Thanks to the dedicated support and help of the soldiers, along with their constant efforts in studying and training, many children have passed college and university entrance exams, opening the door to a bright future for themselves and their families.

Take care of every meal and sleep

In the blink of an eye, more than 5 years have passed since the siblings Song Lao Cuong and Song Lao Viet lived with soldiers at the Chieng On Border Post, Son La Provincial Border Guard. Cuong is in 10th grade at Phieng Khoai High School (Yen Chau,Son La), and Viet entered 8th grade. In the unit, Cuong and Viet were carefully arranged by the soldiers for sleeping and living places, with their own study corner and full of necessary living supplies. Every day, the Station commander assigned officers to directly accompany, guide,educationand take care of and pick up the children to school.

The Border Guard Command of Son La province commended students who passed the entrance exams to colleges and universities in 2024.
Photo: For Present

Cuong and Viet are Mong ethnic people, living in Suoi Cut village, Chieng On commune, Yen Chau district. Their family situation is extremely difficult, their father died early, their mother married far away, and they live with their uncle. Before that, the two brothers had to drop out of school several times to stay home and help their uncle with the farming. Luckily, they were adopted by their uncles at the Chieng On Border Guard Station, and they continued to enjoy the joy of going to school.

Accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Tran Duy Thuong, Political Commissar of the Chieng On Border Post, we went down the long slope to Suoi Cut village to visit the family of Cuong and Viet. This is one of the particularly difficult border villages of Chieng On commune, mostly inhabited by Mong people. Receiving us in a wooden house with holes in the walls and no valuable furniture, Mr. Song A Cho, the uncle of Cuong and Viet, expressed his concern: "There are no tables and chairs to sit at home, the soldiers sympathize. Thanks to the soldiers' help, the two children can go to school, thank you very much."

Lieutenant Colonel Tran Duy Thuong shared that when adopting the children, officers and soldiers in the unit directly took care of them, taking care of their meals, sleep, and accommodation. At first, the children were confused, but after a while, their academic performance and lifestyle improved significantly. In addition to studying, officers and soldiers of the unit also taught the children how to increase production; let them participate in cultural, artistic, and sports activities; taught them about ethics and lifestyle, creating a premise for them to become more mature.

Teacher Le Van Loi, Principal of Phieng Khoai High School, commented: "Most of the students in the "Step Up to School" Program chaired by the Son La Provincial Border Guard have made positive changes in their studies and training, have good moral qualities, life skills, are obedient, polite, studious and achieve good results in their studies."

Spreading humanistic meaning

Before entering school, Lia Xuan Ngoc, a Mong ethnic student at Son La Province Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, in Pa Kha 2 village, Chieng Tuong commune, Yen Chau district, did not forget to visit and express his gratitude to Colonel Nguyen Van Hung, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of Son La Provincial Border Guard, who sponsored and supported Ngoc during his high school years. Although intelligent and studious, Ngoc was at risk of dropping out of school when he started middle school due to his family's difficult circumstances. Understanding the situation of this studious Mong ethnic student, the Party Committee and Command of Son La Provincial Border Guard assigned the Chieng Tuong Border Guard Station to support and help Ngoc during his studies. Colonel Nguyen Van Hung directly took care of and raised his nephew every month until he finished grade 12. Not disappointing the expectations of his adoptive fathers, Lia Xuan Ngoc studied hard, was always a good student at the Son La Provincial Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, and became one of the "adopted children" of the Border Guard to be admitted to the Border Guard Academy in 2024 with 28.89 points.

Talking with Colonel Vu Duc Tu, Deputy Political Commissar of the Border Guard of Son La province, we learned that implementing the program "Helping children go to school - Adopted children of border guards" deployed from 2016 to present, the Border Guard of the province has raised and cared for more than 80 students, helping them achieve high academic achievements and pass entrance exams to colleges and universities.

According to Colonel Vu Duc Tu, over the past 8 years, the Son La Provincial Border Guard Education Promotion Association has launched the program "Helping children go to school - Adopted children of border guards" to support and adopt disadvantaged students in border areas. The support fund is drawn from contributions and savings of officers and soldiers and from the unit's production and labor increase capital fund, along with sponsorship from agencies, organizations, businesses, and philanthropists. From 2022 to present, the unit has provided a meal allowance of VND 500,000/child/month; in addition, it also supports necessities and means of transportation to school of VND 1,300,000/child/year. Currently, the Son La Provincial Border Guard is supporting 155 children.

In particular, the program "Helping children go to school - Adopted children of border guards" has received attention and support from the head of the Border Guard Command, the functional agencies of the Command; leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee; leaders of departments, branches, sectors, and organizations of Son La province, each of whom sponsors 1-2 children. In 2024, the Border Guard of Son La province will continue to sponsor 51 children, including 7 students from the 2 provinces of Houaphanh and Luang Prabang (Laos); the border guards are currently sponsoring 9 children at the unit.

The program "Helping children go to school - Adopted children of border guards" implemented by the Border Guard of Son La province not only shares difficulties with students in the border area, supports them to have conditions to study and practice, but also strengthens the solidarity and blood ties between the Border Guard and ethnic people in the border area and Laos, contributing to building a strong national border defense.

According to: People's Army Newspaper