A young man from Yen Thanh rice fields and his wish to 'awaken beautiful aspirations for children'

On the occasion of Vietnam Book Day, Nghe An Newspaper had a conversation with Mr. Phan Dang Chuong to better understand the work that he and his friends are pursuing.

Books inspire beautiful aspirations of youth

PV: I know that when you were in high school, you were a math major. So back then, did you like reading books? Which book do you remember the most?

Phan Dang Chuong: Although I was a student majoring in Mathematics, I loved reading books since I was young. In the past, books were something very expensive for rural children like us. We had to borrow them or get a book from someone who really valued it, and read it over and over again until the cover was torn and the spine was worn.

The joy of students on the day they received books from the charity bookshelf program

I still remember the book I liked the most, which could be considered my “bedside book”, was “The Adventures of a Cricket” by writer To Hoai. Later, when I was in high school, I read some classic works such as “The Godfather” by Mario Puzo, “Sans Famille” by Hector Malot… It can be said that each work has its own value and has certain influences on the youthful aspirations of me and my friends.

PV: There is a very good saying “The greatest school is books”. Up to this point, do you think that saying is true? For you, in the process of growing up and getting to where you are today, what is the meaning of books?

Phan Dang Chuong: In my opinion, at the present time or at any time, the saying “The greatest school is books!” is always true. Because in addition to absorbing knowledge from teachers, reading books plays an extremely important role. Especially in today’s modern society, information technology has developed rapidly, so people often go to the internet to learn and entertain, forgetting the endless treasure of books.

Nghe An students with books donated from the Charity Bookshelf.

As I said above, for me personally, it was the worn-out books of my childhood that gave me the beautiful aspirations of youth. Books are an endless source of knowledge, a place where I can learn, gain experience, train myself and relax. The habit of reading books does not make me feel isolated, but actually helps me calm down and live more slowly, giving me the motivation to live better and more positively. Those are also the values ​​that the founders and implementers of the "Humanity Bookshelf" program always want to aim for.

Spreading reading culture in the community

PV: I understand that you are currently the Executive Director of the “Humanity Bookshelf” Program. Please share with us why you and your friends decided to build this program? Is it for a very personal reason?

Phan Dang Chuong: As far as we know, if not counting textbooks, in Vietnam, on average, each person only reads 1 book/year. Reading ability is still very limited and currently the whole country has about 600,000 classrooms with 20,000,000 students, the bookcases in the classroom are too modest. Therefore, the purpose of the brothers and sisters who initiated the "Compassionate Bookcase" Program is to give books to students in particular and individuals of all ages in general across the country, in order to create a reading culture and spread the spirit of compassion in the community.

Mr. Phan Dang Chuong donated books to schools.

We also hope that through this program, we will have more companions to shorten the time to bring books to all students in the country, improve people's reading ability and let everyone see that giving books, sharing knowledge and life experiences is a daily habit.

PV: Although it has only entered its fourth year of implementation, the journey of the "Compassionate Bookcase" Program is very proud, as you have equipped 8,986 charity bookcases and libraries in nearly 3,780 schools in 59 provinces and cities across the country. Please share your memories during the implementation process. What was the most difficult thing for you when calling on and mobilizing everyone to participate in the program?

Phan Dang Chuong: Three years have passed, although this is only the first leg of our “thousand-mile journey”, but every time we look back, we always feel grateful for having gone through countless difficulties and challenges and having many memorable memories. What we are most proud and touched by is not the number of thousands of bookcases/libraries but the stories of local leaders, teachers, parents, students as well as the cooperation of the community that created the strength and influence of the program.

The "Humanity Bookshelf" group donated books in Yen Thanh.

For us, the biggest difficulty is not how to call for hundreds of millions, billions of dong for book-giving trips in localities, but how to arouse the reading culture of the people and the localities receiving the books, to build a legacy so that the story of reading books is not just a temporary movement, but continues between generations of local people. In fact, some people and some places still receive books like any other charity items. Meanwhile, books, as Voltaire said: "What books teach us is like fire. We take it from our neighbors, light it in our own homes, pass it on to others, and it becomes the property of all people".

PV: “Giving a child a book is changing the world” is the goal that the “Compassionate Bookshelf” Program has built. However, I also see that compared to the past, today’s children do not love reading books anymore, because they have many other interests in the IT world. So today, looking back at the results achieved, are you satisfied and what is the biggest thing that you feel after each bookshelf is built?

Phan Dang Chuong: Children of all times and places love books and love to explore knowledge. But today, because of modern life with many high-tech devices and we adults are busy with daily life, it seems that we are leaving or accepting children to hug tablets and smartphones for many hours a day. And also because most of us adults no longer have the habit of reading books. That is why the most satisfying thing for us is that after each bookshelf, the participation of parents and teachers has taken a more positive direction, when we see students and children, thanks to the love of reading, become more obedient, study better, and cultivate more life skills, many adults have gradually changed their thinking and actions.

Children of all times and places love books and love to explore knowledge.

PV: You are a native of Nghe An and up to now Nghe An is also one of the provinces that has benefited the most from the “Humanity Bookshelf” Program. The program is also being expanded with the “Wisdom House” model in many localities in the province. What made you develop this model further? In the coming time, what is your next goal in this Program to be able to spread the culture of reading and love of books to everyone?

Phan Dang Chuong: It is not because most of us are from Nghe Tinh that Nghe An benefits the most, but the concept of the program is that wherever there is a real thirst for reading and a commitment to using books effectively, we will bring books there, regardless of region, whether it is a city or a border island, a remote area or an isolated area.

Along with the “Humanity Bookcase”, over the past 2 years, we have also developed the “Wisdom House” model in localities to help people have more spaces, new, convenient and completely free options for their lifelong learning. “Humanity Bookcase” develops in breadth, covering many schools and communities across the country, while “Wisdom House” goes deeper, books - libraries are just a part of it. It is a playground, a space for lifelong learning. There, everyone is not only readers, learners but can also become people who share their knowledge, skills, and experiences with others. There, even in the midlands and mountainous areas, people can still be exposed to experts in many fields, domestically and internationally, with a network of dedicated teachers and volunteers in many countries.

"Humanity Bookshelf" has grown in breadth, covering many schools and communities.

“Wisdom House” is an educational model that integrates many modules, in which reading and experience are the foundation for learning, playing and entertainment activities. For this model to operate effectively, as well as “Humanity Bookshelf”, we really need and hope to receive the participation and support of local authorities, the education sector and the community. Each of us wants our children to study, play and grow up in a healthy and beneficial environment. As children far from home, we can only operate and support from afar, so our next and consistent goal is still to support the team of teachers and volunteers at “Wisdom Houses” to effectively operate the model in existing localities. New localities will, depending on conditions, continue to expand the network so that the model can spread more and more.

PV: Thank you!