Bringing the 'moon season' to the highlands.
In the middle of the eighth lunar month, while children in many places eagerly await the Mid-Autumn Festival, in the villages of the Mekong Delta, the moon season also arrives with journeys across the mountains. Some shipments carry cakes, milk, and bicycles; others carry dreams, scholarships, books, and notebooks... These are the hard-won gifts, carried across landslide-prone roads to reach the children in remote villages.
Carrying "joy" along the roads
On the afternoon of September 18th, heavy rain continued on the road leading to Huoi Poc village in Nam Can commune. After the rains, many sections of the road experienced landslides, with soil and rocks spilling onto the road surface, making the already remote journey to the village even more arduous.
The delegation of officers, soldiers, youth union members, teachers, and volunteers bringing Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to the students of Nam Can 2 Primary School had to stop their vehicles on difficult stretches of road, then carry each gift package across landslides. Backpacks, boxes, bags of cakes, milk, and school supplies were passed one by one across the muddy roads.
The journey was difficult, but the joy of the children was the motivation for everyone to keep going. Inside the crates were a hearty meal, new school bags, and small gifts prepared for the children.
The "Mid-Autumn Festival in the Village" program, organized by the Provincial Red Cross Society in coordination with the Nghe An Blood Donation Club, the Nam Can Commune Police, and Nam Can 2 Primary School, distributed gifts to 300 students. These included 177 school bags, 20 scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, support for one orphaned student, Lau Ba Hong, and gifts for three disabled children.
In addition, 95 impoverished households also received gifts; along with 700 kg of rice, a harvesting machine, and many other necessities donated to support boarding students.
The gifts and meals provided by the program were worth over 200 million VND. But perhaps what participants will remember most is the image of people carrying goods on their shoulders, navigating through landslide-affected roads, and the radiant faces of children receiving gifts.
According to Mr. Lau Ba Di, head of Huoi Poc village, the road to the village is already long, and even more difficult to travel on rainy days. The fact that the volunteer group braved the treacherous terrain, carrying and transporting each gift package across landslides to reach the village, deeply moved the villagers. Gifts such as school bags, scholarships, rice, and essential supplies are all practical for the people, especially the children; through these gifts, the villagers felt even more strongly the care and concern shown for their border village.
Not only in Huoi Poc village, but in the days leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, many shipments also find their way to children in many highland villages. From the winding roads at the foot of Puxailaileng to the villages deep in the border region, gifts are prepared, transported, and delivered directly to the children, adding a warm touch to the moon festival in the highlands.
Among these, the "Mid-Autumn Festival Night - Lighting Up Dreams for Children" program in Na Ngoi commune stands out, bringing children a vibrant Mid-Autumn night with cultural performances, lion dances, interaction, and meaningful gifts. Beyond just sweets and treats, the program also addresses the more practical needs of children in the highlands.
The Provincial Red Cross Society donated 20 million VND to support the "Nurturing Children" program of the Nam Can Border Guard Station; donated two water filters to schools along with hundreds of books, stories, notebooks, and school supplies. For the children here, a festival night may only last a few hours, but these practical gifts can accompany them for a long time.
Mr. Ha Ba Thai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Na Ngoi commune, believes that the support for children in mountainous and border areas during the Mid-Autumn Festival is very practical. The children not only have more joy during the festival but also receive support with books, notebooks, clean water, and improved living and learning conditions. What is particularly valuable is that many organizations and individuals, upon visiting Na Ngoi commune, have shown concern for the specific needs of the school and students, rather than simply giving gifts during a holiday.
More than one lunar cycle
While in Huoi Poc village, Nam Can commune, the Mid-Autumn Festival is measured by the number of steps taken to overcome landslides, in Mon Son commune, gifts are transported by vehicles to the villages along the Giang River, in the Muong Qua region.
On the evening of September 18th, despite the rain, the "Loving Moon" program of the Nghe An Journalists Club was still held. Under the lights, the eager faces of the children received gifts, interacted, enjoyed the feast, and participated in fun activities.
Here, 200 scholarships, each worth 500,000 VND; 55 bicycles; and 600 Mid-Autumn Festival gifts including cakes, milk, books, pens, and school supplies were given to the children.
In another program called "Lanterns Lighting Up Dreams," 200 gifts and 20 scholarships, each worth 500,000 VND, were also awarded to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have strived to excel in their studies.
The sound of lion dance drums, cultural performances, images of the Moon Goddess and the Cowherd, and the laughter of children made a rainy night in Mon Son commune feel warm. But beyond the light of the lanterns, what remains are perhaps the gifts that can accompany the children on their longer journey.
A bicycle can shorten the distance to school, a scholarship can ease some of the family's worries, and a book and a set of school supplies can accompany the children throughout the school year.
Children in the border villages of Mon Son still face many difficulties, so every program aimed at them brings great joy. The gifts will help motivate them to go to school and strive in their studies. The support of organizations and individuals also helps the locality have more resources to better care for the children.”
Ms. Ha Thi Huong - Secretary of the Youth Union of Mon Son Commune
From Huoi Poc village (Nam Can commune), Nam Can commune to Mon Son commune, Mid-Autumn Festival supplies have braved mountain rains, long distances, and landslides to reach children in border areas. And during these days, many villages in the western region are also receiving gifts, scholarships, bicycles, boxes of cakes, or hearty meals sent from the community.
The Mid-Autumn Festival arrives in the highland villages, and behind each gift are journeys across mountains, shoulders carrying goods along difficult paths, and the collective efforts of the community, adding joy and meaning to the moon festival in the mountains. Through this, the children feel more clearly the warmth and sharing of the community on their journey of learning, growing up, and nurturing their dreams.