Uncle Ho's love for Vietnamese children (June 1)

(Baonghean.vn) - Among the countless loves that President Ho Chi Minh had for the people, he had a special love for children.

More than 45 years have passed since the International Children's Day in 1969, and Vietnamese children no longer receive letters from Uncle Ho. But his love and teachings still accompany the youth and children of the whole country.

Uncle Ho with children in the Viet Bac highlands (1960)

Uncle Ho's love for children was not simply a normal feeling. It was a deep, broad feeling that stemmed from a noble humanitarianism with a clear awareness that the children would become the generation that would continue the work of their ancestors, the ones who directly built the future society.

In each revolutionary stage, when mobilizing the masses, when conducting two resistance wars to save the country, building socialism in the North, and fighting to liberate the South and unify the country, Uncle Ho always had letters and poems for children.

Among the young people that Uncle Ho cared for was Ly Tu Trong - who later sacrificed his life for the revolutionary cause. And after 30 years of searching for a way to save the country, in 1941, Uncle returned to the country to directly lead the revolution to liberate the country.

During this time (1941, 1942), Uncle Ho wrote a series of poems and songs calling on all classes, including children, to join the people, according to their strength, to save the country and their homes. His two poems, “Calling on Children” and “Cowherd Children,” were born in that historical context. The first two poems Uncle Ho wrote for children were in the traditional six-eight verse form.

On the occasion of the first Lunar New Year after peace, children in the capital came to wish Uncle Ho a Happy New Year at the Presidential Palace and danced and sang (Hanoi, February 9, 1955).

The opening of the poem "Calling on Children" is very simple, realistic and full of love:

Children are like buds on a branch
Know how to eat, sleep and study is good
Unfortunately the country is in trouble
Children also have to suffer.
Education has not
Poor families have to work as plowmen
Weak health, young age
But it is as hard as the elderly
Sometimes leaving mother, leaving father
To be a servant to people outside".

Clearly words from the heart to hearts, words for children and for everyone.

Uncle Ho visited Thanh Hoa kindergarten children

Uncle Ho's call had a strong influence on children and teenagers across the country to participate in fighting the French, expelling the Japanese, liberating the nation and unifying the country. There have been countless examples of heroic children and teenagers sacrificing for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, such as Kim Dong, Vu A Dinh, Le Van Tam, and famous units such as: Dinh Bang Guerrilla Youth Team, Hue Guerrilla Youth Team, Dong Thap Muoi Guerrilla Youth Team...

With a deep love for all human beings, Uncle Ho always had a special love for children. He gave a notebook and simple but deep-rooted poems to an ethnic child in Cao Bang:

"This play I give to my beloved grandson
Show a little love to your nephew
I hope you study hard.
"Tomorrow I will help my country" (For Nong Thi Trung - 1944).

Before the August Revolution, while calling on young people to unite in the struggle to contribute to the cause of national liberation, he did not forget to mention their responsibilities: “Young people do small things. Depending on their strength”. Those are “small things, great meanings”. He encouraged the children to be polite, hygienic, and to help their compatriots when they are in trouble, which means that self-training is also participating in the resistance.

After the August Revolution, in a letter to students on the first day of school in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Uncle Ho pointed out that students were fortunate to receive a new, independent education: "... Whether Vietnam's mountains and rivers become beautiful or not, whether the Vietnamese people can step up to the stage of glory to stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents or not, depends largely on your studies." (Letter from Uncle Ho to students on the first day of school).

President Ho Chi Minh with children in Sen village, Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan (Nghe An).

We are moved by his affection, promise and responsibility for children: “Uncle loves you very much. Uncle promises you that: when the day comes to drive out all the French invaders and the resistance is successful, Uncle, the Government and organizations will try to make sure that all of you are well-fed, have fun, study and be happy...” (Letter to children nationwide on June 1 (June 1, 1950).

Since the August Revolution, almost every year, under any circumstances, on the occasion of the International Children's Day June 1, or the Mid-Autumn Festival... Uncle Ho always wrote letters to teenagers and children with words that were always kind, affectionate, and sincere. Uncle Ho always advised them to be obedient, united, compete in studying, working, and paying attention to training both personality and physical strength to become healthy and progressive citizens, to bring the country "up to par with other countries around the world".

Uncle Ho with brave children in the South

Before passing away, in his Will, Uncle Ho mentioned children twice. He wrote: "Finally, I leave behind endless love for all the people, the whole Party, the entire army, the teenagers and children..." (Full text of President Ho Chi Minh's Will, Tre Publishing House, 2007, pp. 57, 60).

Imbued with Uncle Ho's thought that "Taking good care and educating children is the task of the entire Party and the entire people", in recent years, our Party and State have issued many policies and legal documents directly or indirectly related to protecting children's rights.

From the Constitution, the Codes; Laws to sub-law documents have created a legal system to protect children in accordance with international conventions and the cultural traditions of the nation.

jIn particular, the issue of children has also been mentioned and given attention in the 2013 Constitution. Children are the future owners of the country, the young shoots who will contribute to building and developing society in the future.

In gratitude to Uncle Ho, all Vietnamese children in general and Nghe An children in particular, vow to try their best to study, cultivate and practice good morality, become good children and good students to be worthy of being "Uncle Ho Chi Minh's grandchildren" as he always expected.

Peace(Synthetic)