Ms. Vo Thi Thu Hien - an English teacher at Trieu Phong High School, Quang Tri Province - is such a person. For over 14 years, she has not only imparted knowledge to build the future of her students, but also quietly spread love through bowls of meaningful porridge and humane volunteer work.
Born from the sandy land, raised with extraordinary determination
Vo Thi Thu Hien was born in 1988 in the countryside of Trieu Phong - a place known for its scorching Lao winds, poor sandy soil and fierce floods. Growing up in a farming family, Hien spent her childhood working in the fields, carrying firewood, planting trees and helping her parents from dawn to dusk. With a petite figure and tanned skin that seemed to be imbued with the hardships of a deprived childhood, the student at that time soon nurtured within herself a strong will and a heart full of love.
Teacher Vo Thi Thu Hien. PHOTO: NVCC
Not letting poverty hold back her dreams, Hien rose up with excellent academic performance and admirable determination. In 2003, she passed the entrance exam to the English major class of Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted - a prestigious school in Quang Tri province. During her 3 years of study, Hien was an excellent student, humble and caring towards her friends. In 2006, Hien continued to be admitted to Hue University of Foreign Languages - where her aspiration to become a teacher of letters took flight.
A heart chooses to return home
Graduated from Hue University of Foreign Languages in 2010, when her peers chose to stay in the city to start a career, Hien quietly returned to Quang Tri - to the place where she grew up, not to "repay her debt" but to "sow love".
Ever since she was a student, she has been involved in volunteer activities. The program "Pot of loving porridge" and the forum "The person I take care of" were the first steps for her to practice her hands that know how to work, her feet that know how to walk and her heart that knows how to share. Then on July 3, 2011 - a scorching hot day in Trieu Phong - the first pot of charity porridge appeared at the District Medical Center. That day opened a long and meaningful journey.
Teacher Vo Thi Thu Hien gives porridge to patients. PHOTO: NVCC
Sow love through action
Every Sunday morning, when many people are still sleeping, Hien wakes up at dawn to prepare each ingredient with the group members, cook and season each pot of porridge. Rain or shine, healthy or sick, she has never been absent.
For Hien, each bowl of porridge given away not only contains nutrients, but also encouragement, a whisper: "You are not alone in your journey of healing" . Starting with a few dozen small bowls of porridge, the group has now distributed hundreds of bowls each week. And "Ms. Hien's porridge pot" - as people affectionately call it - has become a warm support for thousands of poor patients.
Teacher Vo Thi Thu Hien at the dream house donation ceremony. PHOTO: NVCC
Not stopping there, Hien and the volunteer group also organized a series of meaningful programs: Building charity houses, giving away books and warm clothes during the New Year and Spring.
With the program "Warm Winter in Thanh Commune" , Hien and other benefactors have brought hundreds of warm clothes to poor students in the highlands. " Warm Tet" is an opportunity for the poor to have more rice, more cakes, and more joy of reunion. Being both the organizer and connecting benefactors, and quietly making up for lack of funds, Hien always has a smile on her face.
She confided: "I used to be poor, so I understand the feeling of having to think carefully about every meal. A bowl of warm porridge, a decent shirt... may not be much, but sometimes it is a whole lot of hope."
As a teacher, Hien is not only good at her profession but also an inspirational person. The bowls of charity porridge that Hien and her friends bring to the hospital every Sunday are not simply a meal. It is the way she teaches her students the first lesson of compassion - a lesson that is not in the textbook but will follow them throughout their lives.
Realizing that education does not stop at knowledge, Ms. Hien has inspired and nurtured in students the spirit of volunteerism and empathy. Many generations of students have become volunteers for "Pot of Loving Porridge" . Thanks to participating in activities, shy and reserved students have become bolder and more caring towards others. Some of the students she used to take to distribute porridge are now students and still return to support volunteer programs. She taught them a wordless lesson: "Kindness, once sown properly, will grow like a green tree - quiet but persistent, invisible but powerful. Kindness does not need to be noisy. Just sow quietly, and one day it will bloom."
Teacher Vo Thi Thu Hien with the volunteer group in the program "Warm Winter Thanh Commune". PHOTO: NVCC
The one who sows warm sunshine in the Lao wind
Someone once asked Hien: "Why have you been so persistent for over 14 years? Don't you feel tired?". She smiled gently: "I don't think it's anything big. I'm just living true to my conscience and feelings. I used to be the one who was helped, so when I can, I want to share with others."
Although life is still full of hardships, she is still as steadfast as a stork overcoming storms, still walking lightly on red dirt roads to bring love to the less fortunate. In the middle of the land dried up by the sun and wind, the seeds of love that she sowed have begun to sprout. And so, Hien's journey of spreading sunshine has never stopped. Like a small spark in the fierce Lao wind, teacher Vo Thi Thu Hien silently warms many hearts, lighting up faith in kindness - something that seems small, but is the root that keeps this society intact with gentleness.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-geo-nang-am-giua-vung-gio-lao-18525071709305312.htm
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