Khả Kham Thiệu, a soldier of the Đăk Xú Communal Border Guard, Kon Tum Province, helps an orphan named Y Lỹ with her bicycle. — VNA/VNS Photo

 KON TUM — The border guards of the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum have adopted and helped 75 children in extremely difficult situations.

Two sisters, Y Lỹ, 12 and Y Lẫy, 14, living in Đăk Xú Commune, Ngọc Hồi District, became orphans after their parents were swept away by flash floods and buried in August 2019.

After getting approval from Kon Tum Province’s Border Guard Command, the communal border guards adopted them.

These were two out of 75 children helped by the programme 'Adopted children of the Border Guard' launched by the provincial Border Guard Command.

The first thing local border guards did was, together with social organisations, build a house for the two sisters so they had a secure place to study.

The communal border guard station, the Việt Nam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development’s branch in Kon Tum and the local Women's Union raised money and helped build a house for the two sisters.

After three months of construction, border guards completed the construction of a 70-sq.m house for the two sisters in December 2019.

The two sisters have been able to focus on their studies and helping others in the village thanks to the support from the border guard soldiers.

A Tú, a 50-year-old man in Đăk Xú Commune, said although Y Lỹ was young, she often helped her neighbours.

“My family loves her and considers her as a grandchild in the family. We are ready to support the two sisters at any time,” A Tú said.

Khả Kham Thiệu, a soldier of the Đăk Xú Communal Border Guard, said besides the main task of guarding the border area, the soldiers regularly go to the two sisters’ home to teach the children about cooking and studying.

“The two sisters consider Captain Khả Khâm Thiệu as their father,” A Tú said.

Khả Khêm Thiệu said Y Lỹ always tried her best to study and worked hard to absorb the lessons.

“I regularly study books to be able to teach more for Y Lỹ at home, helping her to better understand the lessons in class,” he said.

“Her homeroom teacher also comments that she has made a lot of progress in studying and her achievements have improved, especially her behaviour is always very good."

Y Lỹ said that since her parents died, the border guards have acted as her uncles and have helped take care of her and her older sister.

“I will try to study and strive to become a good child, a good student, a useful person for society to deserve their nurturing merit,” she said.

Major Nguyễn Đình Thành, head of the communal Border Guard Station, said the model 'Adopted Children of the Border Guard' has been a success.

“At the same time, it helps the officers and soldiers build a friendly and close image with local people. It makes a great contribution to the work of protecting and maintaining the sovereignty of border security, ensuring the security - politics situation in the region," he said.

“Through the programme, needy children have received love from the soldiers and have the opportunity to learn to become useful people for society," he added.

Colonel Phạm Cảnh Toàn, Deputy head of Kon Tum Provincial Border Guard said: “We see that the adoption of children in difficult circumstances is to provide more motivation and help them to strive in their future life.”

“The programme is also an opportunity for us to link between the Party committees, local authorities and the masses, and do well in the mobilisation of local people."

"The provincial Border Guard Command will continue to promote and replicate the programme to help and foster students in difficult circumstances to become useful people for society," Toàn said. — VNS