Literacy class in the highland area

When night falls over the mist-covered mountain slopes, the community hall of Coc Mui Ha Village in Thang Tin Commune lights up with lamps and open notebooks. In the most remote part of the commune, the literacy class takes place regularly, becoming a source of knowledge where the calloused hands of farmers continue their unfinished dreams. With the dedication of teachers, local officials, Border Guard soldiers, and the effort of each learner, the light of education is nurturing hope for sustainable development in the border region.

With flashlights, people in Coc Mui Ha Village trek across rugged mountain paths to attend the class.

Literacy class takes place regularly from Monday to Friday evenings, with 26 members, all of whom are Nung ethnic minority people.

Teacher Than Van Tua, Director of the Community Learning Centre of Thang Tin Commune, directly leads the class.

To encourage participants, Tua and the village head must knock on every door. The greatest challenges are the villagers’ busy farming schedules, long distances, harsh weather, and language barriers.

Lu Thi Gia, 58, along with many other older learners, has diligently attended the class for more than five months.

The sound of reading and subtraction has become familiar in the village hall.

The literacy class in Coc Mui Ha Village has the participation of Han Seo Chung – a border guard officer of the locality.

Han Seo Chung, an ethnic Mong officer stationed at Thang Tin Border Guard Post, has nearly 26 years of military service and actively supports literacy classes for local villagers.

During each session, Chung and fellow officers patiently and wholeheartedly guide learners through every stroke of writing.

The calloused hands once accustomed to plowing fields and growing corn now carefully shaping each letter stand as proof of the perseverance and aspiration for progress among border-area residents.

Alongside teaching literacy, instructors also take the opportunity to educate villagers on hygiene, eliminate outdated practices, and build a more civilized and progressive way of life.

Pham Hoan