The emotional story of a teacher teaching children in a mountainous area

Overcoming difficulties because of love for the job, loving children

Ms. Dinh Thi Nhiem has been teaching children for 38 years. Currently, she is the Vice Principal of Huong Lien Kindergarten - the school that in 2024 the Golden Heart Social Charity Fund sponsored the construction of a spacious 2-storey, 4-room building with a budget of 2.8 billion VND.

Ms. Nhiem said that she was born and raised in the mountainous commune of Huong Lien (old), now Phuc Trach commune, Ha Tinh province. After studying Pedagogy in Nghe An and graduating, in 1988, she returned to her hometown to teach.

Recalling the early days of teaching, she said that at that time there was no school, so the class had to temporarily borrow from people's houses to teach. Her income at that time was only 15 thousand VND per month. With a lack of capital, she had to borrow fields for cultivation, gardening, and raising lives to maintain her life and follow her profession.

"There are families who, due to difficulties, are not interested in children's education. Many mornings, I have to go to the children's house to call them, taking each of them to class," Ms. Nhiem said.

After ten years of teaching in a private house, it was not until 1998 that the classroom was moved to the village hall. It was not until 2004 that Huong Lien Kindergarten was solidly built.

Not only teaching, Ms. Nhiem also took the opportunity to study to improve her qualifications. In 2003, she was appointed Vice Principal even though she is still a contract teacher. It was not until 2005 that she was allowed to join the payroll with a salary of more than 900,000 VND/month.

In 2008, her husband passed away, leaving behind her three school-age children. At that time, the salary was only over 1 million, raising three children was really difficult. But I still try to go to school and increase production to overcome it, Ms. Nhiem recalled.

Reaping results

Ms. Nhiem's efforts and enthusiasm have been recognized for many consecutive years, achieving the title of Emulation Fighter at the grassroots level, receiving the Commemorative Medal for the cause of education (2010), many certificates of merit from the Ha Tinh Labor Federation and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.

After many years of hard work and raising children, Ms. Nhiem's children have now all grown up, in which the two follow the pedagogical profession like their mother.

Currently, Ms. Nhiem's salary is about 17 million VND/month. She said she was satisfied with her contributions and had only a few years left to retire after 40 years in class.

"Before retiring, seeing that the school had been invested in spacious and modern, especially with the support of the Golden Heart Social Charity Fund to build a very solid 2-storey, 4-room classroom block, I was very happy and assured. I believe that the quality of education here will continue to be improved," Ms. Nhiem shared.

Ms. Dinh Thi Hoa - Principal of Huong Lien Kindergarten - said that Ms. Dinh Thi Nhiem is a shining example of efforts to overcome difficulties, love her job, and love her children.

With 38 years of dedication, including more than 20 years as Vice Principal and Chairman of the school's grassroots Trade Union, Ms. Nhiem has devoted much of her passion to the education career and activities of the school's Trade Union.

Ms. Nhiem's contributions have been recognized and rewarded by the school and many levels and sectors. She left an example of overcoming difficulties, loving her job, and loving her children after overcoming countless difficulties and hardships.