Nguyen Vu's home
Every morning, Tran Cat Nguyen Vu (grade 8 student at Hai An Secondary School, Hai Lang district, Quang Tri province) is busy preparing to go to school with the care and guidance of Major Ho Ngoc Viet - his "parent" at My Thuy Border Guard Station (Quang Tri Border Guard).
His father passed away early, his mother remarried, Vu's childhood spent sad days when he was at his paternal grandfather's house and at times at his maternal grandparents' house. Understanding his situation, 5 years ago, when implementing the "Adopted child of the Border Guard Station" model, My Thuy Border Guard Station took Vu to raise and care for him. For the past 5 years, Vu has lived and lived according to military discipline, being enthusiastically taught and loved by officers and soldiers.
Recalling the early days, Vu shared that when he first came here, he was very scared and strange. But gradually, the fathers in the unit, especially my father Viet, helped me feel the love and sincere care. When he was sick, he was taken care of by a military unit. During the exam days, the teachers stay up all night to help him review the exam.
"Now, My Thuy Border Guard Station is truly my second family" - Vu said.
Assigned to directly take care of Vu, Major Ho Ngoc Viet shared that although he is an adopted child, he is cared for like his own child.
Every day, I help him review and practice a neat and disciplined lifestyle. Vu is a boy of Obedience, determined to rise up. Seeing my child improve every day, I am more proud of my responsibility Major Viet said.
Not only Vu, the program "Show your steps to school" also supports many other lives. Nguyen Thi Hong Ngoc (born in 2013, 6th grade student at Hai Khe Primary and Secondary School, Hai Lang district) is one of them. Every year, Ngoc receives 6 million VND in support from My Thuy Border Guard Station to cover her study costs. Although Ngoc's money is a motivation to continue going to school.
Giving hope at the border
To maintain the two meaningful programs mentioned above, officers and soldiers of My Thuy Border Guard Station have voluntarily contributed salaries, and at the same time connected with benefactors to support the children. The soldiers also directly paired up and took their adopted children to school, helping them to walk firmly on their educational path.
Colonel Dinh Xuan Hung - Political Commissar of the Quang Tri Border Guard said that in 2024, units under the Quang Tri Provincial Border Guard will maintain support for 71 children with a total cost of VND 319.5 million within the framework of the program "Studying children to school", and raising 24 children with a total cost of VND 138 million according to the "Adopted children of the Border Guard Station" model. In addition, 46 students were supported and 18 students were adopted in the project "Army officers and soldiers taking their children to school" for the period 2021-2030. In particular, Border Guard Stations also sponsored 6 Lao children, each of whom was supported with 500,000 VND/month.
Although the road ahead is still difficult, with the companionship of "fathers" with green uniforms, the dreams at the border will no longer be unfinished. Every care, every book, every step to school is a testament to the love, the spirit of "lighting up dreams" that the soldiers of the Quang Tri Border Guard are wholeheartedly cultivating.
