The school provides free lunch for student nurturance
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Principal Ho Thi Thuy Van ( white) and small students |
43-year-old Ho Thi Thuy Van - the Principal of Dak Ha Commune Primary School in Tu Mo Rong District of Kon Tum Province said that the school currently has 713 students, of which 404 are students who live far away from the school so they stay in their school.
At noon, Principal Thuy Van is rushed off her feet to prepare for lunch. She and other teachers arrange tables, chairs, and food.
According to Ms. Van, not only boarding students but also 73 students at Ty Tu village school will enjoy free lunch this year.
Some 73 students are non-boarding students whose homes are 2-5km from the school. These 73 students normally go to school in the morning and return home to have lunch at noon, and go to class again in the afternoon.
However, because their homes are far away from the school after they return home for lunch, many students do not go to class in the afternoon. Therefore, the school has organized free lunches to keep children in their school so that they will not miss afternoon classes. Teachers will organize cooking at the main school's kitchen, then drive 3km to bring it to Ty Tu school for the children. After eating, the children will be given a place to nap before afternoon classes, Ms. Van said.
Ms. Van said that cooking free lunches for students at Ty Tu village school started in 2020 when she was appointed to be principal at Dak Ha Primary School. During her inspection of Ty Tu school, she discovered that students at this school often miss afternoon classes because their homes are far away. She fretted that missing afternoon classes would affect their studies.
Realizing that the only way was to cook lunch to keep students in the school for afternoon classes. Her idea was highly supported by district leaders. Afterward, she discussed with teachers and they came to an agreement to cook free lunches for students at Ty Tu school.
Upon the question that how come teachers have money for free lunch, Principal Van she spent her salary buying food and teachers in the school also donated money. Once, she was broke, she sold 2 pigs that had just been raised for 10 months to get money for free lunch.
Later, many philanthropists knew about the free lunch, they supported the kind deed by giving money. For 4 years of school, the school continuously provided free lunches for 63 to 82 students, Ms. Van emphasized. Some parents supported teachers by bringing pumpkins and firewood to donate to the school to help maintain this activity.
School raises orphan students
The school has built a dormitory as Ms. Ho Thi Thuy Van revealed that this year, the school will nurture 30 students who are orphans or have extremely difficult circumstances.
She said that some 30 disadvantaged students have many material and mental deprivations. Many orphans lack care from relatives, so they often miss school and are even at risk of dropping out. Thus, she decided that 30 students would reside in the school from Monday to Friday every week, and they would return to their families on Saturdays and Sundays. The children's families as well as the locality and the local Department of Education and Training approved this plan of hers.
In addition to enjoying free meals in the school, students will be taught and tutored during their stay at school. She hoped that under those conditions, students would have all the conditions to study and pursue their dreams of academic success.
Ms. Ho Thi Thuy Van was awarded a certificate of merit by the Chairman of the Kon Tum Provincial People's Committee for her outstanding contribution to the education sector and her achievements in studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology and ethics in 2021.
Mr. Ka Ba Thanh, Secretary of the Tu Mo Rong District Party Committee, Kon Tum province, said that Ms. Van is a kind teacher as she is concerned about schoolboys and schoolgirls who are from difficult families, so she donates books and cook free meals for the students.
Ms. Y Phea's family in Ngoc Leng village in Dak Ha commune has three children who are studying at Dak Ha Primary School. Ms. Y Phea's husband is in prison, she grows noodles alone to raise 8 children. After knowing that her 3 children will be raised by school, Ms. Phea expressed her joy saying that it's great that the three children will be raised at the school because this will help her have time to take care of other children. She revealed that she is sometimes so busy cooking and working in the fields that she forgets to urge her children to study.
Sitting next to his mother, three-grader A To Rang smiled brightly when he heard the news that Ms. Van had brought him to the school to be raised saying that he really liked staying in his school as he can study and play sports. The little boy A To Rang held Ms. Van's hand to thank her.
Principal Van said that children’s regular attendance in school and the improved quality of education make her and the school teachers extremely happy.
Moreover, she said she is even happier when the school has been supported and encouraged by public opinion, sponsors and SGGP Newspaper through the donation of pigs and gifts over the past time. All of that has motivated the school to continue maintaining this activity in the coming time, Ms. Van added.
