On January 26, information from the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department said that Engineering Team No. 4 of Vietnam had just held "Volunteer Sunday" at Abyei Secondary School. The activity took place simply like the feelings of peace messengers for this land.
Abyei enters the dry season, the red dust storm seems to want to swallow everything. At Abyei Secondary School, a simple school with empty classrooms, dilapidated doors, teachers and students here are already used to dust overflowing into notebooks every time there is a strong wind.
The schoolyard is originally a vacant lot full of pits, muddy in the rainy season, and rocky in the dry season, making the children's playtime always potentially stumble.
Understanding those difficulties, right on the holiday, the Vietnamese "green hat" soldiers brought machinery and tools to support the school in renovating the landscape and classrooms.
Witnessing the implementation process, Captain Pham Phu Hai - representative of the Civil Military Coordination Department (CIMIC) of the UNISFA Mission - noted: "We appreciate the urgency of Engineering Team No. 4. You take advantage of the holiday to support the community with a sense of responsibility and meticulousness. From renovating the schoolyard to reinforcing each door, everything is done thoughtfully, ensuring safety for students. This is a practical way to mobilize people at the Mission".
That urgency comes from understanding, every day the schoolyard is still rough, every day the doors are damaged is another day the learning of young children is affected by dust storms and scorching sun.
Volunteer Sunday" starts with images of soldiers and local teachers discussing and using tree branches to draw diagrams directly on the red dusty ground.
Principal Santino Jok was moved by the dedication of the Vietnamese soldier: "You not only brought machinery to upgrade the schoolyard but also spent time repairing each door and lock that had been damaged for a long time. Looking at the way you work, I feel sincerity. The tight handshake of the school's teachers and students for you today is instead of the deepest thank you.
While the sound of engines of bulldozers and excavators resounded, rushing to level the protruding surface, the "green hat soldiers" of Engineering Engineering Sub-unit 2 were also busy with the work of "multi-functional" technical workers.
The main doors and windows, which were already dilapidated, have now been meticulously adjusted by the brothers with each screw, reinforced with iron screws. The rusty locks have also been replaced, helping the classroom from now on to close firmly in the face of dust storms.
Driving and playing chess, Captain Trinh Xuan Loc confided: "Seeing the children have a flat playground, no longer worried about stumbling, we brothers are very happy. In my hometown, I also have children of school age, so when taking care of each window frame, I just hope the children have a clean classroom, blocking the sun and dust to feel secure in learning to read and write.
In a land where sunshine, wind and red dust can quickly erode iron and rock, the "green hat" soldiers understand that: The value they leave behind does not stop at the material state, but is a confidence in a brighter future.
