Warm Tet, sharing with teachers and students of Nghe An

Tet for students away from home

Vi Chung Dung is a student in class 11A3 at the provincial Ethnic Minority High School. Dung is of the Thai ethnic group, originally from Tuong Duong district. In 2016, Dung's family moved to the resettlement area of ​​Ngoc Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district under the project of relocating the reservoir bed to build Ban Ve hydropower plant...

Moving to his new hometown, Dung lived with his adoptive mother. He no longer remembers who his biological parents were. Due to difficult circumstances, a life of hunger and plenty, Dung's greatest desire was to go to school, have a stable job, and later have money to help his mother and younger siblings...

Giving Tet gifts to disadvantaged students at the provincial Ethnic Minority High School. Photo: My Ha

With this determination, last year Dung was one of the few students from Huong Tien Secondary School (Thanh Chuong) who passed the entrance exam to the provincial Ethnic Minority High School. Because he studies far from home, Dung rarely has the opportunity to return home, except during the summer and Tet. Dung's adoptive mother is currently working as a factory worker in Bac Ninh. Last year, because of the epidemic, his mother did not return home, so Dung had a quiet Tet. This year, Dung's mother said that on the 28th of the lunar calendar, she will have Tet off, and the mother and children will be able to meet each other... Since the day he knew his mother was coming back, Dung's heart has been filled with joy, looking forward to his family's Tet...

Before returning home for Tet, Dung had also cherished a special gift for his mother, which was a report card with many subjects with excellent final scores. As for a gift for his younger brother, Dung had also cherished it and spent his last day in Vinh shopping.

It has been 2 years since Dung started studying at the provincial ethnic minority high school, and he no longer feels lonely because every year he receives Tet gifts from his teachers and the school. This year, implementing the "Godmother" program, Dung also received a scholarship from the school's Trade Union and the provincial Education Trade Union... On the day Dung was given Tet gifts, the principal also came to Dung's dormitory room...

Loving the quiet, gentle but determined student, she promised Dung that she would take care of him not only during his high school years but would also try to get a scholarship for him if he passed the university entrance exam and fulfilled his dream of becoming a doctor... Two courses before Dung, there were 5 cases of passing the university entrance exam that the school connected with and found sponsors to support their university tuition until the day they graduated. The stories of the seniors from the previous courses gave Dung more confidence to study hard...

Students of the provincial Ethnic Minority High School display traditional Tet dishes of the ethnic minorities in Nghe An. Photo: My Ha

Traditional Tet is always a special occasion in boarding schools and is often prepared by the schools very early. At the Provincial Ethnic Minority High School, the Spring Festival with the theme “Reunion Tet, Connection Spring” took place over two days.

On the first day, the whole school wrapped and cooked banh chung together.

On the second day, the Tet atmosphere was more exciting with the football tournament of the district association, the contest of presenting traditional Tet dishes of ethnic minorities, organizing traditional folk games and finally the Spring Festival night with the year-end meal, a special art program and a Thai Xoe performance imbued with national identity, bringing the breath of Spring, of the mountains and forests and the love of the boarding people. In this program, the school also awarded 70 gifts to students who overcame difficulties to excel in their studies with a total value of more than 60 million VND.

For students who are far from home, they suffer many disadvantages and therefore, we always try to build schools and dormitories so that they always feel warm like their second home. This year's Tet, with the help of philanthropists, we hope to spread love, light up more faith and hope so that the students have more motivation to excel in their studies and training. Through the program, we also let the students return to the traditional values ​​of the nation, so that they love and are more proud of their homeland.

Teacher Nguyen Kieu Hoa - Principal of Provincial Ethnic Minority High School

In recent days, the Tet atmosphere has been implemented in many primary, secondary and high schools for ethnic minority boarding and boarding schools across the province with many meaningful activities imbued with the atmosphere of Vietnamese Tet. Teacher Ngo Chien Thang - teacher and Chairman of the Trade Union of Que Phong High School shared: Our school has more than 1,000 students living away from home, hundreds of poor and near-poor students and many students due to difficult circumstances, it is difficult to have a full Tet.

To prepare for the Loving Tet program, the school has launched a campaign among all teachers, called for sponsors and donated 50 gifts to students in difficult circumstances and encouraged students and their families to have a warm and happy Tet. We also hope that, from the affection of teachers and the school, students will feel attached to the school they are studying at, nurture their dreams and attend school diligently, not letting the situation of dropping out of school after Tet happen.

Warmth of sharing

After 16 years in the industry, as a librarian, teacher Cao Thi Ha’s salary at Tam Dinh Secondary School (Quy Hop District) is still only about 5 million VND. Of this amount, she uses nearly 1 million VND/month to pay for rent, and sends 2 million VND back to Nghia Dan for her parents to take care of her daughter. She lives frugally and saves most of the money to treat her daughter’s illness.

Sharing about her situation, she added: I am a single mother, so I have raised my child alone since he was young. 4 years ago, I saw that he had bone pain, so I took him to the hospital for treatment, only to find out that he had a bone tumor and it was discovered late. His illness is rare, every month I have to take him to Hanoi for examination and treatment for about a week, his health is weak and the treatment is very expensive.

Giving Tet gifts to students at Que Phong High School. Photo: Chien Thang

Because of work and family circumstances, Ms. Cao Thi Ha has to work far from home and accepts living far from her child, returning home once a week. However, most of the time at work, she lives in anxiety because of her child's illness, every time she prepares to go to the hospital.The fever lasted for more than 10 days. Sympathizing with her situation, every year, on holidays and Tet, the school gives her gifts of encouragement and support. This year, she was more moved because she received a Tet gift from the Department of Education and Training and this was truly a true Tet gift because for teachers and staff working in remote districts, the concept of a Tet bonus seems very far away.

Tet has also come to teacher Vy Thi Thom, a female teacher whose house was flooded during the storm.floodearly October in Ta Ca commune - Ky Son district. At that time, she stood on this side of the water, looking to the other side where her house was damaged, submerged in water, not knowing what to do, her only property at that time was the clothes she was wearing.

Leaders of the Department of Education and Training presented Tet gifts to teachers in difficult circumstances who were swept away by floods in Ky Son district. Photo: My Ha

More than 3 months later, this teacher who raised 2 children alone was able to smile again because over the past time, she has always received help from organizations, unions and local authorities. Thanks to that, her house has been repaired, household items have been supported and gradually purchased again. This year, she is one of the first people to receive support from the Education sector...

Holding a Tet gift full of love, teacher Vy Thi Thom also said: The more difficult and arduous the situation, the more we see people's hearts, the more we see the sharing and support...

Welcoming the New Year, it may be cold, the high mountains may be covered with frost. But in everyone's heart, there will be warmth and love.