From an illiterate 12-year-old boy to a soldier and teacher in green uniform

Border guard classes have been implemented by Muong Leo Border Guard Station since 2021 in Huoi La and Huoi Luong villages, Muong Leo commune, and have so far eliminated illiteracy for about 100 Mong ethnic people in the border area.

Muong Leo Border Post in Muong Leo Commune, Sop Cop District, Son La Province is one of 10 Border Post on the Vietnam - Laos border in Son La with a remote geographical location and difficult transportation. This is a mountainous, border area where Mong, Thai, and Kho Mu people live. In addition to people of school age, the majority of people do not know the common language, and illiteracy and re-illiteracy are still common.

To contribute to consolidating and building a strong border area, gradually improving the people's knowledge and socio-economic life of the people in the border areas, officers and soldiers of Muong Leo Border Guard Station not only firmly guard the border with their guns, but also proactively and actively coordinate with sectors and localities to implement programs, projects and movements, including the work of eliminating illiteracy.

For many years, every week, the literacy class for officers and soldiers of Muong Leo Border Post, taught by Major Ho A Thanh, has been lit up on the hillsides of the mountainous border commune of Muong Leo. The class is mainly held in the evening, when people have finished farming. In the summer, the class starts earlier than in the winter. Major Ho A Thanh's literacy class has students who are mothers, sisters, and brothers of different ages and genders. Many of them bring their children along to both study and look after their children. Therefore, Major Ho A Thanh has to choose teaching methods suitable for each group, at the same time integrating cultural and artistic activities, combining with propaganda of policies and laws, abolishing backward customs, focusing on bringing a civilized lifestyle to the people, thereby creating excitement for people to attend class diligently, gradually stabilizing the class. Gradually, the people have learned to read and write fluently, and have been able to do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as have had many positive changes in their perception and actions. Up to now, Major Ho A Thanh has directly participated in teaching 5 classes with more than 100 students in Muong Leo commune.

In addition to his time in class, Major Ho A Thanh actively studies, cultivates, and trains himself to apply various forms and methods of mobilizing the masses to train students with basic and necessary knowledge and skills to help students initially form general abilities, develop language skills in all reading, writing, speaking and listening skills at a basic level. Along with that, Major Ho A Thanh also takes advantage of his extra time to directly visit households to organize propaganda, mobilize people to strictly comply with the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, and local regulations, advise on strengthening the activities of the Village Management Board, and guide people to apply science and technology to develop the economy, culture, society, and village hygiene. Up to now, people have gradually started to do business, eliminating the habit of shifting cultivation and spontaneous business.

Major Thanh enthusiastically guides students. (Photo: NVCC)

Talking about his journey to becoming a green-uniformed teacher, Major Thanh smiled gently: “I was born and raised in Long Ke village, Huoi 1 commune, Song Ma district, a remote and mountainous area. Back then, we didn’t even have enough to eat, let alone go to school. It wasn’t until I was 12 years old that my father sent me to study at the Ethnic Minority Boarding School in Song Ma town.”

Away from home, independent in everything, every time he had a day off, the 12-year-old boy walked nearly 30 kilometers through the forest to help his parents with the farming. After finishing primary school, the young man Ho A Thanh continued to study at Son La Provincial Boarding School, more than 100 kilometers from home. At that time, transportation was difficult, so most of Thanh and his friends took shortcuts along the mountain roads. Departing at 3am, carrying 3 packs of rice and food, resting wherever he felt tired, arriving at school around 5pm... That persistent journey has created a soldier, a teacher in green uniform today...

Eradicate illiteracy so that people and soldiers can guard the Fatherland's fence together.

From 2019 to present, Captain Lo Van Thoai, an employee of the Mass Mobilization Team, Nam Lanh Border Guard Station, Son La Provincial Border Guard, has had an additional task, which is to participate in the work of eliminating illiteracy in many highland villages in Sop Cop district.

Born and raised in Muong Va village, Sop Cop district, Captain Lo Van Thoai understands the difficult circumstances of his hometown people. In early 2022, implementing the transfer decision of the Son La Provincial Border Guard Command, the soldier born in 1981 worked at Nam Lanh Border Post - the management unit in Nam Lanh and Muong Va communes. These are also two remote communes with extremely difficult roads. The local people have low education level and slow economic development, especially in the border villages.

“When we arrived at Pa Khoang village, Muong Va commune for work, although it is about 20km from the commune center, to get to the village, we had to wade through streams and cross mountain passes for more than two hours. Illiteracy and re-illiteracy are quite common here; child marriage is also quite common. That is why poverty persists! I suddenly thought that we must eradicate illiteracy for the people to change the situation,” Captain Lo Van Thoai shared.

Despite their determination and support, the “road” for Pa Khoang people to go to school is still full of thorns. “Illegal and re-illiterate people are mainly the main laborers in the family. During the day, they have to work, so classes have to be held in the evening. After a tiring day of work, it is understandable that they want to rest. But with perseverance and convincing arguments, the number of students has increased from the few numbers on the fingertips to 24 people”...

With the motto "Eat together, live together, work together, speak the national language together" to ensure that all students, when coming to class, can read fluently, write well, know how to calculate... to reach the horizon of knowledge, Captain Lo Van Thoai did not hesitate to research and study appropriate teaching materials and methods. Understanding Mr. Thoai's heart, after more than 5 months of studying, the students were able to read and write by themselves, some even knew how to use and exchange information on social networking platforms...

“My students, who did not know how to read or write, told me that being literate helped them to be proactive in their studies, take care of their health and that of their family members, develop their economy effectively, and be more confident in communication...”.

In particular, in each class, this teacher in green uniform skillfully incorporates propaganda content on the implementation of the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, and policies on local economic, cultural and social development; and propaganda and dissemination of legal knowledge, security and national defense, so that people know the plots and tricks of hostile forces, who take advantage of ethnic and religious issues to sabotage the Party, the State, local Party committees and authorities.

“I hope my small work will help the students have a better life, contribute to the locality in building the homeland and villages to become more and more prosperous, and join the Border Guard in firmly protecting the territorial sovereignty and national border security,” Captain Thoai expressed.

Previously in Muong Va commune (Sop Cop district, Son La), most boys and girls were only 13-14 years old when they got married and had children. Early marriage caused people's lives to be forever immersed in illness and poverty. But thanks to the literacy class of Captain Lo Van Thoai, people's awareness has changed, and now the rate of early marriage is only about 1-2%, and economic and social life has gradually become more stable and developed. "Previously, almost every family in the village got married early, boys and girls were only 13 years old when they got married and had children. Every family had 4-5 children, each child was only 1-2 years apart. Early marriage and incestuous marriage not only affect health and race but also hinder economic and social development, making people's lives forever miserable. People are more concerned about taking care of their children's health, studying, and doing business," Mr. Thoai happily shared.

Soldiers in green uniforms at the 2024 Sharing with Teachers Program. (Photo: PV)

Among the students he taught, Mr. Lo Van Thoai was especially impressed with Ms. Giang Thi Pa De. Ms. De was illiterate and did not want to go to school, and her husband was in a rehabilitation camp for drug trafficking. Every time she went to visit her husband, she had to ask someone who could read to take her because she could not sign or know the room number.

After being persistently encouraged by Mr. Thoai, Ms. Giang Thi Pa De was determined to go to class. After 9 months of studying, Ms. De could read and write fluently, and constantly excelled in local activities and movements. Currently, Ms. Giang Thi Pa De is the Head of the Women's Association of Nam Lan village, Muong Lan commune. She also actively encouraged illiterate people to come to Mr. Lo Van Thoai's class. "Since I learned to read and write, I have been able to apply a lot of knowledge to economic development, farming, animal husbandry, and know how to sell goods through social networks, bringing in a better source of income and improving my family's economic life," Ms. Giang Thi Pa De said.

On the occasion of November 20, along with many achievements lighting up the border region. Major Ho A Thanh and Captain Lo Van Thoai are among 60 exemplary teachers honored in the "Sharing with Teachers" Program in 2024, jointly organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union, the Ministry of Education and Training, and Thien Long Group.

According to: baophapluat.vn