The teacher and his students trekked through forests and crossed mountains in search of a water source.

(Baonghean.vn) - Year after year, hundreds of students and teachers have suffered from a lack of clean water, forcing them to trek through the forest in search of it. Finally, joy has come to this thirsty land.

Huoi Tu commune (Ky Son district) is a mountainous area with a cold climate. However, the lives of the people here are still very difficult, especially the year-round shortage of clean water. It can be said that this is the most "thirsty" area in western Nghe An province. This significantly affects the living conditions of hundreds of boarding students in the commune.

Teachers and students in a drought-stricken area search for a water source. Photo: Dao Tho

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Dang, the principal of Huoi Tu Ethnic Boarding Junior High School, in recent years, teachers and students at Huoi Tu Ethnic Boarding Junior High School (Ky Son district) have had to endure daily hardships due to water shortages. At 4 a.m., in both winter and summer, more than 200 boarding students have to wake up early to fetch water. Each student fetches 10 liters, traveling nearly 1 km through the night to bring it back for cooking and daily use.

The place they went to was deep beneath the cliff. Photo: Dao Tho

Teacher Nguyen Duc Phuong recounted that on days when he was too busy with work, he had to buy water from a truck at 100,000 VND per cubic meter.³It's hard work and expensive, but if we don't do it, we won't have water to use.

Therefore, for almost a week now, the school has mobilized teachers and students to search for places with water so they can use pumps and hoses to bring water back. Following the group one afternoon, we climbed the slope in Trung Tam village down to the edge of the ravine near Huoi Le village. After a winding journey of nearly 2 kilometers, we finally reached a small stream.

Water pipes made of bamboo and reeds used by the villagers. Photo: Dao Tho

From our observations and accounts from the locals, there used to be a small water reservoir here, but the water flow was very weak. The only way to get water from here was to carry it back using plastic containers.

Faced with this situation, the teacher and students had to roll up their sleeves and work tirelessly digging and clearing the earth and rocks to reopen the waterway. By dusk, their clothes were soaked with sweat, but the work was still not complete.

Water pumps were deployed all the way to the source to draw water. Photo: Dao Tho

In this area, where water is scarce year-round, obtaining water for daily use is no easy task. According to teacher Nguyen Duc Phuong: "The journey to find a water source is still long, because we can't keep carrying water indefinitely. Therefore, we will continue to clear the waterways, and if possible, we will bring in pumps and install pipes to bring water in."

After nearly a week of continuous digging and installing the water pipes, joy finally arrived. The streams of water flowing into the students' tank quenched their long-standing thirst. More than 200 boarding students stood around the tank, cheering excitedly as if it were a festival.

After nearly a week of hard work, more than 200 students and teachers in the drought-stricken area now have access to water at their schools. Photo: Dao Tho

“So from now on, students and teachers don't need to worry too much anymore. However, we will also emphasize and educate students and teachers to understand that water is a precious resource on this land, and it needs to be cherished and protected,” shared Mr. Nguyen Van Dang, Principal of Huoi Tu Ethnic Boarding Junior High School.

Dao Tho