Behind that joy are the years of students being accompanied, encouraged and given more faith by officers and soldiers of the Border Guard to study and train.
From sharing to nurturing dreams
Phan Chan Phong, Thao Thi Dung and Phan Quoc Dat were all born in 2008, and are students of Muong Khuong High School No. 2. All 3 students were supported by Ban Lau Border Guard Station (Lao Cai Border Guard Command) from September 2023 in the program "Raising Steps for Children to School".
Phan Chan Phong, Dao ethnicity, in Na Lang village, achieved 26.2 points, and was admitted to the Border Guard Academy. For Phong, border guards are not only people who supported him during his high school years but also became familiar companions.
I want to try to study really well. Before, the Border Guard soldiers helped and encouraged me to study. Now I have to try even harder not to disappoint that concern," Phong shared.
Choosing the Border Guard Academy also has a special meaning for the Dao male student. From the closeness with the soldiers who have accompanied him, Phong has more motivation to learn and choose his future path.
In the same village of Na Lang, Thao Thi Dung, Mong ethnicity, achieved 21.25 points and was admitted to the Primary Education major, Thai Nguyen University Branch. Dung's dream is to become a teacher, to stand on the podium and teach young students.
Dung's desire is not just to have a stable job. From what she has received, she wants to be able to help students in difficult circumstances in the future.
Phan Quoc Dat, Dao ethnicity, in Coc Chu village, achieved 23 points, and was also admitted to the Primary Education major, Thai Nguyen University Branch. Being accompanied by Ban Lau Border Guard Station since 10th grade, Dat can confidently study and pursue his goals.
3 students, 3 choices for the future but sharing one thing: maturity is not only measured by scores or admission notices, but also in the way they appreciate the sharing they have received in the past.
Sowing trust, extending kindness
According to the Border Guard Command of Lao Cai province, from 2015 to now, the unit has sponsored 174 students in difficult circumstances, and raised 34 children at border posts.
Currently, units continue to support 40 students in the program "Raising Steps for Children to School", 22 children are "Adoption Children of Border Guard Stations", 70 children belong to the project "Army Officers and Soldiers Raising Steps for Children to School" and coordinate to implement the program "Parental Caregiver" for 45 children.
Behind those numbers is the presence of soldiers in each village. Border guard officers go to each family, meet parents, exchange with teachers, grasp the learning situation and encourage children to overcome difficulties in life.
Some students are supported with tuition fees; some are taken care of in terms of accommodation; some are taken to be nurtured at the unit. But more importantly, they feel care and encouragement to believe that difficult circumstances are not the limit of the future.
Colonel Tran Quang Tung - Secretary of the Party Committee, Political Commissar of the Lao Cai Provincial Border Guard Command said that the achievements of the children first of all come from their own efforts, the teaching of their families, teachers and the companionship of many forces, including the Border Guard Command.
Colonel Tran Quang Tung also reminded students to always remember the merits of their parents, the teaching of teachers and the care of those who have accompanied them; continue to study and train to grow up. When they have the conditions, they should return to contribute to their homeland and help students in difficult circumstances.
That message is also what the program "Nâng bước em tới trường" aims for. Not only helping a child overcome immediate difficulties, companionship also contributes to forming in them a sense of striving, a sense of responsibility and knowing how to share with the community.
In the 2025 - 2026 school year, among 48 students under the "Raising Steps to School" program of the Lao Cai Provincial Border Guard, 6 students achieved excellent student status, 31 students achieved good grades; 8 students took the high school graduation exam and 3 students were admitted to university.
Those results are the joy of families, teachers and border guards who have accompanied them. But perhaps, the longer-term value lies in the things formed in that journey: A child is supported to study, motivated to overcome difficulties and sown kindness in his heart.
That is also how Border Guard soldiers silently nurture the future of the border region: With closeness, responsibility and simple actions, so that each child has more faith to continue on their path.
