Phạm Minh Tuấn, 41, a physical education teacher of Hướng Lộc Semi-boarding High School, gives a jacket to a boy during his charity trip in Hướng Hóa District - a mountainous district of the central province of Quảng Trị. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

QUẢNG TRỊ — Phạm Minh Tuấn is a lot more than just a physical education teacher at Hướng Lộc Semi-boarding High School.

In Hướng Hóa District, a mountainous district of the central province of Quảng Trị, the 41-year-old has raised money to build six houses and three classrooms, drill 10 wells and donated hundreds of books, pens and clothes to local students.

Speaking to Vietnamnet online newspaper, he said that when he arrived at the school in September 2015, he saw just a few students in uniforms at the opening ceremony of school year, but many only wore their everyday clothes.

Tuấn took a photo of the students and posted on his Facebook page asking for cash to buy uniforms.

Not long after his post, kind-hearted people donated 100 uniforms for all the students in the school, he said.

"It marked the first time I did charity work," he said.

Since then, Tuấn continued doing charity work after seeing difficulties of local residents in the mountainous district.

He said in the summer and autumn, he asked for donations of books and rice to help local students to prepare for the new school year.

In the winter and spring, he would look for warm clothes and Tết (Lunar New Year) gifts for the children.

He also asked for help to drill wells for local schools and households.

Nguyễn Mai Trọng, principal of Hướng Phùng Primary School in the district said Tuấn was seen to do many charity things year after year, from giving warm clothes to children to digging wells for local residents.

Trọng said thanks to Tuấn, two wells were dug in Hướng Choa and Cu Vơ villages in 2017 so that children and local residents could access water.

“Asking for donation was difficult, but finding a suitable place to drill a well was even harder,” Trọng said.

Hồ Tờn, head of Cu Vơ Village, said: “Tuấn is a kind man.

“Thanks to the well he dug for us in 2017, we could get water after six years of using the stream water for our daily lives.”

In 2016, Tuấn collected VNĐ500 million (US$21,700) from sponsors to build three classrooms for pre-school children in Hướng Lộc Commune.

In 2015, when Tuấn went to Khe Sanh Town in the district to give food to residents whose homes had been damaged by a tornado, he saw a couple desperately sitting in a house without a roof.

Then he had sought sponsorship, worth about VNĐ120 million ($5,200) to help the couple to re-build their home.  

Tuấn also adopted three orphaned brothers in the district’s Hướng Linh Commune the same year.

Hoàng Thị Hồng Lam, Tuấn’s wife said when they saw three children hungry without anyone to take care of, they all couldn't hold back the tears so they decided to adopt them.

“Giving is also receiving, the more you give, the more love you will receive,” she added.

Hồ Sỹ Chẩm, principal of Hướng Lộc Semi-boarding High School said Tuấn is a good man. He not only gives local students clothes, books and pens, but also helps to build houses, classrooms.

“He is a good example for the students to follow,” Chẩm said.

Tuấn next plan is to seek donators to give seedlings for local disadvantaged people to plant crops. — VNS