Phinh Ho is a particularly difficult mountainous commune in Lao Cai province. Many villages such as Hang Day, Giang La Pan, Ta Cho are 7-15km from the school by mountain road. In the winter, the fog is dense and the road is slippery, making children's education always full of risks.
Previously, every cold spell was so crowded that the classroom was deserted. Therefore, the boarding model here has become a "lifeline" to maintain the number of guests.
At 5am, Ms. Giang Thi Sang - a nutritionist at Lang Nhi Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, and 6 colleagues in the kitchen group prepared breakfast for 403 boarding students.
Squeezing vegetables and meat with your hands, she smiled gently: "To give the children a hot meal on time, we have to wake up at 4am. Just seeing the children eat well and go to school will solve all the hardship.
There were 494 students at the scene, of which 403 were boarding students. Many students are from poor households and their families lack the conditions to take care of them. The Board of Directors has arranged accommodation, provided enough warm blankets, and ensured three meals a day with a menu of meat, fish, and green vegetables.
Ms. Lau Thi Hong, studying in class 5A, living in Hang Day, shared in a shy voice: My house is nearly 2 hours a walk from school. When it rains, I don't dare to go. Since I was admitted to the boarding, my friends and I have really liked it. At school, it is warmer at home".
Mr. Ho A Sua - a parent emotionally said: "At home, my children often have to eat and drink a lot. We are taken care of by our teachers in everything, we love and are very grateful.
Similarly, Khau Ly Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities has nearly 950 students, mainly children of ethnic minorities.
Teacher Nguyen Thanh Hue, Principal, said: In addition to teaching hours, teachers take turns on a boarding basis, chat, and guide students on living habits and life skills. We teach them how to fold blankets, wash dishes, help each other... to mature more every day".
In the evening, after self-study, daycare staff go to each room to check the numbers, remind students to keep personal hygiene and go to bed on time. The temporary boarding rooms are sheltered by teachers, with warm blankets and warm clothes from socialized sources.
According to Ms. Hue, thanks to the boarding kitchen, students can go to school fully, especially in the cold winter. On cold rainy days, the mountain roads are difficult to travel, many students cannot return to the village for the weekend. The school had to arrange teachers and nutritionists to stay on duty and cook to take care of the children.
"When they eat well and are healthy, they study better. Parents see that change so they can rest assured to send it to their children, the female principal shared.
At Lang Thiep Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, children attend 2 sessions a day, while their family was poor and their parents were often in the fields, so there was no one to cook lunch.
Previously, many students studied in the morning and afternoon but did not come to class in the afternoon, so teachers had to wade down to each house to encourage them to go to school.
According to Mr. Nguyen Ba Dung, Principal - organizing meals for children in the early days was very difficult, when parents did not help them, teachers had to go to the market, cook, and clean by themselves.
"Since the cooking was organized, the school's students have not had the same day off as before. This is the motivation for teachers to continue to carry out this humane and meaningful work, the school's leaders shared.
