Khánh teaches disadvantaged children, most of them from migrant workers’ and low-income labourers’ families. VNA/VNS Photo

As dusk settles each evening, a small rented room in Phước Long Ward, on the outskirts of HCM City, begins to glow softly with laughter and learning, as a free class quietly takes shape, nurturing the dreams of children from migrant families.

The class was founded by Hoàng Trọng Khánh, a factory worker with a long-held passion for teaching.

At 5.30 pm each day, the makeshift classroom fills with cheerful voices. Most of the students are children of migrant workers who are struggling to make a living in the city.

Born and raised in Huế City, Khánh moved to HCM City in 2010 after facing difficult family circumstances. He took a job as a worker at a veterinary medicine manufacturing facility in Phước Long Ward.

Like many migrant workers, he endured the hardships of urban life. Yet Khánh always carried a dream of teaching and helping children in difficult circumstances, a dream shaped by memories of his own childhood.

Khánh’s journey of spreading knowledge began on an ordinary afternoon while he was having coffee with a colleague.

“One afternoon, I was having coffee with my friend. I noticed four children sitting on the roadside across from the cafe, studying without supervision,” Khánh recalled.

“Upon inquiring, I learned that they were the children of the coffee vendor, and because their home was too small, they had to study outside while helping their mother run the stall.”

At that moment, he decided to help.

A chance encounter

“At first, the kids were very hesitant, thinking that since I was not a teacher, I would not be able to teach them,” Khánh said.

“I began by looking at their textbooks to see which subjects they were studying and realised that they were learning an eighth-grade physics lesson. I started by posing simple riddles linked to rain, wind, thunder and lightning in everyday life so that the children could understand more easily. Within just 20 minutes, they had grasped the lesson.”

From then on, after finishing each work shift, Khánh returned to the neighbourhood to teach the children. Finding his explanations easy to understand, they soon asked him to teach mathematics as well. While checking their exercises, he noticed many relied heavily on calculators and struggled with basic calculations, so he patiently guided them step by step.

Each lesson lasted about one and a half hours. Over time, teaching became a source of joy rather than fatigue for Khánh.

According to Nguyễn Thị Hoa, a neighbour who has lived near Khánh’s home for nearly ten years, Khánh is gentle and compassionate.

“Khánh cares deeply for the children, often cooking meals and buying food for them. When parents saw that the teaching was effective and wanted to contribute money for electricity and water, he firmly refused their offers if the family was struggling,” Hoa said.

Khánh said that in the early days, residents were cautious and unsure. As they saw the children improve steadily, becoming more polite, disciplined and cheerful, trust gradually took root.

At first, lessons were held outdoors in a graveyard instead of in a proper classroom. Around 4.30 pm each day, the children brought their notebooks, spread them out and waited for Khánh to return from work. When the sun set, the lesson ended.

Moved by his dedication, neighbours joined together to build a small thatched shelter with desks and lights to make studying easier.

Lessons without fees

As student numbers grew, the landlord allowed the courtyard to be used as a classroom. Later, parents pooled contributions to rent a small house with a mezzanine floor for about VNĐ4 million (US$180) a month to keep the class running.

After 15 years, Khánh’s free class has supported the learning of around 600 to 700 students. Each class typically has 10 to 15 pupils, spanning different generations.

The class charges no tuition and focuses on disadvantaged and weaker students, helping them improve gradually. Parents who can contribute are only asked to help cover electricity and rent.

Mẫn Nhi, a 6th grader at Tăng Nhơn Phú Secondary School in Tăng Nhơn Phú Ward, said: “I have studied in Uncle Khánh’s class for two years. He teaches in an easy-to-understand way, often using real-life examples, games and riddles, so revision is very fun and engaging. Thanks to that, I have improved a lot and my scores are higher than before.”

The class initially focused on mathematics and physics before expanding to literature and English.

Khánh continued studying while teaching, revising lessons directly from the students’ textbooks.

After each semester, many students showed clear progress, regained confidence and no longer feared going to school.

One parent said the family was initially worried when they learned that a factory worker was running a free class and doubted its effectiveness.

However, after just one semester, the improvement was evident, with the child becoming more self-disciplined and confident.

“Our family is deeply grateful to Khánh for his patience and dedication to the children, treating them like members of his own family,” the parent, whose name was withheld, said. VNS