Ethnic minority children in especially difficult circumstances from Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces have taken a long journey across hundreds of kilometers to visit Da Nang to enjoy the excitement of this summer for the first time. This trip is not only a vacation for them, but also a journey to nurture their dreams of a beautiful future.

Children in mountainous regions of Central Viet Nam have played in ocean waves on beach vacation in Da Nang for the first time. Photo: THANH LAM

“I will study well to go back to Da Nang”

“Da Nang is so beautiful! I will try my best to study well so that I will return to Da Nang to study at university after graduating from high school ,” said Ho Hoang Anh, a sixth grader of the Tra Vinh Primary School located in Nam Tra My District, Quang Nam Province. The boy talked out loud about his wishes and desires to the volunteers of the "Children from mountainous regions go down in urban areas" program while playing on the My Khe Beach.

Hoang Anh is 12 years old but he is a thin, dark-skinned black boy with 30 kg weight. The furthest place he has ever been is his family's paddy and maize fields on the mountainside. Hoang Anh often work in these fields to support his family outside of school hours. The boy’s life is hard so enjoying a summer vacation in Da Nang is beyond his expectations. He asked for additional gifts for his siblings when receiving teddy bears from sponsors.

"I will tell my younger siblings about beautiful places of Da Nang, and I and my siblings will together try our best to study well so that we can have the opportunity to visit the city again," Hoang Anh said.

Ho Van Khiem is another boy whose house is located at the further end of the village in Tay Tra Mountainous District, Quang Ngai Province. This is the first time he has visited Da Nang.

Khiem said: “Da Nang is beautiful with bright lights and delicious food. Normally at home, I only eat rice with salt and chili or a few little fishes that are caught in streams by my parents, but my stomach still feels empty after eating."

Teacher Ho Van Tinh of the Tra Phong Primary School where Khiem is studying, said that he travelled a distance of 3 km long by motorbike, then walked additional more than 1km through the forest to reach Khiem's house.

Khiem always had a smile on his face despite of taking a long and tiring journey to Da Nang. The boy timidly whispered: “I dream of visiting Da Nang as many times as I want. I want to work in the office, but not in the fields, as I want to be an office worker like people that I have met during my stay in Da Nang."

The "Children from mountainous regions go down in urban areas" program has given a chance to ethnic minority children in especially difficult circumstances from Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces to visit such beautiful places in Da Nang as the Military Zone 5 branch of the Ho Chi Minh Museum which features a replica of President Ho Chi Minh’s home in Ha Noi, amuseum parks, supermarkets, beaches, the fireworks festival.

Teacher Tra Thi Thu from the Tak Po School located in Tra Tap Commune, Nam Tra My District, Quang Nam Province, said: “Children from ethnic minority group are very excited while visiting Da Nang. I am really so touched by their innocent  feelings, emotions, and wishes but I am very happy as they can nurture their dreams of a beautiful future after their visit to Da Nang.”

Planting the seeds of dreams

The "Children from mountainous regions go down in urban areas" journey is part of the "Going to school in the mountains" program which has been launched since the opening of the 2022-2023 academic year.by Mr. Nguyen Binh Nam, the Chairman of the Da Nang Loving Friends club. Under this program, the club has given a helping hand to 250 pupils in especially difficult circumstances and orphans in mountainous regions to help them pursue their academic dreams.

Around 110 ethnic minority children have enjoyed benefits from this meaningful program for the first time.

Teacher Do Thi Binh, the Principal of the Tra Phong Primary School remarked: “The children are very excited about the visit to Da Nang. They promised that they would do their utmost to study better in the next academic year so that they can visit Da Nang again next year. I hope that such a trip will help them nurture their dreams of a beautiful future in order to motivate them to study better.”

Mr. Binh Nam said the "Children from mountainous regions go down in urban areas" journey is considered as a summer gift for ethnic minority children after a hard studying academic year. Moreover, he and his colleagues hope that the meaningful  program will help ethnic minority children step out of their villages to explore new worlds beyond their hometowns.

“We just hope to bring happiness to these children. The desire to go to school of many orphans in highland villages motivated us to make great efforts to help them enjoy summer vacation in Da Nang this summer," said Mr. Nam.

Reporting by THIEN LAM – Translating by H.L