Teacher Trần Thị Phương guides her students in the special class in Thiện Nhơn Commune, Nghệ An Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Bích Huệ

Bích Huệ

NGHỆ AN — In Thiên Nhẫn Commune, widely regarded as the flood epicentre of Nghệ An Province, a modest weekend classroom has become a refuge of learning and hope for children growing up amid hardship.

Organised by devoted retired teachers, the charity extracurricular class is held every weekend for more than 30 underprivileged children. It has been running for nearly four years at Nam Phúc Secondary School, an old campus that is no longer in use.

Handwritten applications for enrolment are still carefully kept by Trần Thị Phương, a retired local teacher and former vice principal of Trung Phúc Cường 2 Primary School.

For Phương and her colleagues, reading the neat lines filled with sincere words from their pupils renews their motivation to continue their weekly mission as educators.

The class includes students in grades 4 and 5 from the hamlets of Quảng Xá and Đông Xuân in Thiên Nhẫn Commune. With more than half coming from particularly disadvantaged backgrounds, some orphaned and others having never attended extra classes in English, sports or life skills, the programme provides learning opportunities that contribute to their overall skills development.

Students energise with a dance exercise before a learning session. — VNA/VNS Photo Bích Huệ

For many pupils in Thiên Nhẫn Commune, the classroom is a brief escape from lives shaped by illness, loss and persistent poverty.

One of them is Lê Thị V., the youngest of three siblings from Quảng Xá Hamlet. Her father has been in a vegetative state for years after a stroke, her mother suffers from a disc herniation and is barely able to work and her frail grandmother is over 80. V.’s older brother, despite being a strong student, had to drop out in Grade 12 to earn money to support the family.

Another student, Phan Văn V., lost his father in an electrocution accident at work, leaving his mother to raise him and his siblings alone.

Most parents of pupils in the class earn a living through manual labour. In some cases, such as that of Quỳnh A., both parents work as street vendors with little financial stability.

Despite severe economic constraints and family hardships, what Phương values most, and sees as her greatest source of motivation, is the children’s eagerness to learn and their enthusiasm for coming to class.

Parental support and companionship are also crucial, with many parents willingly getting up early to take their children to class at weekends. Their gratitude is conveyed through heartfelt messages that Phương keeps.

Vũ Thanh Trà, a fifth grader from Trung Phúc Cường 2 Primary School, said the class not only helped improve her Maths and Vietnamese but also allowed her to take part in cultural activities and dance practice with friends.

“When we come to class, we share fun stories and learn together,” she said.

Behind the class’s consistent operation is the tireless effort of Vũ Đình Lâm, chairman of the Thiên Nhẫn Commune Association of Retired Educators. He said the idea originated six years ago from a nephew living in HCM City who wished to sponsor a class to support disadvantaged students in the area.

As an educator, Lâm fully supported the idea and volunteered to organise the class and recruit teachers. Initially, it was set up in what was then Đức Thọ District of Hà Tĩnh Province for high school students.

Teacher Vũ Đình Lâm and his students in the charity class. — VNA/VNS Photo Bích Huệ

Over the past four years, the class has moved to Thiên Nhẫn Commune and shifted its focus to primary pupils, whom Lâm believes are the age group most in need of support and nurturing.

To ensure a regular class schedule, the sponsor provides monthly funding to cover basic expenses and teacher allowances. On special occasions, pupils are also given books and school supplies.

Lâm, a former principal of a local secondary school, has been most concerned about teaching quality since the class was established. He has therefore placed particular emphasis on building a strong teaching staff.

Beyond academic instruction, Lâm and his wife, herself a former Vietnamese literature teacher, personally take charge of life-skills lessons.

Teaching again at the age of 70 after years of retirement, they have been reading extensively, renewing their knowledge and selecting topics close to the children’s lives to deliver high-quality, up-to-date lessons.

The special extracurricular class aims at holistic development of children through both academic support and life skill lessons. — VNA/VNS Photo Bích Huệ

Although only a small number of members directly teach, Thiên Nhẫn Commune Association of Retired Educators has remained a steadfast source of support for the class over the years.

Most recently, after consecutive floods in mid-October 2025 damaged many students’ homes, retired teachers pooled funds to buy books and supplies, encouraging the children to overcome hardship and continue their education.

Beyond academic support, the class has emerged as a place of hope and reassurance for children in this flood-prone region. — VNS