For nearly six years now, the grounds of Huong Lan Pagoda in Dong Son, Chuong My, Hanoi, have been a place of learning for people with disabilities.
Every Saturday and Sunday morning, Mr. Hoang Van Thu (66 years old) brings his daughter Hoang Thi Ha (24 years old), who was exposed to Agent Orange, to the hope class at Huong Lan Pagoda, whatever the weather. “My child has been studying for three years, still only in grade 1, but I still want to bring her here because it helps her find joy in life”, Mr. Thu said.
Ha, Mr. Thu’s daughter, finds it very difficult to move around. She has to use two small wooden stools to get into class, but she always tries hard not to miss a single session.
Ms. Le Thi Hoa (a teacher at Dong Son Primary School, Chuong My) founded this charity class. She said: “At first, I opened the class with a few children with disabilities in the village, right at my own home, and then more and more children from elsewhere came to ask to study”. On one occasion, while visiting Huong Lan Pagoda, she saw that the pagoda had spacious, cool grounds, so she asked the abbot, Thich Dam Lien, to let the class study there, and the abbot happily agreed.
Retired teacher Do Thi Nhan (57 years old) also teaches for free. As soon as she finished working at Dong Son Primary School, she joined in teaching here. “Seeing the difficulties and hardships the children face in learning to read and write fills me with sorrow. With the health I have left, I will try to help the children”, Ms. Nhan said, moved.
Elderly teacher Tran Thi Thoa (60 years old) has helped many children gradually gain more awareness and learn to read and write. Ms. Thoa said: “As long as the children can read a passage or do a sum, I already feel very happy”.
Besides children with autism, intellectual disabilities, Agent Orange exposure…, some children from families in difficult circumstances, such as Truong Anh Phuong (7 years old, in white), also join the class.
Nguyen Van Trung (20 years old) is doing a sum with counting sticks. Both Trung and his mother have intellectual disabilities and are looked after by an uncle who is now nearly 70 years old.
The teachers hope that the class can continue for as long as possible and increase from two sessions to three sessions a week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Can Thi Khue (20 years old) is studying the grade 5 programme and is the pupil who has made the most progress in the class. The teachers are worried about where Khue will go to school next year when she moves up to grade 6, and whether she will keep up with her friends. Khue confided that she wants to study further to become a teacher.
To achieve such learning results, it is all down to the efforts of the pupils themselves and the enthusiasm and dedication of the three teachers. The abbot, Thich Dam Lien, said: “I hope the children and the teachers can keep the class going for even longer”. The Dong Son Commune charity class was established in 2007 with six pupils. Today, the class has 59 pupils aged from 6 to 31. Of these, 36 are able to learn, while the rest come here for recreation.
Le Hong Thai – http://doisong.vnexpress.net