In the campus of Long Thanh Pagoda, Thu Thua commune, Tay Ninh province, the sound of reading lessons and students' laughter still echoes every day. Behind those simple classrooms is a special school, where orphans, disadvantaged children, those in difficult circumstances are provided with free food and accommodation, and have more opportunities to enter life.
Few people thought that, from a shelter with only about 10 children, this place had become a support for hundreds of young children for more than 30 years.
From small shelters to schools for hundreds of students
According to Ms. Huynh Thi Thu Loan, Principal of Bo De Phuong Duy Primary - Secondary - High School, the school's predecessor was the Kim Chi shelter, established in 1990 by Venerable Thich Quang Tam, abbot of Long Thanh Pagoda, and philanthropists.
In the early days, the shelter was a place to take care of homeless children so that they could conveniently go to school. When the roads in Thu Thua were still difficult, many students in remote areas had to go to school by boat. Feeling sorry for the children in particularly difficult circumstances, Venerable Thich Quang Tam took them to the pagoda to care for and nurture them.
The model gradually expanded when a philanthropist donated 3,000m2 of land. In 2010, the pagoda mobilized funds to build a school with 8 classrooms along with laboratories, libraries, kitchens and dormitories. Two years later, the school officially opened the first course.
To date, the school has over 175 students from many localities such as Ca Mau, An Giang, Lam Dong, Thanh Hoa... The campus has 15 classrooms and a dormitory area including 3 rooms for men, 2 rooms for women.
Not only studying the general education program, children are also trained in life skills, martial arts, music, lion dance and discipline. All tuition and accommodation expenses are free from donations from philanthropists.
For children who have suffered many disadvantages, the school is not only a place to learn to read but also an opportunity for them to aim for a better future.
Vo Duc Manh (born in 2009, from Thuan Hanh commune, Lam Dong province) is one of them. Parents divorced, Manh and his younger brother, who is 2 years younger, lived with their father. Because their father had to work far away, the two brothers were brought to school from grade 1.
Manh recounted that for 12 years here, teachers took care of every detail, from eating to daily activities. In particular, retired teachers passed on many life skills to him, helping them know how to avoid social evils, not being tempted or tempted when entering life.
At the beginning of the new school year, Ly Chan Nhu, a 6th grade student, also came to school when her father passed away, her mother was seriously ill but still eager to learn. Just one day after enrollment, she received the care, attention and encouragement of the teachers. More preciously, it was the students who were once homeless at school, now studying at university in Ho Chi Minh City, who introduced Nhu here.
Retired but not resigning
In Bodhi Phuong Duy, there are teachers who have left the podium but have never left the teaching profession.
Currently, the school has 64 teachers, of which 38 have retired but are still returning to class. They do not receive salary, only receive travel expense support.
Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Nguyen (born 1958) retired in 2013, just one year later, she came to Phuong Duy Bodhi School to teach. The work of the teachers here also did not stop when the school bell rang.
After class hours, they stay to sew clothes for students. After class hours, they continue to tutor and do sample exercises to consolidate knowledge for them.
“My retired colleagues and I came here to teach not for money but for enthusiasm” - Ms. Nguyen shared. What she wants is to impart to students not only knowledge but also life skills, so that children who have suffered many disadvantages have a better future.
That persistence is being answered by numbers. In the 2025-2026 school year, the school has 175 students, the grade improvement rate is over 97%. In particular, the school has continuously achieved a 100% high school graduation rate for 12 years.
Preparing for the 2026-2027 school year, even during the summer vacation, 176 students still maintain their studies. Every day, they go to class for 2 periods to review knowledge to be ready for the new school year.
From a shelter of only about 10 children, Bo De Phuong Duy has become a refuge for hundreds of children. There, a full meal, a book, a lesson or a word of encouragement can not only help a child overcome today, but also open up another path for tomorrow.
