The school currently has 352 students, most of whom are from HMong, Dao, Nung and Tay ethnic minority communities. More than 70 percent of the students come from poor households.
Although the demand for semi-boarding education is high, the school has only eight dormitory rooms, enough to accommodate around 60 students.
Many students at Luong Thong Semi-Boarding Ethnic Minority Secondary School must walk several kilometers each day to get to class amid freezing rain and dense fog typical of the region.
In response to these challenges, the Warm Coats for School program provided nearly VND200 million (US$7,640) in support to Luong Thong Semi-Boarding Ethnic Minority Secondary School.
Of this amount, VND100 million (US$3,802) was allocated for facility renovation, upgrades and equipment. In addition, 352 warm coats were distributed directly to students, and 60 scholarships, each worth VND500,000 (US$19), were offered to students facing difficult circumstances.
For students in the mountainous highlands, warm coats are essential to ward off the harsh winter cold.
In her remarks, Ms. Nong Thi Ly, Vice Chairwoman of the Can Yen Commune People’s Committee, said the commune was formed through the merger of three former communes and now comprises 33 hamlets, including seven border hamlets, with a population of nearly 11,000. Ethnic minorities account for more than 95 percent of residents, while poverty and near-poverty rates remain high.
She noted that the support from SGGP Newspaper has provided significant encouragement to the local community.
According to Ms. Bui Thi Hong Suong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of SGGP Newspaper, from January 6 to January 10, the Warm Coats for School program reached students in Tuyen Quang and Cao Bang provinces during a period of extreme cold this year.
During this time, the program provided VND410 million (US$15,624) in cash to help four schools repair facilities, awarded nearly 300 scholarships worth VND500,000 (US$19) each, and distributed more than 2,000 warm coats, bringing the total value of support to over VND1 billion (US$38,027).
Additionally, SGGP Newspaper also carried out the program, presenting maps of Vietnam to local authorities.
For Tuyen Quang Province alone, the program presented with 25 large-sized maps of Vietnam, while Cao Bang Province was presented with 50 large-sized maps of Vietnam, along with 56 large-sized maps of Cao Bang Province.
