 |
| Tough talks: Home visits are often an unpleasant and undesired task, as many families are either too poor or unwilling to send their children to school. Long and difficult talks are required to convince these parents. It is not unusual for teachers to pay a part of the expenses out of their own pocket to get students back to class. |
Viet Nam News
Life is hard in the borderland, but teachers in the mountainous province of Lai Chau are doing their best to bring young children to school so that they can learn how to read and write.
Impoverished villages located deep in the country’s northern mountain range have become their second home. Many have been in these parts of the country for tens of years; some even left their own children in their hometown to continue their work.
These teachers, who are barely doing financially better than their poor students, are there to help local communities break away from vicious cycles of illiteracy and poverty, one young pupil at a time.
It is a struggle for them, both teachers and students, just to get to school. Long and treacherous mountain dirt roads, unpredictable weather calamities and parents who are too poor or unwilling to send their children to school – these are just a few obstacles the incredible spirits face on a daily basis.
It is an uphill battle they have to fight. But this is the first time there is hope in eradicating illiteracy in local communities, and it is all thanks to the nameless teachers who refuse to give up.
That’s the big picture. For most of those teachers, it is enough to see brilliant smiles on the faces of young children in classrooms as they learn new things every day. — VNS
 |
| Long and winding road: Teachers drive this 18-km dirt trail every day to get to school. The trail is only safe to use during fine weather. During rainy season, they have to walk while violent flash floods and landslides are frequent occurrences. |
 |
| Sunny afternoon: Students of Vu A Dinh Primary School play during a break in the school’s playground. |
 |
| Recitation: First-grade students at Vu A Dinh Primary School in Phong Tho District, Lai Chau Province during a reading class. |
 |
| True sacrifice: Teacher Ly Thi Diem in San Cha Commune, Phong Tho District, takes her students back home after school. As the school is located deep in the mountains, she must leave her own two kids in the care of her parents. — VNA/VNS Photos Quy Trung |
OVietnam