On September 12, the volunteer group departed from Hanoi at 4:30 am, traveling more than 300 km to Quoc Toan commune, Cao Bang province. After nearly 10 hours of traveling through many winding mountain passes, sometimes encountering thunderstorms and having to stop along the road, the group still persistently continued their journey. Because above all, love and the desire to share have pushed all the difficulties and fatigue of the journey.
The starting point is Lung Day Kindergarten, in Quoc Toan commune - a small school roof hidden among mountains and forests. Simple classes are the place to study for more than 30 Mong children with many deprived parents' lives. Every day, they have to climb slopes, wade through streams, and even walk dozens of kilometers to get to class.
Here, travel agencies and groups presented practical gifts such as TVs, water purifiers, hot containers, warm clothes and school supplies... with a total value of nearly 80 million VND. The gifts not only help improve learning conditions, but also give teachers and students more motivation to stay in class, keeping the fire of knowledge in the middle of remote mountains and forests.
The joy and excitement were evident on the children's faces when receiving gifts. So, this winter, there will be less cold hands due to cold wind. The sparkling eyes and crispy smiles of the children have become a warm gift for the charitable hearts.
In particular, some families in the group of tourists took their young children to go with them to directly experience the volunteer journey. Young tourist Tue Linh (12 years old) shared: "I see that the children here are very hard-working, they have to travel far to get to school. But when receiving the gifts, they still laugh brightly, sing and dance to welcome us.
I clearly feel the difference between life in the city and the highlands, feel luckier and hope to be able to help more younger friends in the future. I thank the program for giving me the opportunity to meet and share with you.
Each trip not only brings experiences of discovery, but also arouses love and social responsibility in each tourist. In particular, for the younger generation, the journey of charity is a "school of maturity", helping them to appreciate the value of sharing, empathy and love for their homeland.
Another meaningful highlight in this charity- oriented tourism journey is the exchange and gratitude session for comrades who are day and night guarding the border of the Fatherland on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of National Day on September 2.
During the meeting, the delegation listened to soldiers share about their daily work: patrolling, controlling border gates, fighting against cross-border crimes, maintaining security and order at more than 27 km of the border, in Quang Han, Tri Phuong, Xuan Noi and Tra Linh communes. Thereby, visitors could understand and appreciate the silent sacrifice of frontline soldiers.
Representing Border Guard Station, Mr. Be Ich Toan - a young soldier expressed: "We were very moved when the group of tourists traveled a long distance to visit, bringing the affection of the rear to the border soldiers. This is a timely encouragement, adding spiritual strength for officers and soldiers to be more steadfast on the front lines of the Fatherland".
In addition to volunteer activities, visitors also have the opportunity to admire the majestic natural beauty of the border area. Notably, Ban Gioc waterfall - one of the largest and most beautiful natural waterfalls in Southeast Asia. Under the autumn sunlight, the white waterfall splashes foam, like a majestic harmony of the Cao Bang mountains and forests.
Not far away is the ancient stone village of Khuoi Ky, which preserves hundreds of years old stone-walled houses with mossy tiled roofs in the middle of the green valley. Walking on the winding stone-paved road, visitors feel like they are returning to the memory area, feeling the peaceful life of the Tay people.
