On the sidelines of the story of 'spreading literacy' in Muong Long

(Baonghean) - The road to Muong Long is no longer as remote and winding as it was many years ago, because the road to the commune has been paved. However, Muong Long remains a challenging area in the mountainous Ky Son district.

Fifteen years ago, when she first set foot in Muong Long, teacher Nguyen Thi Thu felt that sense of distance very clearly. In this "foreign land," she cried countless times. It felt like a child standing in a strange place where everything around her was hazy and indistinct. Her longing to return home was strongest, especially on late nights, alone in the dilapidated communal housing, surrounded only by the howling forest wind and the biting winter cold that seemed to cut into her flesh…

During those long days, the greatest thing that kept the teachers there was the fact that they could read the yearning of the Hmong boys and girls to learn to read and go to school. Moreover, in this deprived and difficult place, they always received the sharing and help of their colleagues and the local people.

Teacher Nguyen Ba Cuong and his wife, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, along with their students at Muong Long Primary School (Ky Son).

For teacher Nguyen Thi Thu, the experiences she gained during her early days in Muong Long were what brought her and teacher Nguyen Ba Cuong together. She herself was surprised by this relationship, because initially, they only knew each other as fellow villagers, and since Mr. Cuong was younger, he addressed her as "sister" and referred to himself as "younger brother." Opportunities to meet were also limited, as Mr. Cuong had just started his job and was assigned to teach at the remote Mo Nung village school... They only met once a month during meetings at the central school.

Their feelings began to blossom on November 20th (Vietnamese Teachers' Day) when Mr. Cuong brought his students from Mo Nung to the main village to participate in a cultural performance. That day, by chance, while standing backstage, Ms. Thu saw Mr. Cuong worrying about his student because "a small piece of metal was stuck in his hand"... As a woman, she simply thought at the time: If he cares so much about his students, he will surely be just as thoughtful towards his wife and children later on.

As for him, he knew her, they addressed each other as siblings, but deep down he always admired a strong, resilient, and dedicated woman who was devoted to her students. A year after that special event, the two got married, although they had to wait almost three years before both were officially employed. During that time, to save money, even while pregnant, Teacher Thu volunteered to teach in the Tha Lang village. Simply because there was a "village-supported" policy there, which would reduce some expenses and allow her to retain her meager contract salary of 500,000 dong. Teacher Cuong, even after getting married and having a child, continued to teach in the village. Although they worked at the same school and lived near each other, they only saw each other two or three times a month.

The central hamlet of Muong Long commune is home to three schools: primary, kindergarten, and junior high school... In the past, the hamlet was mostly inhabited by the Mong ethnic group. For the past ten years or so, the hamlet has seen the arrival of new residents: teachers who have settled here, bought land, and built houses to establish their lives. Teacher Thu and her husband are no exception. When they first got married, they lived temporarily in a communal housing complex. After the birth of their first child, determined to settle down permanently, they bought an old house from a colleague. To be closer to the local people, they didn't build a modern house but instead constructed a wooden house with a thatched roof.

Her two children, the eldest in sixth grade this year and the youngest in second grade, also live here with their parents, studying, playing, and growing up with the other children in the area. Visiting Ms. Thu's family, she excitedly talked about her flock of over 100 black chickens she had recently bred, which she considered her "savings," a sum she and her husband had accumulated for their children's future university education in the lowlands.

Recess time for students at Muong Long Primary School (Ky Son).

Not far from Ms. Thu's house is the small home of Mr. Nguyen Van Linh, the Deputy Principal of Muong Long Primary School, and his wife, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, currently a secondary school teacher in Huoi Tu commune. Mr. Linh shared a lot about his more than 20 years of working in this remote village, where he had many opportunities to return to the lowlands, but life's many ups and downs and turning points kept him here.

Few people know that Ms. Hoa is actually Mr. Linh's second wife. His first wife, also a teacher from the same hometown, passed away on the way from Muong Long to Muong Xen before their first child was even born... Mr. Linh then decided to stay in this land of constant wind and frost...

Speaking of the stories of teachers working in remote villages, the teachers here also share many stories about the love between teacher Nguyen Thi Loan and teacher Lau Ba Sua. They met and fell in love at the Nghe An College of Education. After graduation, despite having many opportunities in her hometown, teacher Loan voluntarily registered to teach in Ky Son and became a daughter-in-law in Muong Long.

Nearly 10 years have passed, and the decision that once met with much opposition has never made the couple regret their choice. Their love not only helped them overcome difficulties but also motivated them to strive and succeed together. Now, after many years of dedication to the remote area, Mr. Lầu Bá Súa is the Deputy Principal of Kỳ Sơn Ethnic Boarding Junior High School, and Ms. Loan is also one of the highly regarded teachers in terms of expertise and is recognized as an excellent teacher at the provincial and district levels.

The days spent living in the remote village of Muong Long, the gateway to heaven, were also filled with joy because here, they could see their students progressing day by day, and witness their new homeland changing over the years.

My Ha