Cooperation in human resource training creates a bridge to promote Vietnam - Laos solidarity - Part 2
The program of adopting Lao students studying in Vietnam has been implemented by the Nghe An Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association and the Liaison Committee of Volunteer Soldiers and Military Experts of Nghe An Province for more than 10 years. This is one of the people's foreign affairs activities with humanitarian significance, creating opportunities for Lao students to practice Vietnamese, contributing to improving their qualifications and knowledge in all aspects.
The program of adopting Lao students studying in Vietnam has been implemented by the Nghe An Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations, the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association and the Liaison Committee of Volunteer Soldiers and Military Experts of Nghe An Province for more than 10 years. This is one of the people's foreign affairs activities with humanitarian significance, creating opportunities for Lao students to practice Vietnamese, contributing to improving their qualifications and knowledge in all aspects.
Deep father-son relationship
Mr. Pham Ngoc Son - residing in Quan Bau ward (Vinh city), now at a rare old age, when mentioning the Laotian students he adopted as his children, the eyes of the former Vietnamese volunteer military expert in Laos sparkled with joy. Memories welled up in him with emotion and pride, especially the memories of the days when he was a Vietnamese volunteer military expert working in the neighboring country, when he was loved and protected by the Lao people.
“Many bouts of illness and dangerous situations while on duty, if it weren't for the protection of the people of your country, we, the experts and volunteer soldiers, wouldn't be here today,” Mr. Son confided.
Therefore, when the Nghe An Union of Friendship Organizations and the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association of Nghe An province implemented a program to adopt Lao students studying at universities and colleges in the province, Mr. Son, who was then the Head of the Liaison Committee for Volunteer Soldiers and Military Experts of Nghe An province, responded enthusiastically, and together with the leaders of the association, the association connected with schools where Lao students were studying, and the blocks around the school to promote and mobilize the implementation of this meaningful people's foreign affairs activity, adopting many Lao students as their own children. "I and many others welcomed the children, considering them as my own flesh and blood with sincere and loyal feelings. For me personally, I feel like life has given me the opportunity to repay my debt of gratitude to the beloved country of Laos," Mr. Son expressed.
His wife died early, leaving him as a single father, but up to now, Mr. Son has adopted dozens of Laotian students from many generations. His joy is that sometimes his children invite each other and their classmates and schoolmates to his house to gather, cook, organize meals, and socialize, especially on holidays and Tet. The Laotian adopted children are all innocent, affectionate, and very well-behaved. Not only does he care about their studies and daily activities, but when they encounter difficulties such as illness, broken vehicles, or accidents, Mr. Son is always there to support them. He also coordinates and organizes trips to take his children to visit many historical sites and scenic spots such as Kim Lien Historical Site, Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum, Thanh Chuong tea island, martyrs' cemeteries, etc. so that they can better understand the mountains and rivers and people of Nghe An.
Because of that sincere affection, there are Laotian students who have returned to their country for many years, and are now doctors, successful businessmen, bank employees or good teachers, but they always remember their father Son with all their affection and respect; like the adopted Laotian daughter whom Mr. Son often calls by the intimate name Noi - a former student of Vinh Medical University, now a young doctor in Xieng Khouang province.
Noi had a difficult life, her parents died early, she was raised by her sister, when she went to Nghe An, although she received a scholarship, Noi had many difficulties in covering living expenses during her years of studying away from home. Knowing Noi's situation, Mr. Son helped her with the love of a father. Whenever Noi was sick or had difficulties, Mr. Son always promptly encouraged her both materially and spiritually to help the young Laotian student overcome. When Noi's sister came to visit Vietnam, she hugged Mr. Son and cried, expressing that this affection would be engraved in her heart and never be forgotten.
Another adopted daughter named Am Pi from Bolikhamxay province, who studied at Nghe An University of Economics and is now an officer at the Viettel Bank branch in Laos, also has deep feelings for Son's father's family. When she returned to Vietnam, Am Pi often called to share all the joys and sorrows with Mr. Son. On the day Am Pi got married, Mr. Son went to Laos to attend the wedding with the affection of a father whose daughter was getting married. He brought all kinds of seafood gifts such as snails, dried squid, and fish sauce to his daughter's family, and thoughtfully prepared a dowry for his daughter to bring to her husband's house. His presence was a great happiness for Am Pi and her family. After the wedding, the adopted daughter and relatives took Mr. Son to visit all over Laos. When they heard that Mr. Son had an accident in Vietnam and was seriously injured in the leg, Am Pi's family organized a group of nearly 20 people to Nghe An to visit.
Every time they have the opportunity to return to Vietnam, Mr. Son's adopted children bring home products to give to their father, sometimes meat, sometimes sticky rice, some even bring tamarind trees from Laos to plant in front of Mr. Son's house as a souvenir. That tamarind tree is now tall, spreading cool shade, a witness to the precious feelings and deep gratitude of the children from the land of Champa flowers towards their adoptive father like Mr. Son - the one who gave them a warm family, a second homeland that "even though they are far away, they still remember"...
The whole association of women adopting Laotian children
The program "Adopting Laotian children", "Twinning and friendship exchange" in Nghe An has spread to many blocks and families around schools with Lao students studying such as: Vinh University, Vinh University of Technical Education, Vinh University of Medicine, Nghe An University of Economics...
Typically, the Trung Hung Women's Association, Hung Dung Ward (Vinh City) has organized a twinning ceremony and adopted Laotian children to study at Vinh Medical University. Ms. Hoang Thi Nga - former Head of the Trung Hung Women's Association said: From the people's diplomacy and international cooperation program launched by women's associations at all levels, in July 2020, the Trung Hung Women's Association organized a twinning ceremony with Laotian students at Vinh Medical University located in the ward, with the desire to support them mentally and emotionally, helping them get acquainted with Vietnamese customs and practices so that they can study with peace of mind. Thereby, contributing to strengthening and further developing the special solidarity relationship between Vietnam and Laos".
“At that time, Vinh Medical University had 122 Laotian international students. Right after the twinning ceremony in September 2020, the adoption activity began, divided into 3 phases. However, the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, so the block could only organize the first phase, with 13 families in the block, including families of block officials volunteering to adopt 42 children, of which my family adopted 4 children. I consider the children as my own children, often calling them over to my house for dinner, teaching them good things, right things and being there whenever they need me,” Ms. Nga shared.
Among her adopted children, Mrs. Nga loves Phommalath PhoneKeo (born in 1994), from Xieng Khouang province, studying at the Faculty of General Medicine, Vinh Medical University). The skinny little girl Phommalath PhoneKeo has a very cute Vietnamese name, Thao Tien. PhoneKeo's family life is very difficult when her mother has a serious heart disease. However, she is still determined to choose Vietnam to study abroad and tries hard to get a scholarship. When PhoneKeo was studying in Nghe An, her mother's illness became serious so she was sent to Vietnam for treatment, but then could not return home due to the epidemic. Knowing Phonekeo's situation, Mrs. Nga loves her daughter very much, she discussed with the association to find a way to help her. During those days, visits, ensuring food and necessities for both mother and child were carefully arranged and taken care of by Mrs. Nga.
By 2022, PhoneKeo graduated and returned to Vietnam, working as a cosmetic surgeon in the capital Vientiane. To this day, Nga and her mother still keep in touch regularly via social media. Talking to us via video call, PhoneKeo expressed his gratitude to Nga's mother - the Vietnamese mother who has become a solid support for him during the most difficult days. "Mother Nga will always be my second mother, my warm home in Nghe An, where I have been attached for 5-6 years," PhoneKeo expressed.
Laotian guy Mainouansy Amphone from Xieng Khouang province confided: “I am the second child in a family of 4 siblings, my parents are farmers in Laos. When I came to Vietnam to study, I was very happy to be adopted by my mother Nga, her family treated me like their own child, gave me warm feelings and helped me a lot”. On the recent graduation photo shoot, Amphone invited mother Nga and her family to take photos with him and expressed his wish that on the upcoming graduation day at Vinh Medical University, mother Nga, his second mother in Vietnam, would be present to join in the fun. Currently, the guy born in 1998 is having a beautiful love story with a girl from Nghe An, so he is hoping to find a suitable job and stay long-term in Vietnam...
In Trung Hung block, in addition to Mrs. Nga, there are 12 other families who have adopted Laotian students, each family has adopted about 3-4 children on average. The adoptive parents have truly loved and given the children a warm family atmosphere. Every traditional Vietnamese New Year, the adoptive parents invite the children home, teach them how to wrap banh chung, and prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes. Every Lao New Year, the children also celebrate with their adoptive parents, participate in cultural, artistic, and sports exchanges with the people in the block, creating a joyful and warm atmosphere.
The family of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hong Van, also in Trung Hung block, both husband and wife are members of the Veterans Association, who fought to protect Laos, adopted medical student Kham Lar as their son and loved and cared for him like his own flesh and blood. Kham Lar also considered his adoptive parents' family as his second home. When his adoptive father, a war invalid, had a relapse of his injuries and had to be treated at Military Hospital 4, and his biological children had not yet returned home, Kham Lar reported to his school and asked to go to the hospital to take care of his adoptive father. On the day Kham Lar graduated, Mrs. Van represented the family to attend his adopted son's graduation ceremony. The mother and son hugged each other, moved and proud...
During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, many Lao students at Vinh Medical University faced difficulties due to lack of support from their families. Foster parents and the Women's Association of Trung Hung block donated and mobilized women's association members to directly support rice, vegetables, fruits and other necessities for their children during this difficult time.
Ms. Ho Thi Kim Cuc - Head of the Women's Association of Trung Hung Block said: 42 Lao students were adopted by families in the area, now more than half of them have graduated from school, but still keep in regular contact with their adoptive parents. The children also bring their whole family to visit Vietnam and invite their adoptive parents to visit Laos. Whenever there is an important event or joy or sadness in life, the children always connect by phone with their adoptive parents in Vietnam to share. All those loving feelings have shown a beautiful picture of the strong and loyal friendship between Vietnam and Laos.
