In My Phuoc commune (Can Tho city), the journey to class for many students does not start on flat concrete roads but on boats and boat rafts winding through the canals. Accompanying them for many years are grandparents and mothers who silently overcome difficulties for the future of their children and grandchildren.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, in Phuoc An A hamlet, has been taking turns taking her daughter and grandchild to My Phuoc A Primary School - Phuoc An B location for 4 years. The family works as a tea cutter and tea grower for hire, the only means of transportation is a boat. At 3am every day, when her husband goes to work, he takes her and her grandchildren to a temporary leaf hut in front of the school gate to wait for morning. Breakfast and lunch all take place right on the profit skin. The food was brought from home, one day she brought a gas stove to cook. For many years, Ms. Phuong has never complained, just hoping that her child will study well so that he will have less hardship in the future.
"The mother of the child has kidney failure and undergoes dialysis 3 times a week. The day her mother went to the hospital, I took her to the doctor. At 4pm, the child disappeared, but sometimes before the Tram work was done, my husband could walk for 5-6 hours. Don't worry about him so he won't suffer like me, even if it's a broken word, I don't know", Ms. Phuong shared.
The story of Ms. Duong Thi Thu (63 years old) is also touching. For 6 years, from kindergarten to grade 3, her life was wrapped in a small shell anchored near the school, all just for the belief in words.
Every day from 4am, Mrs. Thu is busy preparing breakfast for her grandchild: sometimes with fried rice, sometimes with porridge, sometimes with noodles, placing everything on the skin. She said this was the only way to save money, because if she let her go ashore for breakfast, it would cost 10,000 VND.
3 years ago, with the consent of the school and locality, Ms. Thu and others built a temporary hut along the river. The hut has become a second home not only a place to shelter from the sun and rain all day but also a place for the two of them to eat and sleep at noon. Although taking her child was hard, she was determined to try her best to help him study. "If I don't worry about my child's education, it will be a problem. I'm very miserable after that," Ms. Thu said sadly.
Ms. Pham Thi Dung (63 years old) also accompanied her 2 grandchildren to school for nearly 6 years. Her parents work far away, so the burden of caring for and educating her two grandchildren is on her grandmother's shoulders. In addition to a few hectares of rice fields, she catches snails at night to cover her tuition expenses. Early in the morning, she took her child to school, and in the evening, she continued her work to make a living. "I have to take him off from school every time it rains. I was afraid it would cost me," Ms. Dung shared.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hao, Principal of My Phuoc A Primary School (My Phuoc Commune, Can Tho City), said that in the 2025-2026 school year, the whole school has 478 students, of which about 60 students still go to class with interest. Phuoc An B alone has 146 students, many of whom are in difficult circumstances, parents work far away, and are cared for by their grandparents. About 20 children along the canals have to stay in temporary green hutes with their families to study in the afternoon. Despite the long journey, crossing the river, the students still regularly come to class and many students achieve the title of excellent and outstanding students.
Mr. Tran Ngoc Giang Nam, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of My Phuoc Commune (Can Tho City), said that some traffic areas have not been connected synchronously, some households live far from the center. Their travel is difficult, they have to travel by water, while the investment cost is not guaranteed. In the long term, the locality will plan a road with ready-built foundation, investing step by step to ensure more convenient rural traffic.
