the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper to launch the "For Beloved Truong Sa Students" program, resulting in the construction of two new schools that fulfilled the dreams of students, parents, and teachers on remote islands. On August 1, 2014, the "For Beloved Hoang Sa - Truong Sa" Club was established to unite those inspired by the national sea and islands.
The establishment of the "For Beloved Hoang Sa - Truong Sa" Club met the aspirations of many people, both within and outside the country. It has become a bridge conveying messages of patriotism and responsibility for the homeland’s sea and islands. Currently, the club has 155 affiliated units, more than 5,000 individual members, and thousands of connected members on Facebook. Educational and information dissemination activities fostering love for the national sea and islands are regularly carried out in diverse and creative forms, inspiring and nurturing a sense of responsibility for the islands.
"In the past 10 years, club members, schools, sponsors, and those who love the national sea and islands have jointly supported and awarded scholarships to 431 students who are children of the border guard force, naval force and fishermen, with a total value of over VND 192 billion. Another impressive figure is the 14,185 scholarships, worth more than VND 14 billion in total, awarded to students from coastal areas and islands. These numbers not only reflect the positive contributions of all sources but also demonstrate the responsibility and care for the homeland’s sea and islands, as well as for naval officers, law enforcement forces at sea, and needy fishermen from club members, sponsors, and sea-loving individuals both at home and abroad," emphasized former Vice President Truong My Hoa.
Over the past years, with the care of the Party, the State, and the practical support of various agencies, benefactors, businesses, especially Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund and the "For Beloved Hoang Sa - Truong Sa" Club, students on islands have made great efforts in their studies. Many have achieved high results in district and city-level academic competitions and excelled in schools like the Hanoi Medical University and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. Their achievements affirm the importance of investing in developing young human resources for the sea and islands, a crucial and correct path taken by Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund and the "For Beloved Hoang Sa - Truong Sa" Club. This effort not only provides peace of mind and confidence for officers, soldiers, and fishermen who are steadfastly defending the sea and islands of the homeland, but also contributes to the policy of developing quality human resources for the remote and island areas of our Party and State.
Translated by Trung Thanh