The Long Sap Border Gate Border Guard Station manages over 31 km of border line and 17 border markers in the two border communes of Long Sap and Chieng Khua, Moc Chau district, bordering Sop Bau district, Hua Phan province (Lao People's Democratic Republic). Over the years, the Long Sap Border Gate Border Guard Station has consistently fulfilled its nhiệm vụ of managing and protecting the national border; combating and preventing acts of encroachment on border territory, illegal border crossings, illegal immigration and residence, illegal exploitation of resources, and other acts infringing on national sovereignty and interests… coordinating with local Party committees and authorities to effectively mobilize the public to participate in protecting national sovereignty and border security…

In addition to their political duties, for the past 12 years, the officers and soldiers of the Long Sap Border Gate Border Guard Post have also performed well in social work. The officers and soldiers here have unanimously agreed to reduce their breakfast rations on weekends to provide Border Guard lunch meals for the children in the area. This simple act is like a beacon of light in this remote area, contributing to nurturing the children's dreams of literacy and igniting hope for a brighter future...

The children at Buoc Pat preschool are having lunch.

After two days of being sick, Mùa A Phùng, from Buốc Pát village, Lóng Sập commune, Mộc Châu district (Sơn La province), seemed to walk to school faster and with more enthusiasm. When asked, Mùa A Phùng honestly confessed that what she liked most was going to school. Going to school not only allowed her to meet friends and play, but also to eat delicious meals... At 11 a.m., the sounds of children reciting their lessons were replaced by the children's excited calls to each other to go eat.

In the classroom at Buoc Pat Kindergarten (Long Sap Kindergarten), 13 children, including Mua A Phung, quickly sat down, with bowls of hot food prepared by the soldiers in front of them. Their big, dark eyes occasionally looked up at the soldiers, clearly showing their eagerness. “The whole class is here today, no one is absent,” said Major Ban Van Vinh, a non-commissioned officer at the Long Sap Border Gate Border Guard Station and head of the Buoc Pat task force, as he counted the attendance while continuously scooping food and distributing it evenly into each child's bowl. Today's menu consisted of fried eggs, minced meat, and vegetable soup. That's all, but it was enough to make these poor children in the border region eager to come to school...

The Buoc Pat kindergarten is located on the summit of Buoc Pat mountain, 1,600 meters above sea level. The road to the school is steep and precarious, with a ravine on one side and a cliff on the other. As a border village, more than a decade ago, Buoc Pat was a "hot spot" for security and order issues, especially drug-related crimes. Of the 18 households in the village, 17 were classified as poor. Faced with the situation of students not attending school due to difficult family circumstances, the officers and soldiers of the Long Sap Border Gate Border Guard Post unanimously decided to reduce their own breakfast allowance on weekends to provide breakfast for the children. Since then, the "breakfast for children" model has been maintained from Monday to Friday every week.

After 12 years of implementation, the model has undergone several changes in its organization and execution. Previously, officers and soldiers of the outpost would wake up early to prepare breakfast for the entire unit. They would then set aside several dozen breakfast meals for the students at the Buoc Pat kindergarten and have officers deliver them to the children before class. However, in the last three years, the unit decided to assign the Buoc Pat Task Force to cook meals for the students and shift from breakfast to lunch so that the children could eat their fill and not have to go home midway through class, helping to maintain class attendance. As the person directly responsible for cooking for the children at the school, Major Ban Van Vinh shared: “Previously, when we cooked breakfast, many children would come to school to eat and then go home, making it difficult to maintain consistent class attendance. Since switching to cooking lunch, we have seen that the children are more diligent in attending class. Due to difficult transportation conditions, it is hard to go to the market to buy food every day, especially during the rainy season, so we have actively engaged in farming to provide more food for the children's meals.”

 Long Sap Border Gate Border Guard Station, Moc Chau.

Speaking with us, Major Cam Ba Thanh, Deputy Political Officer of the Long Sap Border Gate Border Guard Station, said: “By bringing meals to the children, we hope to make their path to school less difficult. After a period of implementation, recognizing the significance of the model, we have received support and contributions from several agencies, units, and philanthropists. With additional funding, the children's meals have gradually improved.”

Ms. Huynh Thi Minh, Principal of Long Sap Kindergarten, couldn't hide her joy: "Thanks to the Border Guard soldiers' support with meals, our efforts to get students to school have been much easier. The children are well-fed and have a good afternoon nap. Because they receive free lunch, families have been sending their children to school regularly, and the school consistently maintains a 100% attendance rate. The work of the border guard officers and soldiers gives us more motivation to stay at the school and teach in this remote area." Sitting on the steps of the classroom waiting for his child to come home, Mr. Mua A De - father of Mua A Phung - confided to us: "Sending my child to school, having teachers to look after and care for him, and ensuring he has enough to eat and a warm nap at noon, makes the family feel very secure..."

The simple lunches that the Border Guard soldiers bring to the children are like a lamp in this remote area, contributing to nurturing their dreams of literacy and igniting hope for a brighter future.../.

Source: dangcongsan.vn