Phạm Vũ Thanh An (right), a teacher of Võ Văn Ký Secondary School transports food to residents living at an area isolated by COVID. VNA/VNS Photo

KHÁNH HÒA — Teachers in Nha Trang City, the central coastal province of Khánh Hòa, have coordinated with local authorities and social organisations to carry out supportive activities to help residents overcome difficulties during the pandemic.

Phạm Vũ Thanh An, a teacher of Võ Văn Ký Secondary School, is transporting boxes of necessities on his second-hand motorbike to people in difficult circumstances. With his old motorbike, he goes into small alleys to directly deliver goods to each family.

An said he and other teachers had the desire to contribute a little bit of their effort to pandemic control work.

"There are sick people or single mothers feeding infants in need of food or milk, and they call on our support through social networks or by phone, and whether it's 12 at noon or night, I still bring food to their homes," An said.

“I consider working on the street a mission to help people, so the first thing is to ensure my health in the pandemic period. That way I can help people who are in difficulty."

Having just received a bag of essential food from An, Nguyễn Thị Hồng Ngân, from Phước Tân Ward, Nha Trang, said that after a few days of living in an area isolated by COVID, the family's vegetables and fruit had run out.

“The food brought by teacher An helps my family feel secure at home,” said Ngân.

In coordination with the Nha Trang Steam group, the Raglai ethnic minority and members of Vovinam Trường Sơn Club, An has also helped make hundreds of face shields for frontline forces.

Nguyễn Công Duy, coach of Vovinam Trường Sơn Club, said that he and his friends had considered many options to encourage club members participating in the community COVID-prevention fight. The face shield programme has expanded into many schools and social groups in Khánh Hòa.

Many young teachers in Nha Trang have also volunteered to support health forces in testing samples in the community.

Tạ Hữu Trọng, a teacher of Thái Nguyên School, has participated with two shifts per day at pandemic checkpoints.

"Compared to the frontline medical staff who are constantly wearing protective clothing to take samples and treat patients, we still have a lighter job,” Trọng said.

Nguyễn Thị Thúy Hường, a teacher at Phước Long 2 Primary School, said: "The COVID-19 pandemic is extremely complicated. I volunteer to go, even though I know that this is a dangerous job and could affect my health."

In the process of recording information of residents to take samples Hường is very careful because just a small mistake could cause the sampling to be stopped.

The fight against the pandemic is still going on, and the health sector and localities urgently need everyone's contribution in volunteer activities for the community.

Those teachers in Nha Trang say they will continue to participate in volunteering until the day the COVID-19 pandemic is pushed back. VNS