BLV trip giving books to the Children of Phong Minh village

Sunday, Sep 10, 2013

Bac Giang – the season of school year opening, the season of love

On the occasion of the beginning of the school year on September 8th, Better Life Vietnam came to visit and deliver new textbooks for students in Luc Ngan, Bac Giang Province for the third year in a row. This time we chose Phong Minh Primary school, a small school located in a underprivileged and remote area of Bac Giang Province. Our purpose is not merely to deliver new textbooks, but also to gradually build up libraries and improve the students’ reading skills . Through these activities, we hope to educate the children about the importance of education and encourage them to study harder for a better future. 

The BLV Team, School Teacher and the Children of Phong Minh village

The BLV group left early morning for a very long journey to Bac Giang. Thao who is our local contact was waiting for us and was ready to help us. Thanks to her, we arrived at our destination with no difficulty.

We arrived at Phong Minh Primary School and were received with a warm welcome from the teachers and local authorities. It was raining very hard but the children were still very excited despite the rain. 

                                                      BLV representatives working with the School Teachers and local authorities

                                                                         BLV volunteer carried books to the school library

Our event went well with a lot of laughter, songs and funny stories. The children made our volunteers laugh with their innocence and enthusiasm. They eagerly participated in all the games we organized for them. The more they played, the more energetic they got. Their smile, their laughter, those bright eyes are what motivated us to do more. 

The book-giving ceremony started right after that. The children lined up to attend the ceremony. BLV representatives and the headmaster gave a short speech about the value of books and how to use books effectively. 

                                                                        BLV representative gave books to the Principle

The school year had started a few days earlier but the children still did not have textbooks. This gift will allow them to better learn the curriculum and help them get the education they deserve. 

26 boxes full of books!

This year’s trip was a little different from past years in that we not only delivered school books, but also delivered story books, books about historical heroes, literature piece of arts and novels for children as well. Our view is to gradually build up thechildrens’ reading habits. Reading does not only improve the ability to think but it also opens their eyes to a whole new world. It teaches them to dare to dream and to make their dreams come true. With better access to books, we believe they can fulfill their natural curiosity and desire to learn new things. 

                                                                                       Preparing books for the trip

Children in rural areas tend to have very poor reading habits. School libraries are not available, and if they are there are not many age-appropriate books . Also the children have to help their families working on the fields starting at a very young age, so they don’t necessarily have time to go to the library and develop their reading skills. We hope that our books will help, even in small ways to provide them with better access to knowledge and information. Mostly we hope that in the future, these children will grow up and dare to give back to their communities to help our country become a better and more just society.

                                                                                 The children of Phong Minh village

At the end of the day we bid farewell to the teachers and the children and left for Hanoi. We finished a long day with lots of feelings of happiness, excitement and inspiration. But we were also left with a lot of questions. How can we do more, how can we bring them more resources next time ? These are the big questions that motivate all BLV volunteers.

People often ask themselves what volunteering for BLV will help them achieve. After this special event the answer is very clear. Happiness is bringing happiness to others and that’s what volunteering is all about!