Major Hồ Ngọc Việt tutors Trần Cát Nguyên Vũ at the Hải An border station in the central province of Quảng Trị.—VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Thủy

QUẢNG TRỊ — The border guards, affectionately known as the 'foster fathers' with their distinctive military ranks, have adopted and provided financial support to local underprivileged children in the central province of Quảng Trị for many years.

Through initiatives such as the 'Foster Children of the Border Guards' and 'Helping Children Get to School' programmes, they have become a solid foundation for underprivileged students, particularly those in remote border areas of the province, helping them on their educational journey and in their lives.

Major Hồ Ngọc Việt, Head of the Administrative and General Planning Division at the province’s Hải An Border Guard Station, often starts every morning with his foster child, Trần Cát Nguyên Vũ, 14, currently an eighth-grade student at Hải An Secondary School.

After living under the roof of the border guard station for five years, Vũ now considers it his second home.

He is the youngest of three children in a family where his father passed away early and his mother remarried, leading him to alternate between living with his maternal and paternal grandparents. His life has been marked by hardship, scarcity and a lack of emotional warmth.

Upon learning of Vũ's circumstances, and as part of the fostering programme, the station took him in in 2019, and Việt was assigned to look after the youngster. 

Since then, Việt and other soldiers at the station have cared for and supported Vũ’s education.

Vũ now lives and follows the military schedule at the station, with all his educational, living and clothing expenses fully covered by the station.

Vũ said at first, when he came to live with the soldiers, everything felt strange and he was scared.

“However, under the guidance, care and affection of the soldiers, especially 'Dad Việt', I feel much luckier than many other children in similar situations," he said.

Vũ recalled his most cherished memories, such as when he felt ill and then Việt, together with the soldiers at the station, took turns caring for him, or during exams when Việt stayed up late and got up early to help him revise.

Having lived together with the love of Việt and other soldiers over the years, Vũ has promised himself to study hard and one day become a border guard, protecting his homeland and country.

Major Hồ Ngọc Việt instructs Trần Cát Nguyên Vũ on how to fold a blanket at the Hải An Border Guard Station in the central province of Quảng Trị.—VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Thủy

Việt said that he joined the Hải An border guard station in 2023 and was tasked with caring for and educating Vũ.

Việt added that people at the station often joked that Vũ was cared for even better than Việt’s two biological children.

Every day, alongside his military duties, guarding and being on call for combat readiness, Việt is responsible for helping Vũ with both his life and studies.

"Vũ is a good and sensible child,” Việt said. “However, due to his young age, he often falls ill, and there are nights when I lie awake worrying and staying up to look after him." 

Helping children go to school

The station has also provided financial support of VNĐ500,000 ($20) each month for Nguyễn Thị Hồng Ngọc, 12, to pay for her schooling since 2019. She is currently in Grade 6 at Hải Khê Secondary School.

As the youngest of six siblings from a poor family, Ngọc often faced many obstacles in her pursuit of education.

The fund to help Ngọc was raised through donations from the officers and soldiers involved in the 'Helping Children Get to School' programme.

Ngọc said since being sponsored by the soldiers at the station, who had helped with tuition, cared for and tutored her, her academic performance had greatly improved.

“I am truly grateful and hope that this initiative expands, allowing more children in difficult circumstances, like me, to receive support," she said.

Ngọc and Vũ are just two examples of the many underprivileged students being supported through these projects, which have been running since 2016.

According to the Provincial Border Guard Command, in 2024 alone, the command adopted 24 children as part of the 'Foster Children of the Border Guards' programme and supported 71 children in the 'Helping Children Get to School' programme.

The funding for the initiatives comes through various channels, mainly from monthly contributions by the officers and soldiers of units under the provincial Border Guard Command.

In addition, the units actively engage with charitable organisations, philanthropists and individuals to increase the support available for the children.

Lieutenant Colonel Trần Cảnh Lâm, Deputy Head of Hải An Border Guard Station, said they had appointed officers to oversee the care, education and tutoring of the children, ensuring that the officers monitor their academic progress and provide transportation to and from school.

Through these efforts, these models have gained strong support from the local community.

In the future, the station will continue to maintain and expand the initiatives to help children in particularly difficult circumstances, with the goal that no child will have to drop out of school due to financial hardship.—VNS