For generations, the river has been a major obstacle on the way to school for many generations of students here. They either have to take a ferry or take a long detour to find a future.
Village near but far
Nestled on the left bank of the Ma River, Thiet Giang village is like a watercolor painting with a towering limestone mountain range behind. However, that wild beauty hides the feelings of the people here. Every day, hundreds of children have to choose between crossing the river on ferries or taking a 20km detour across La Han Bridge to get to school.
Despite investment in electricity grid, roads, cultural houses... from the New Rural Program, Thiet Giang is still in a particularly difficult situation (135). 161 households, mainly Muong people, live on agriculture and forestry.
“Life in Thiet Giang village is now better thanks to the diligence of the villagers, but the most difficult thing is still the distance from the outside world ,” Ms. Pham Thi Tuyet - Secretary of the village Party Cell confided and said that Thiet Giang has 19 children in preschool, 42 primary school children, 43 secondary school children and 6 high school students who are making efforts on the journey to find knowledge.
Although the way to school for students, especially middle and high school students, is full of hardships when they have to cross rivers or take detours, their will to study is still admirable.
“We are extremely worried when thinking about the children having to wake up very early, crossing the river with difficulty to be on time for school every day,” Ms. Tuyet shared, and also proudly informed that 100% of school-age children in Thiet Giang persevere in going to school, with no cases of dropping out midway.
Female teacher devoted to children
We crossed the Ma River to visit the Thiet Giang kindergarten. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai - Vice Principal of Thiet Ong Kindergarten, said that the 19 children here are all loved and taught by teachers with all their heart. "Because the school does not have boarding conditions, teachers have to go home early in the morning or bring lunch and stay in class to ensure the children receive the best care," Ms. Hai said emotionally.
Thiet Giang Kindergarten is where Ms. Pham Thi Nguyen (52 years old) has been for the past 6 years. Every day, she leaves her house in the commune center, crosses the river to go to class, and takes care of 19 children by herself. The classroom is old, lacks toys, has to borrow water from local people, and doesn't even have a first aid kit... but her love for her students has never waned.
In this class, there are 4 children from broken families; many of them live with their grandparents because their parents work far away. On days when a child unfortunately falls ill, she anxiously monitors every symptom, comforts and wipes the child’s body, then calls the parents to come pick up the child…
“The most painful thing is when the children have high fevers and cough a lot. There are no nurses here, and I have no medical expertise, so I dare not give them medicine, but can only comfort them and apply a towel to reduce their fever. At times like that, I just wish someone would help, with expertise and enough medicine to take care of the children,” Ms. Nguyen shared.
“We just wish to have a well so that we can have a clean water source for daily use. Because the nature of preschool is to bathe and change clothes for the children,” Ms. Nguyen said.
Understanding the difficulties at the Thiet Giang remote location, the Principal of Thiet Ong Kindergarten, Ms. Trinh Thi Tan, said that the school is determined to provide daily meals for the children, in order to reduce the burden on parents.
“Although the current school still lacks many things such as kitchens, beds, blankets, etc. and fundraising is still difficult, we will develop a detailed plan and propose to the Commune People's Committee to support repairs, well drilling, etc. with the hope of soon implementing boarding for the children in the next school year,” Ms. Tan affirmed.
Leaving the kindergarten, we went to the primary school, where 42 students from 4 combined classes (from grade 1 to grade 5) are diligently studying. Ms. Le Thu Ha, Head of the Primary School, shared that although the facilities have been invested in over the years, the school still faces many difficulties, especially the transportation of students and teachers.
The classrooms are equipped with magnetic boards, televisions, teaching aids, etc. The students here are very diligent and hard-working. Even though they have to study in a mixed class with many levels, they always listen attentively to the teacher's lectures. "Every day, we have to take a small boat across the river because the village ferry is further away, and the way to get on and off the boat is also more difficult. The four of us asked a farmer who had a family ferry to take us across the river every day, and then supported him with fuel money," Ms. Ha said.
Up to secondary school, despite the distance by ferry, the studious spirit of Thiet Giang students is still very admirable. The principal of Thiet Ong Secondary School - Le Ba Mo said that there are 11 students studying at the school and 32 students studying at neighboring schools who are all very obedient and hard-working. "Despite the distance by ferry, the students are rarely late for school. Teachers only hope that students will always try to overcome these difficulties," Mr. Mo said emotionally.
Pham Thi Hinh - a 6th grade student at Thiet Ong Secondary School, innocently said: "I will try my best to study well so that in the future I can become a teacher to teach children in the village". Listening to her story, we could not help but be moved by her simple yet noble dream.
Unfulfilled dream
The desire for a sturdy bridge across the Ma River, connecting the two banks for convenient trade and connection to the commune center, seems to have become a burning desire in the minds of every villager in Thiet Giang. However, that dream is still far away, like a sad echo along the Ma River for generations.
Witnessing many ferry trips swaying on the Ma River, Mr. Pham Van Thanh (62 years old), a long-time ferryman, could not help but recall the past years. When there were no iron ferries or supporting machines, the people of Thiet Giang had to risk their lives on small dugout canoes, drifting in the middle of dangerous waters.
According to Mr. Thanh, in the past, when the river was still pristine and untouched by hydroelectric plants, each time crossing the river was a battle with the rushing water, with danger always lurking. Although now the river water is calmer, using motorboats to transport people and goods is less difficult, but every time the rainy season comes, the hydroelectric plant releases flood water, the Ma River surges and flows rapidly, making crossing the river a concern.
The biggest worry in Mr. Thanh’s heart is the quiet late nights, when there is an emergency such as a seriously ill person needing emergency care or a woman in labor. The phone rings in the middle of the night, each call is a gamble with time and the river. At that time, the old ferryman hurriedly wakes up, steering the boat across the water. That is why, in his heart and the hearts of every Thiet Giang resident, the dream of a sturdy bridge has never faded.
Mr. Thanh's voice dropped: "I heard that some people have come to survey and measure... but there is no movement. The cost must be too great, the government still has to calculate. If we ask our people to contribute money to build a bridge, I'm afraid it will be difficult for our children and grandchildren to make it happen."
Returning home on the ferry with his 6th grade daughter, Mr. Pham Van Hiep (41 years old) shared: “There are days when I miss my daughter so much that my heart aches, but there is no other way. I can only tell my daughter to try her best in school, not to give up because of the distance. Seeing my children go to school, I feel like this ferry, rocking and full of anxiety.”
Mr. Ha Tu Nhien - Head of the Department of Education and Training of Ba Thuoc district, could not hide his concern about the difficulties and hardships that people and students of Thiet Giang had to face due to the river ferry.
However, he also expressed optimism and appreciated the community's sense of improvement: "The good news is that the education of children in the village is increasingly receiving deep attention from families and the community. Although there are many difficulties, the rate of children going to school in Thiet Giang is still very high, demonstrating a strong desire for knowledge. Hundreds of students are making efforts to study at schools in the village, commune and district."
Saying goodbye to Thiet Giang when the ferry left the dock, looking back, I still saw dozens of children's eyes following the riverbank, their eyes still sparkling with hope. Perhaps, for the people of Thiet Giang, no matter how wide and deep the Ma River is, the children's love of learning will still be the boat carrying their dreams to the shore of tomorrow. When will the dream of a sturdy bridge become a reality, so that the swaying ferry trips will give way to a wide open future?
“On normal days, the children’s way to school is already difficult, and during the flood season, it is even more dangerous. Every time the hydroelectric plant releases floodwaters, the water becomes more violent. Seeing the boats carrying children swaying on the river, the people of Thiet Giang village are always worried, afraid that something bad will happen.” - Ms. Pham Thi Tuyet (Thiet Giang Party Cell Secretary)
Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/trong-tranh-con-chu-ben-dong-song-ma-post737321.html
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