The extraordinary mother in the 'oasis' of Chà Lâng
(Baonghean.vn) - Vietnamese Teachers' Day (November 20th) is approaching, but teacher Kha Thi Ty doesn't hope to receive bouquets of flowers or gifts. She only wishes to have enough health to continue dedicating herself to education in the highlands, to help ease the difficulties faced by children there on their path to literacy.
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Chà Lâng village, Hữu Khuông commune, Tương Dương district. Photo: Đức Anh |
Located in the reservoir area of the Ban Ve Hydroelectric Power Plant, and lacking a direct road from the center of Tuong Duong district, the impoverished Huu Khuong commune is likened to an "island". On this "island," situated at an altitude of over 1,200m above sea level, Cha Lang village is home to the Mong ethnic group. The village has 48 households with 317 inhabitants; the poverty rate in 2022 was 79.1%.
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Ms. Kha Thi Ty is able to teach "bilingually," using both Hmong and Vietnamese. Photo: Duc Anh |
The journey from Hoa Binh town to Cha Lang village is arduous, taking a whole day with many stages involving getting on and off vehicles, boats, walking, and climbing hills. Life here is lacking in everything from rice and salt to clean water.
The Chà Lâng village is very poor, but the people here are kind and honest. I have many children here."
Yet, for teacher Kha Thi Ty, Cha Lang village is incredibly beautiful and warm. "In the early mornings or late evenings, standing and watching the sunrise and sunset from this high peak, you can truly appreciate the dazzling, majestic, and magical beauty of the moment when day and night meet. Cha Lang village is very poor, but the people here are kind and genuine. I have many children here."
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Teacher Kha Thi Ty's class time. Photo: Duc Anh |
This 2022-2023 school year marks the third year that teacher Kha Thi Ty (49 years old and 30 years of teaching experience) has taught in Cha Lang village. Teacher Ty recounts: "My family still lives in Tam Thai commune. In 1993, after graduating from teacher training college, I started teaching at Tam Hop Primary School, got married, and stayed in this border commune. My husband is from Nam Dinh, and he works here and there to earn money and support our children. To ensure our children's education, we sent them back to their paternal grandparents' home. Not disappointing their grandparents and parents, they excelled in their studies, passing the entrance exam to Le Hong Phong Specialized High School (Nam Dinh city) and then to the Foreign Trade University in Hanoi. In the 2019-2020 school year, I was transferred to teach at the Cha Lang village branch of Huu Khuong Primary School. Now, I only return to Tam Thai and Tam Hop once in a while, and go back to Nam Dinh twice a year."
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Local leaders of Chà Lâng village are seen talking with Ms. Kha Thị Tý. Photo: Đức Anh |
Returning to the Chà Lâng village school – one of the most challenging schools in Nghe An province – teacher Kha Thi Ty faces hardship and disadvantages due to the long journey and difficult commutes. Despite this, she has never given up, always striving to work alongside her colleagues to fulfill her mission of bringing the light of knowledge to the children in the highlands. Having spent many years with the Hmong community, Ms. Ty has become fluent in the Hmong language, making communication and teaching her students much easier. The people of Chà Lâng village fondly remember Ms. Ty's motorbike, which was fitted with iron frames loaded with rice, fish sauce, and salt, also serving as a support to help her avoid injury and easily get back on the bike if she fell while climbing steep, slippery roads.
Life in Chà Lâng village is still very difficult. The parents of the students often work far away, and the children live with their grandparents. At this time, Ms. Kha Thị Tý and her colleagues play the role of "parents" for the children at the Chà Lâng school. The teachers' laundry basins are always full of dirty clothes. After each lesson, the children still cling to her, treating Ms. Tý as their second mother.
When asked about the feelings of a teacher working in a remote village as Vietnam Teachers' Day approaches, Ms. Kha Thi Ty didn't say a word about herself, but instead spoke only about her beloved students. She talked about her disadvantaged young students, about an orphaned girl who is very bright and wants to pursue higher education. "I beg the authorities to see if it's possible for her to live at the SOS Children's Village," Ms. Ty earnestly expressed.
