Border mother's rice balls follow her child into the graduation exam room

From remote villages, mothers in the border areas of Kon Tum province crossed mountains, waded through streams, brought hot meals and love to the city to support their children in taking the high school graduation exam.

Wake up at 3am to take care of my child's graduation exam

While many people were still asleep, Ms. Luong Thi Chuyen (41 years old, in Sa Nhon commune, Sa Thay district, Kon Tum ) woke up at 3 am, lit a fire to cook breakfast and brought it to Kon Tum city to help her daughter take the high school graduation exam.

A parent in the border commune of Mo Rai returned to Kon Tum City to encourage her child in the 2025 high school graduation exam.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

In the small kitchen covered with old corrugated iron, Mrs. Chuyen quietly prepared each portion of food, then rode her motorbike out of the house when it was still dark. The destination was the exam site of the Kon Tum Province Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, where her daughter, Ha Thi Thao, was preparing to take the 2025 high school graduation exam.

Arriving at the school gate when the street was still quiet, she shivered in the early morning cold, her arms holding a hot rice bag. "I came down here to support my nephew for his graduation exam. He is a child who loves his mother and studies very hard. For more than 3 years, we have had few opportunities to be together. Today, I want to be a support for my son before the exam," Ms. Chuyen shared.

She said Thao passed the entrance exam to boarding school in 10th grade to help her mother with some of the expenses. There were only two of them at home, her father left when Thao was 5 years old. "Knowing that her mother was having a hard time, she often skipped breakfast. Lately, she has had a stomachache, so I'm afraid she's eating something unhealthy, so I cook and bring it down to her house," said Mrs. Chuyen, looking into the schoolyard where her daughter was studying.

Mrs. Chuyen and Thao

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

So that your child does not feel lost in the graduation exam

Also because of her love for her child, Ms. Y Nguon (44 years old, Dak Plo border commune, Dak Glei district) traveled more than 150 km from the mountains to the city to accompany her daughter in the high school graduation exam.

The previous afternoon, she left home on an old motorbike, crossed a pass nearly 30 km to the district center, then took a bus for 4 hours to Kon Tum City. This was the second time in her life she had set foot in the city. The first time was 3 years ago, to take her child to school.

From the border commune of Dak Plo, Ms. Y Nguon traveled two bus stops to get to the exam site to cheer for her child.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

Sitting in a corner of a coffee shop near the exam site, Ms. Nguon could not hide her bewilderment. "I used to be a boarding student. When I was in 12th grade, I had no one to pick me up and drop me off, I felt so lonely. Now that my daughter is taking her graduation exam, I don't want her to feel as lonely as I did before, so I'm determined to go with her," she said.

She rented a room with another family for 200,000 VND/day. For a woman who works on the fields all year round, that amount of money is a few days' wages. But she said: "Being with my child for these few days is worth it. I can't help him with his homework, I just hope he feels more secure when he sees that his mother is nearby."

Collect money to travel more than 200 km to encourage son to pass graduation exam

From Ia Dal commune (Ia H'Drai district), one of the farthest areas of Kon Tum province, Ms. Cam Thi Huong also packed her bags and took a bus to the city to support her son, Le Anh Hieu, a 12th grade student at Kon Tum province's Ethnic Boarding School.

Ms. Cam Thi Huong congratulated her son on completing his first exam.

PHOTO: DUC NHAT

"Before leaving, I asked my son if he needed me to come out. He said if we could arrange it, he would be very happy. So the whole family tried to save some money and left. We asked to stay temporarily in the dormitory to save money," Ms. Huong said, her voice dropping.

Mrs. Huong said that after her child finished the final exam of the high school graduation exam, the family would immediately take the bus back. The trip was only a few days but carried with it the love, faith and silent sacrifice of a mother from the border region.

According to the Department of Education and Training of Kon Tum province, in the 2025 high school graduation exam, the whole province has 1,846 ethnic minority students with difficult circumstances from 31 high schools who were supported with more than 630 million VND. This funding source was contributed by the People's Committees of districts, cities and benefactors, to motivate them to pass the important exam.

In addition, many organizations, schools and volunteers also participated in supporting hundreds of free accommodations and meals for candidates and their parents during the exam days. From hot meals to temporary beds in dormitories, all were warm supports, helping candidates feel secure in taking the graduation exam.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/com-nam-cua-me-vung-bien-theo-con-vao-phong-thi-tot-nghiep-185250626114331667.htm