Bicycles of compassion

Practical actions

In early May, the town of Tan Lac in the mountainous district of Quy Chau was scorching hot. After more than two months of school closures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, students here began returning to school at the beginning of May. Despite the harsh weather, Dinh Huu Nghia, a third-grade student at Tan Lac Town Primary School, rode his bicycle bareheaded, with a bright smile, wearing only a short-sleeved shirt, his face flushed red from the heat. "Since the soldiers from the Quy Chau District Military Command gave him this bicycle, he's been very happy, enjoys going to school more, and is less sad when thinking about his mother," said Mr. Dinh Van Du, Nghia's grandfather.

Officers from the Quy Chau District Military Command presented a bicycle and encouraged Dinh Huu Nghia to excel in his studies. Photo: Hoai Thu

Now 70 years old, Mr. Dinh Van Du and his wife, Mrs. Tran Thi Binh, 68, are frail and their eyesight is failing, but for nearly a decade they have been caring for and educating their two grandchildren, Dinh Huu Nghia and his younger sister, who is now in senior kindergarten, in place of their son. Since his wife left, Nghia's father sometimes left his son with his grandparents when the boy was just over a year old so he could work odd jobs. Gently stroking her grandson's sun-bleached hair, Mrs. Tran Thi Binh recounted the days of caring for her grandchildren in place of her son, tears welling up in her eyes.

From a young age, Nghia and his brother lacked the love and care of their mother and rarely spent time with their father. Therefore, when their parents are mentioned, Nghia's eyes fill with sadness, and he can only shake his head in response to questions. From his earliest days at school, from kindergarten to elementary school, Nghia was taken to school by his grandfather, sometimes on foot, sometimes on an electric bicycle that could no longer be charged. The house was about 3km from the school, and the road was quite winding, so on rainy days or when his grandfather was ill, Nghia had to walk. Many days he went to school hungry because there was no rice left at home. All living expenses depended on the money his father sent home from his work. Therefore, "I'm so happy to receive the bicycle from the soldiers. I can ride to school by myself, and I enjoy going to school more," Nghia said with a big smile, his hands still gripping the handlebars, his bare feet resting on the pedals. Then Nghia added, "Thank you so much, soldiers."

The house where Luong Tuan Hiep lives with his maternal grandparents is bare and bare, with no furniture, only a bed, Hiep's study desk, and a bicycle given to him by the soldiers. Hiep's maternal grandfather, born in 1969, has suffered from mental illness for many years and is unable to work. His maternal grandmother, three years younger than him, suffers from both stomach pain and a herniated disc, making her unable to do heavy labor. She stays at home, raising a few chickens and caring for her sick husband. Hiep's mother contracted a sexually transmitted disease from her drug-addicted husband many years ago, and her health is poor, so she works odd jobs to earn whatever money she can.

Officers from the Quy Chau District Military Command visited the family of Luong Tuan Hiep, a student in class 4A2 at Chau Hanh Primary School. Photo: Hoai Thu

“Luckily, our youngest daughter, who works as a laborer in Dong Nai, occasionally sends money back to help support us and our grandson, otherwise we would have starved to death a long time ago,” said Mrs. Mac Thi Hai, Hiep’s grandmother, sadly. Mrs. Hai added that a few years ago, Hiep often had to walk to school, sometimes going hungry, which was heartbreaking, but his grandparents didn’t know what else to do. After receiving a bicycle from the soldiers at the District Military Command, Hiep was overjoyed and enjoyed going to school more, so his academic performance improved significantly. Last year, he even received a certificate of commendation, and he always tells his grandmother that when he grows up, he wants to become a soldier like them.

The bicycles for Dinh Huu Nghia and Luong Tuan Hiep are among the 20 bicycles that, in 2019, officers and soldiers of the Quy Chau District Military Command donated to disadvantaged students in the district. To obtain these bicycles for the students, Lieutenant Colonel Le Xuan Son, Political Commissar of the Command, said that the Quy Chau District Military Command launched the "Bicycles for Children" campaign by requesting used bicycles from the families of officers and soldiers in the command and their relatives, then repairing and refurbishing them themselves. Each bicycle was carefully inspected and meticulously repaired or had its damaged or worn parts replaced by the soldiers. Taking advantage of their free time, the officers and soldiers here diligently dismantle and assemble the structures, imbuing them with feelings of compassion and empathy for the plight of poor students, mainly concentrated in the remote, disadvantaged areas of Quy Chau district such as Chau Hoan, Chau Nga, and Chau Binh.

Sponsoring disadvantaged students to help them excel in their studies.

Major Nguyen Toan Thang, Head of the Propaganda Department of the Provincial Military Command, said that in addition to the Quy Chau District Military Command, many other units also donated bicycles to poor students in their areas of operation. For example, the Do Luong District Military Command donated 4 bicycles to 4 underprivileged students at Tru Son and Dai Son Primary Schools; the Tan Ky District Military Command donated 3 bicycles to 3 students with particularly difficult circumstances in Nghia Hoan and Dong Van communes…

Implementing the "Helping Children Go to School" model, from 2017 to early 2020, units in the area not only donated dozens of bicycles but also sponsored 31 disadvantaged students who overcame difficulties to excel in their studies.
At the Quy Chau District Military Command, in addition to donating 20 bicycles to poor students under the "Bicycles for Children" program, the unit also sponsors 5 students annually with a support of 200,000 VND/student/year, helping them alleviate difficulties and giving them more motivation to study well.

Officers from the Quy Chau District Military Command present gifts to support sponsored students in Ta Lanh village, Chau Hanh commune (top left); Officers from Regiment 764 donate bicycles to students at Nghi Duc Primary School (top right); Officers and soldiers from Regiment 764 help Nghi Duc Primary School renovate its grounds. Photo: Hoai Thu

Ms. Tran Thi Binh, the homeroom teacher of class 2B at Chau Hanh Primary School, said that Mac Dinh Nam is one of the students with particularly difficult circumstances compared to his classmates. Nam lost his father at birth, and his mother suffers from a serious illness and is too weak to care for him. He lives with his elderly grandparents, and his grandfather was exposed to Agent Orange during his time in the military, making him unable to do heavy labor. The family's expenses mainly depend on the 2.1 million VND allowance his grandfather receives. Due to poverty, Nam is much smaller than his peers. Every day, his grandfather regularly takes him to and from school, and on days when the weather is bad, they ask neighbors or his teacher to help. "Fortunately, thanks to the care and support from the soldiers at the District Military Command, who sponsored and provided a sum of money, my grandparents feel more at ease, and Nam is also better cared for so he can focus on his studies," said Mr. Mac Van Dien, Nam's grandfather.

Not only in mountainous areas, but even in lowland areas, many students from disadvantaged backgrounds have received timely attention and assistance from units under the Provincial Military Command. “Many military units have established fraternal ties with schools in their areas of operation, creating a bridge to help students from difficult circumstances and supporting schools in promoting exchange and fraternal activities to better serve teaching and learning,” said Major Nguyen Quoc Chien from the Propaganda Department of the Provincial Military Command. For example, in Nghi Duc commune, Regiment 764 has established a fraternal relationship with Nghi Duc Primary School in Nghi Duc commune, Vinh City, sponsoring two students each year with a monthly support of 300,000 VND. In addition, Regiment 764 also donated six bicycles to six poor students, worth over 7 million VND. Over the three years from 2016 to 2019, in addition to assisting disadvantaged students, Regiment 764 also donated books and gifts worth over 17 million VND; contributed over 600 man-days to repairing school buildings and improving the landscape; and donated over 900 kg of rice and 1,200 kg of vegetables to the school's boarding kitchen.

Spreading the spirit of learning and following Uncle Ho's teachings.

In addition to implementing the "Helping Children Go to School" model, to create a wider impact in implementing Directive 05-CT/TW dated May 15, 2016, of the Politburo on studying and following the ideology, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh, the Provincial Military Party Committee directed its Standing Committee to guide grassroots Party committees and branches to register and implement models aimed at creating clear changes in "studying and following the ideology, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh" associated with the four contents of the "Promoting Tradition, Contributing Talents, and Upholding the Name of Uncle Ho's Soldiers" campaign for agencies and units to refer to, select, and register for implementation. Typical models include: "Self-reflection and self-correction"; "One focus, two breakthroughs"; “Implementing 3 diligent practices and 5 exemplary models”; “Saving for oneself, giving to those in need”; “Model vegetable garden”; “Helping children go to school”; “Soldiers of the people”; “Acts of kindness”; “One address, one heart”; “Saturdays and Sundays for the people”; “Bonding love between teachers and students”; “I love my homeland”; “Creative youth”,… Among them, some models of activity have proven to be of high quality and effectiveness, such as: “Helping children go to school” by Regiment 764, Technical Department, Military Command of Quy Chau, Que Phong, and Nam Dan districts; the “Model vegetable garden” model by the Military Command of Nghia Dan district; the “Saturdays and Sundays for the people” model by the Military Command of Nghi Loc, Ky Son, and Tan Ky districts; the “One address, one heart” model by the Military Command of Vinh City...

Major Nguyen Toan Thang - Head of the Propaganda Department of the Provincial Military Command

In early May, the scorching sun couldn't dampen the joy of the students at Nghi Duc Primary School as they rushed out onto the schoolyard after the bell signaled recess. After more than two months of school closure due to the pandemic, everyone was thrilled to be back at school. This was especially true for Le Duc Dung, a 5th-grade student, and Duong Trong Hoan, a 5th-grade student. Both come from extremely difficult family circumstances and have received regular support from the officers of Regiment 764 and the school. They even received bicycles and school supplies. Duong Trong Hoan happily shared, "In 2019, I participated in a ceremony to report our achievements to the soldiers of Regiment 764 in President Ho Chi Minh's hometown. I reported to him about the good deeds my friends and I had done, and also about the many things the soldiers had done to help us." Duong Trong Hoan's mother passed away more than three years ago, and his father works as a security guard at a small hotel in Vinh City. Hoan also has a 5-year-old younger brother. Before receiving the bicycle, Hoan had to walk to school, only on days when his father didn't have to go to work early would he give him a ride. "Since receiving the bicycle, I can go to school by myself, and I even help Dad take my brother to kindergarten. My grandmother in Thanh Hoa only visits me occasionally. Having her around makes the two of us feel less lonely," Hoan shared.

Mr. Le Dinh Nho, Principal of Nghi Duc Primary School, said that in addition to donating bicycles and sponsoring poor students to excel in their studies, Regiment 764 also regularly supports the school in many other activities, fostering a close bond and solidarity between the military and the people. This helps generations of students better understand the image and admirable qualities of the Ho Chi Minh's soldiers through practical activities such as organizing extracurricular activities like "One Day as a Soldier" for third-grade students. During these extracurricular sessions, the school also collaborates with Regiment 764 to organize a ceremony for admitting third-grade students into the Young Pioneers organization right at the military barracks, creating enthusiasm for the students' training.

For many years, the implementation of the "Helping Children Go to School" model by officers and soldiers of the Provincial Military Command and its units has contributed to "supporting" hundreds of poor students and students with difficult circumstances, giving them more motivation and confidence to continue their education, helping them to pursue dreams that might have been interrupted by poverty and illness. "The actions and models implemented throughout the force will contribute to spreading the spirit of learning from and following Uncle Ho's example, continuing to build the image of 'Uncle Ho's Soldiers' with simple, sincere actions that contain profound love for humanity and have a wide-ranging impact on the people," affirmed Major Nguyen Toan Thang.