A special classroom in the flood-prone area of Thien Nhan.
In Thien Nhan commune, there is a school that has been out of operation for many years. Although there are no more drumbeats, no more flag-raising ceremonies, and no more lively dismissal times, on weekends, the presence of teachers and students can still be seen here… The children come here to participate in a charity class organized by retired teachers in the commune.
Special students
Handwritten application lettersclassThe affection shown to her is still carefully preserved by teacher Tran Thi Phuong, a former teacher of Thien Nhan commune.
Looking at the neat handwriting and sincere, affectionate words of her students, she feels even more motivated to come to class every week. Her students are boys and girls in grades 4 and 5 from the Quang Xa and Dong Xuan hamlets of Thien Nhan commune. Each class has just over 30 students, but more than half of them have difficult circumstances; some are orphans, having lost both their father and mother. At an age when they should be learning English, sports, academics, and skills, most of them haven't had any extra lessons.
Speaking about her students, teacher Tran Thi Phuong can recite each one by name and remember their circumstances. One example is Le Thi V., from Quang Xa hamlet, the youngest of three siblings. V.'s father has been in a vegetative state for many years due to a stroke. V.'s mother suffers from a herniated disc and is mostly at home, unable to work. Because of the family's circumstances, V.'s older brother, despite being a good student, had to drop out of school in 12th grade to work and support the family.
Phan Van V., a bright, intelligent, and quick-witted student, has a heartbreaking situation. His father died from an electric shock while working, leaving his mother to raise several siblings alone. In this class, hardly anyone has parents who are civil servants. Instead, most parents work in agriculture or construction, and like Quynh A., both her parents are street vendors…
Despite the students' difficult circumstances, what Ms. Phuong cherishes most is their eagerness to learn and their love of coming to class. Their parents are also very caring, waking up early every day to drive their children to school…
Ms. Phuong's phone currently contains many messages from parents expressing their sincere gratitude: "Thank you for your hard work for the children this past year," "Thank you for always reminding us, and for hoping our children will be well-behaved." To organize the class and maintain discipline, Ms. Phuong also doesn't forget to thank the parents for their care and support…
The class, though informal and called a charity class, was filled with warmth and love stemming from those simple things.
For students in disadvantaged areas
For nearly four years, the charity class run by former teachers of Thien Nhan commune has been held at Nam Phuc Secondary School. This is the old school building, which has been out of use for many years since the merger. Because the students are elementary school students, the class only meets on weekends, covering subjects such as Math, Vietnamese, and life skills.
Although it's called an extracurricular class, here, in addition to academics, the students also participate in artistic activities. When we visited, they were practicing a dance outdoors to the music of a famous foreign song. Watching the students and their teacher participate enthusiastically, with their movements performed smoothly and rhythmically, it was hard to believe that the entire performance was choreographed and organized by the students themselves. This is also a regular activity, usually held at the beginning of the school day to create excitement before class starts.
Besides Ms. Phuong, who is currently teaching, the charity class has been maintained for many years thanks to the efforts of Mr. Vu Dinh Lam, Chairman of the Association of Retired Teachers of Thien Nhan Commune.
Teacher Lam said: "The charity class is a request from a relative currently living in Ho Chi Minh City. Six years ago, my family shared their desire to sponsor the opening of a class for disadvantaged students in the area to help them learn and develop. As a teacher myself, I fully supported this idea. Therefore, I volunteered to organize the class on behalf of my relative and invite teachers. Initially, the class opened in Duc Tho district (formerly Ha Tinh province) and taught high school students. For the past four years, the class has moved to Thien Nhan commune and switched to teaching elementary school students, as this age group needs attention and support. To maintain the class regularly, the sponsor provides a portion of the monthly expenses to cover the class's operating costs and teacher training. On special occasions, the children also receive books and school supplies."
Teacher Vu Dinh Lam himself was formerly the principal of a junior high school in the former Nam Dan district, so his biggest concern when opening the class was the quality of teaching and learning.
To organize the class, during the implementation process, the teacher paid special attention to the teaching staff and invited reputable and experienced teachers to directly participate in teaching. For example, Ms. Tran Thi Phuong, formerly the Deputy Principal of Trung Phuc Cuong 2 Primary School, retired just one year ago.
Besides teaching academics, Mr. Lam and his wife (a former experienced literature teacher) also directly teach life skills classes to their students.
Both my wife and I are over 70 years old and have been retired for many years, so returning to teaching was quite nerve-wracking. Therefore, when preparing lessons, we had to read a lot of materials, update our knowledge, and mainly choose topics that are relatable to our students, such as family relationships, teacher-student relationships, and teaching them manners in life.
Teacher Vu Dinh Lam
Although the number of retired teachers teaching in this class is small, the Association of Retired Teachers of Thien Nhan Commune has supported this charity class over the years. Most recently, in mid-October 2025, after two consecutive floods that damaged many students' homes, the retired teachers donated money to buy books and school supplies for the children, encouraging them to overcome difficulties and hardships.
Leaving Thien Nhan commune, what lingers in my memory are the eager eyes, the lively voices and laughter as the children eagerly share their fun stories from class; and the touching moments when they talk about their dreams for the future…
As she saw us off at the school gate, teacher Tran Thi Phuong confided: "I've been an administrator for many years, but my greatest wish is to be in the classroom, teaching literacy and knowledge to students. Even after retirement, being able to continue standing on the podium makes me very happy and fulfilled. I always remind myself to be enthusiastic and dedicated to my students so as not to disappoint the benefactors and the trust of parents and the local government."