Small bright spots in the big journey
Not noisy, not ostentatious, the journey of the Lantern Fund over the past 16 years is a special story of perseverance and belief of nearly 50 members. From 2009 to now, a group of young people with the common aspiration to "do good for children in mountainous areas" have silently created profound changes in the most difficult lands.
Originating from the "Heart of Love" group - where teachers are mainly gathered - the Fund initially only stopped at giving gifts and repairing degraded school sites. But the deeper they went into reality, the more they realized that short-term support cannot solve the root of the problem. What is needed are solid schools where students can study stably and teachers can feel secure in sticking to the village.
Ms. Dang Thi Thu Thuy - Founder and Managing Director of the Flashlight Fund - shared: "If it's just repairing and giving gifts, it's not the root. We must find ways to make children like going to school more, and teachers want to stick to school more - and that starts from a spacious and solid school.
From that thought, the first projects in Nam Tan Mong village, Sin Ho district, Lai Chau province (now Pa Tan commune, Lai Chau province) were born. Instead of building temporary classrooms, the Fund chose sustainable projects, strong enough to withstand the harsh weather conditions of the highlands, cool in the summer and warm in the freezing winter days.
To date, the Fund has completed 4 new schools, implemented more than 30 projects to support students across the country. In the past 5 years, the focus has been strongly shifted to building kindergartens and elementary schools - places where the youngest children need to be cared for and keep to class from the early stages of life. Not only bricks and stones, each project also contains enthusiasm through vivid murals, green trees, music, toys, clean kitchens and even official houses for teachers - things that seem small but are the thread connecting students and teachers with the highland school.
Sowing happiness to reap dreams
Happiness, for the Lightning Fund, is not something big or distant. It starts from very small changes: a less arduous road to school, a warm enough classroom in each rainy and sunny season, a delicious meal or simply a child yearning to go to class every day.
At Ha Mua Lu school point, Sa Tong commune, Muong Cha district, Dien Bien province (now Muong Lay ward, Dien Bien province), travel and learning conditions were once a big challenge. Mr. Tran Hung Quan - Chairman of Na Sang Commune People's Committee, former Head of the Department of Education and Training of Muong Cha district - said: "There is only one road at that point. People and students mainly travel by boat across the Da River lake. The road to school is already difficult, getting to class is even more difficult". The makeshift, degraded classrooms, not enough to withstand harsh weather, make teaching and learning even more difficult.
Some organizations, when they hear about the location, have to consider and then give up," Mr. Quan shared. "But with Dem Dom Dom, what made us decide to accompany is the steadfastness and determination of the whole collective. When we clearly see the spirit of wanting to go to the end for students in difficult areas, the local government also has no reason not to support".
That companionship becomes a key factor. The government supports procedures, mobilizes people to donate land, level ground, and ensures construction security. Some commune officials voluntarily spend their own money to support material transportation - silent contributions but of decisive significance in particularly difficult terrain conditions.
When the project is completed, the changes will not only stop at having a new school, but will be clearly shown in each lifestyle and learning of students. Ms. Duong Thi Diep - Principal of Tan Viet Kindergarten (Nam Quang commune, Cao Bang province) - said that previously maintaining the number of students was a big challenge: "The classrooms are makeshift, winter is not warm enough, summer is not cool enough, so children do not go to school regularly". But after the school site was built spaciously, the change took place clearly: "The children have cleaner, more beautiful classrooms, decorated vividly, so they really like going to class. The attendance rate has increased significantly, reaching 100% in some years".
For Ms. Diep, a happy day at school is also defined very simply: "The children go to school fully, eat well, play and study happily. I hope they study well and become talented, grow up from solid schools, so that in the future they can light up the future for their own homeland".
When fireflies step out into the light
For a long time, the Firefly Fund has quietly lit up the dark areas. But it's time for fireflies to fly out into the light - to spread more good things to the community." That is Ms. Thuy's sharing when looking back at the 16-year journey and thinking about the road ahead.
According to Ms. Thuy, the upcoming direction will not only stop at building schools: "We want to focus on two tasks: developing a system of auxiliary works for schools and supporting livelihoods for local people". The specific goal is to deploy "1,000 auxiliary works" - including toilets, kitchens, clean water, electricity, playgrounds, official residences - essential items but still lacking in many highland school sites, directly affecting the quality of learning and living of students.
In parallel with that, the Fund also aims to support local economic development: from promoting agricultural products, guiding people to sell goods online, to developing community tourism and building homestays. All are aimed at creating stable livelihoods - because when life is improved, children's education will also be ensured more sustainably.
To realize these goals, the Fund is aiming to become a social enterprise, building a full-time personnel team and being more financially proactive. The journey ahead is certainly not easy, but what has been accumulated over the past 16 years - from community trust, local companionship to existing projects - is a solid foundation.
And above all, the greatest value that Đèn Đom Đóm creates does not lie in the number of works, but in the silent but profound changes in the lives of thousands of children. Those small "lightworms" - although not brilliant - are still enough to illuminate the most remote villages. And from those persistent lights, a better future is gradually taking shape, starting from the classrooms in the highlands.
