Young teacher on top of Pu Lon

(Baonghean)- Pun Lon Peak (Tay Son Commune - Ky Son) is covered in mist and clouds all year round. There is a girl who is dedicating her youth and enthusiasm to the career of "growing people".

Overcoming hardships to Dong Tren

One early spring day, we went up to Yen Khe (Con Cuong) to find Ka Thi Ly - a teacher in Dong Tren village, Tay Son commune (Ky Son). Ly welcomed us with a smile full of surprise, and was even more surprised when we were reminded of the fleeting meeting on the trail on Pun Lon peak a few months ago: "It turns out, you were the one who climbed the slope into the village. That day, it was about to rain, I quickly got off to make the road less slippery, so I couldn't stay."

Ka Thi Ly was born in 1994, the product of two bloodlines from two different lands. Ly's father is Ede, originally from Dak Lak, Ly's grandfather was a soldier from the South who gathered in the North under the Geneva Agreement. Ly's mother is a Thai ethnic woman, born and raised in Yen Khe village.

The road to the top of Pun Lon, Tay Son commune (Ky Son) is always arduous and remote.

After finishing high school, Ly passed the entrance exam to the Preschool Department of Nghe An College of Education. In 2015, after graduating from school, but Con Cuong district did not have any recruitment quota for preschool teachers, Ly packed her bags and went to Ky Son to look for opportunities. And finally, her name was on the list of successful candidates and she was assigned to Tay Son Preschool.

On the way to the main school in Huoi Giang 3 village, Ly felt cheerful because the road was winding, steep and winding but was paved with smooth asphalt. The road here was not too difficult or remote. The principal assigned Ly to be in charge of the Dong Tren village school and did not forget to tell her about the hardships and difficulties to prepare her mentally.

To get to Dong Tren village, from the center of Tay Son commune, you have to go back to Muong Xen town, then around to Ta Ca commune, follow the Nam Mo stream, to Canh village on the trail running along the mountainside... The road is like a winding thread that seems to run forever, sometimes climbing passes, sometimes crossing streams.

Ly had to ask Mr. Nguyen Ho Quang - the primary school teacher in charge at Dong Duoi village school to lead the way. It was a rainy and windy day, the road was slippery, the motorbike fell down... The excitement seemed to disappear, her heart could not help but feel discouraged, tears suddenly fell when she looked up at the desolate mountain range...

A corner of Dong Tren village, Tay Son commune (Ky Son) - where teacher Ka Thi Ly is "camping" in the village.

Dong Tren village appeared before the young teacher’s eyes with low and sparse roofs, immersed in mist. It was just the beginning of autumn but the weather was already freezing, the cold winds penetrated the skin. The village had only 20 Mong households and only 12 kindergarten students.

At the Primary level, due to the small number of students, it had to be merged with the Dong Duoi village school. This meant that Ka Thi Ly was the only teacher stationed in this village. On the first night in the temporary house, with a flickering candle and a light drizzle outside, Ly could not sleep.

Reaching for the phone, hoping to confide in her parents but there was no signal. The 21-year-old girl suddenly felt loneliness surrounding her, feeling lost in the darkness of the wilderness. Tears filled her eyes but Ly always told herself to be steadfast, the difficulties and confusion would pass.

Believe in tomorrow...

The next morning, when the sun was lifting the mist, Ly suddenly heard the children's chattering. She couldn't understand what they were saying, but from their tone, she knew they were excited and happy. The door opened, and more than 10 children rushed in, their hair and clothes dirty but their eyes were very bright. The children looked at Ly in surprise, she smiled warmly, and the distance was suddenly erased.

The joy of teacher Ka Thi Ly with her students.

In the first lesson, the teacher and students did not know each other's language, but through her gestures and eyes, Ly brought joy to the children on the faraway Pun Lon peak. The next day, and the following days, at the same time, the children chattered to class together, those sounds gradually became familiar and very dear to the young teacher.

“I will never forget the memory of my first Teachers’ Day in my teaching career. Parents in the village came to give me fruits like squash, melon, pineapple and taro – products that the villagers produced and could not be eaten in a month, so they had to send them to colleagues at other schools” – Ka Thi Ly confided.

On normal days, villagers would visit and give the teacher some rice, wild vegetables or some meat from wild animals they had just hunted. During the snow and ice that covered the Pun Lon mountain range, students were off school, parents carried firewood to the classroom for the teacher to light a fire to warm up, and brought food to help the teacher cope with the cold. Outside, the water was freezing, but Ly always felt warm inside because it was warmed by respect and love.

Dong Tren Kindergarten (belonging to Tay Son Kindergarten), where teacher Ka Thi Ly is in charge.

The day Ly temporarily left Pun Lon to celebrate Tet, 12 children followed her to the third slope. Parents ran after her, some gave their teacher a peach blossom branch, some gave a kilo of sticky rice, a chicken... Ly could not bring everything back, she only accepted a peach blossom branch to bring the spring colors of Tay Son mountains and forests to Yen Khe land.

Before the Tet holiday was over, teacher Ka Thi Ly had already packed her bags to return to Dong Tren, because she knew her 12 children were waiting for her every day. And she knew that in that place, the cold mist had melted away, the spring buds were budding, sprouting, and the landscape and human love were beckoning.

As soon as we arrived at Dong Tren, Ly climbed up the high rock in front of the village to check the signal and called us: “Knowing you were coming, all the children were waiting at the top of the slope, all of them wearing nice clothes, their eyes shining. The spring scenery up here is very beautiful, please come back to Pun Lon peak...”.

Cong Kien