At the foot of Pu-xai-lai-leng mountain

(Baonghean) - Pu-xai-lai-leng peak is considered the "roof" of Nghe An, located close to the Vietnam - Laos border, in Na Ngoi commune, Ky Son district. At the foot of the mountain are 19 border villages, mainly inhabited by Mong people, whose economy is still backward, and whose lives depend on nature. The career of "cultivating people" here faces many difficulties...

Na Ngoi has 19 villages with more than 5,000 people, of which the Mong people account for over 80%. Whether the village is far or near the commune center, they all have one thing in common: difficult transportation. Most of the roads in this border commune are dirt roads, dusty on sunny days and muddy on rainy days. In each village, there are primary schools and kindergartens, so it is somewhat easier for young students. When they reach grade 6, they have to set up tents to study. Moong Thi May, the only female student in Huoi Thum village, is able to study until secondary school. At the end of Sunday, she and her friends carry their bags to school, and at the end of the Saturday class, they return home. The road to class for May and her friends in Huoi Thum village is 2-3 times farther than that of their schoolmates. On Sunday afternoon, they carry rice and salt and set off to prepare for the new school week. On the way to class, whenever they see bamboo bushes, they gather to look for bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoots are not only food, but can also be sold for a few coins to pay for boarding school and buy fish and meat. By the time we get to the boarding school, it is already dark. Huoi Thum village currently has only 4 people studying at secondary school level, 1 is studying in grade 11 in Muong Xen town.

Class time of students in Xieng Xi village (Na Ngoi, Ky Son).

After school, the children go to the forest to collect firewood, find vegetables, and prepare their meals. Twice a day, at noon and in the evening, their boarding house is filled with smoke from the kitchen. Their frugal meals usually consist of only wild vegetables, or a few bunches of vegetables grown from home. Rarely is there a meal of meat or fish. At night, when the study drum sounds, the boarding house suddenly becomes quiet. Everyone has gathered at school to review their lessons under the guidance of their teachers. All fatigue seems to disappear, on their innocent faces there is only excitement and enthusiasm for learning.

These images are no longer strange in the highland communes. The boarding houses, the simple meals, the long forest journeys of the students and the thirst for knowledge have become the beauty in the journey to knowledge of the highland students.

The life of students is like that, and the life of teachers who go to the mountains to "sow letters" is equally difficult. It is the end of the school year, which is also the time when teacher Lo Van Trong and 4 teachers at Xieng Xi village school are busier with quality testing periods and make-up teaching hours to keep up with the program. This Thai teacher is from Con Cuong district, and has been in the Na Ngoi border area since 2000. Back then, it took a whole day to walk from Luu Kien commune (Tuong Duong) to get to school. Now it is possible to go by motorbike, but the roads are still very difficult. The teacher and his wife's boarding house is in Ka Duoi village, nearly 10 kilometers away from the school on a mountain road. It takes an hour to go back and forth. On days when they teach all day, teachers have to stay at school, and the villagers have built a temporary thatched house for them called "dormitory". Many people who live far from home and teach at a far away school like Mr. Trong have two boarding houses: one near the main school and one in the village like a boarding house.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Thuy (Tuong Son - Anh Son) has been in Na Ngoi for 3 years now. The harsh life in the highlands has made teacher Thuy quickly become strong. Traveling and language barriers are big difficulties for the young teacher. But then, the language difficulties gradually passed. Teacher Thuy can now listen and understand Mong and Thai languages. And her students are now used to speaking Kinh language.

The climate here is very harsh. This border commune is located at a high altitude, the most unpleasant climate sub-region in the western part of Nghe An. In winter, the temperature sometimes drops to nearly 00C, cold to the bone. In the summer, Tuong Duong district is as hot as a frying pan, many days without rain. However, in Na Ngoi commune, at noon and in the afternoon, there are often thunderstorms with thunder and lightning. At the end of April, a tornado hit Tang Phan village when teachers and students had just started class. The roof was blown off by the wind. Pieces of cement tiles fell into the classroom. Fortunately, the house had wooden panels installed as a heat-resistant ceiling, so teachers and students were fine. Difficulties still exist, but with the spirit of loving the profession and children, those who "sow letters" at the foot of Pu-xai-lai-leng mountain like Mr. Trong and Ms. Thuy are still diligent in their work. As for the children, they still persevere to overcome difficulties, acquire knowledge with the dream of building a prosperous village...

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