Free rooms

(Baonghean.vn) - With the help of kind-hearted people, thousands of candidates and their parents in Vinh exam cluster are staying in free or cheap boarding houses. Although there is no air conditioning and other modern amenities like in hotels or motels, for candidates from poor rural areas, living in free boarding houses on exam day is a dream, a great consolation to help them realize their dream of attending university to continue the journey ahead.

Ms. Thuy and her son visited the mother and son who were staying for free in her house.

The spacious house located behind Vinh bus station of Ms. Le Thi Minh Thuy's family (Block 4, Le Loi ward) has become unusually crowded and bustling for the past 3 days. More than 10 strange guests, candidates and relatives from districts of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, came to Vinh city with a lot of luggage to take the 2014 university entrance exam. Her family welcomed them with open arms to stay for free. Originally a year-round lodging business, this year's university entrance exam season, there are 4 vacant rooms. Initially, she planned to rent them out at a cheap price of 20,000 VND/room/exam period to cover electricity and water costs, but then, every day, she witnessed many difficult situations of candidates and their relatives from many rural areas coming to the city to take the exam, Ms. Thuy could not control herself.

The free rooms are arranged on the 2nd floor, clean and tidy. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh (Cam Quang, Cam Xuyen, Ha Tinh) took her youngest daughter, Hoang Thi Thuy, to the exam with only 200,000 VND in her pocket. Knowing that situation, Ms. Le Thi Minh Thuy decided to take everyone to her free room. “My family also comes from poverty. Seeing them like that, I can’t help it. Well, no matter how much or how little I can help everyone, I feel more at ease!” - Ms. Thuy shared simply.

Mr. Bui Van Huy in Yen Son commune, Do Luong district, who brought his grandson Bui Huu Nhat to take the university entrance exam, was one of the people Ms. Thuy gave free accommodation to. With a friendly smile, Ms. Thuy's family left their meal and arranged for the two of them to stay in room number 3 of the family. While showing them where to shower and use the restroom, Ms. Thuy and her husband encouraged the two of them to try their best on the exam and not worry about the accommodation because "here it is completely free for candidates taking the university entrance exam".

At the same time, in the opposite rented room, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh (Cam Quang, Cam Xuyen, Ha Tinh) worriedly informed that her daughter, Hoang Thi Thuy, was carsick and had signs of low blood pressure. At this time, Ms. Thuy ran downstairs, mixed sugar water, and gave her ginger to suck on. Seeing that her daughter's health was still not stable, she immediately encouraged her to have an IV of fruit juice to regain her strength to do her homework tomorrow. When she saw her mother with tears in her eyes, seemingly worried about the cost, Ms. Thuy immediately tactfully reassured her: "Don't worry, I'll give you the IV so you can get well soon, it'll only cost a few tens of thousands, my family will pay for it. If you and your daughter are worried, it's not too late to pass the university entrance exam tomorrow, graduate, find a job, and then pay off the debt."

Witnessing the small stories, simple tasks and warm atmosphere, filled with love in the rented rooms on the second floor of the house, everyone was moved. Because of the sincerity of the host, all the candidates staying for free in Ms. Thuy's family felt close and natural like at home. Some female candidates from Dien Chau district did not hesitate to call Ms. Thuy "mother". "No matter where we go or what we do in the future, we will never forget the days of renting in this house. The room may be a bit cramped and hot, but the people are always warm. At mealtimes, they invite us to eat, and in the evening, they invite our parents down to drink tea, watch TV, talk about current events and tell jokes to create a good mentality for us to take the exam", female candidate Nguyen Thi Lanh, taking the entrance exam to Hanoi University of Industry, confided.

The young volunteers of Le Loi ward said that Thuy's whole family are pioneers in helping and accompanying the candidates. In the past 3 days, Mr. Que Thanh Minh - Thuy's husband has also been busy cleaning up the beds that have been left empty for a long time, washing the blankets and mosquito nets to place in the backyard, ready to welcome more candidates who need free accommodation. Her eldest son, Mr. Que Thanh Hai, is currently a cultural officer and Deputy Secretary of the Le Loi Ward Youth Union, a person with 15 years of volunteering experience, recognized by the Provincial Youth Union and Vinh City People's Committee. During this exam, Hai continued to play the role of leader, pioneering in finding free accommodation for candidates, driving free motorbike taxis, and staying around the exam locations to advise and guide. Many parents who took their children to the exam 2-3 years ago and were helped by Hai, this year, when returning to Vinh city, continued to contact and received the wholehearted support of Hai's family. “We know that around Vinh Bus Station, the lodging business is very busy, many people have to pay from 200,000 to 300,000 VND for each stay while taking the exam, but Ms. Thuy’s family lets the children and their relatives stay for free. They have taken the children to the exam 3 times, but this is the first time they have stayed for free, with the two of them sharing a room. Indeed, there are still many good people in this world,” Mr. Bui Van Huy confided.

According to statistics, during this year's exam season, more than 1,000 free accommodations have been arranged for candidates. Vinh University alone has arranged nearly 900 dormitories for candidates and their families to stay for free. Mr. Tran Minh Cong - Director of Vinh University's boarding center said: "During the exam days, all officers and employees of the center volunteered, ready to welcome and accompany candidates for a successful exam season."

Nguyen Khoa - Phuong Chi