Community Service

One of the most significant challenges that students from the Highlands face is a need for accommodation, which makes it difficult for them to attend school. The majority of H'mong students currently attend schools in Son Thinh Commune, Van Chan District, Yen Bai Province, where 96 out of 654 students attend Son Thinh High School and 74 out of 665 students attend Son Thinh Secondary School. However, due to geographic constraints, poor economic situations, and a lack of transportation, some students require secure housing in order to attend class without disruption. The project aims to build and expand a housing system near the school for approximately 40 - 50 local H'Mong students. A total of 118,56 m2 of land will be designated as priority space for classrooms and bedrooms. The project is divided into 2 phases: Academic Year 2023 - 2024 and Academic Year 2024 - 2025.

In accordance with the 2018 MoET Program, implemented during the 2020 academic year, Information Technology has been added as an elective subject in grades 1 through 2 and a compulsory subject in grades 3 and above. However, most schools in the mountainous areas of Yen Bai Province have not yet been equipped with computers. It creates inadequacies and difficulties for local students to access this subject. As part of the "Access the Knowledge Network" project, 4 schools in the area will be supported with a system of 20 PCs will be installed at each school to assist the school's IT department in meeting the demands of learning and gaining access to technology, while also providing students with an appropriate environment for technological learning.

One of the most significant challenges that students from the Highlands face is a lack of accommodation, which makes it difficult for them to attend school. The majority of H'mong students currently attend schools in Son Thinh Commune, Van Chan District, Yen Bai Province, where 96 out of 654 students attend Son Thinh High School and 74 out of 665 students attend Son Thinh Secondary School. However, due to geographic constraints, poor economic situations, and a lack of transportation, some students require secure housing in order to attend class without disruption. The goal of this project is to develop housing for 40 to 50 H'Mong students close to the school. A total of 134.4 m2 of land will be used for the project, 118.56 m2 of which will be designated as priority space for classrooms and bedrooms. The remaining space will be used to build a community living area. In the academic year 2023 - 2024, the project is expected to complete phase 1 with about 30 - 40m2.

The preservation, maintenance, and promotion of traditional cultural beauty is critical for children from ethnic minority communities, including the H'Mong in particular. This is especially important for students at Son Thinh Secondary School and Son Thinh High School because they are the H'Mong people's future. The School is running the "Community House" project alongside the "Strengthen the Present – Create the Future" project, both of which aim to build homes for H'Mong students in Son Thinh Commune, Van Chan District, Yen Bai Province. Using a total of 71.28 m2 of land (over 134.4 m2 for the entire housing project and community living space), the project will include a cafeteria for children and a community living area. After school, students can relax and unwind while also practicing their native songs, dances, and activities.

In accordance with the 2018 MoET Program, implemented during the 2020 academic year, Information Technology has been added as an elective subject in grades 1 through 2 and a compulsory subject in grades 3 and above. However, computers have not yet been provided for students at Tuc Dan Primary & Secondary Ethnic Boarding High School (in Pate Village). The school currently has 989 students, including 431 middle schoolers who require computers in order to pursue information technology. Students are still expected to use the local school's computer lab, which frequently experiences IT issues. As part of the "Conquer the Future – Connect the Knowledge" project, a system of 20 PCs will be installed to assist the school's IT department in meeting the demands of learning and gaining access to technology, while also providing students with an appropriate environment for technological learning.

The lives of ethnic minorities are rendered even more challenging by inadequate transportation infrastructure and hazardous roadways. The ethnic group faces risks in their daily lives in Ta Chu Village, Phinh Ho Commune, Tram Tau District, Yen Bai Province, due to insufficient transportation and steep, hazardous, slippery, and dangerous roads. Thus, it is exceptionally challenging to get to places such as schools and hospitals when floods trigger landslides. For more than 645 students, the daily task of going to school to study comes with several challenges. One could argue that the dangers they face on their way to school contribute to any difficulties in learning. Therefore, the “Way to School – Way to Dreams” project will assist in funding the construction of around 1 km of concrete road on the most dangerous rocky slope in Ta Chu Village. This initiative will make it easier for local residents and students to get around and reduce traffic hazards as a result.

The Na Co Sa ethnic minority day-boarding school, located in Na Co Sa commune, Nam Po district, Dien Bien province, currently has nearly 600 students. Most of the students here attend the school as boarders because the distance from their homes to the school is usually between 4-10km. However, the current facilities of the school can only accommodate 2/3 of the total number of students. Therefore, only those who live more than 4km away from the school are eligible to attend the boarding school. In order to support those who do not satisfy the above conditions, the project has been implemented to construct multi-purpose rooms and dormitories in the local church's hostel (less than 2km from the school) so that they have a place to stay and can commute to school more easily each day. The multi-purpose rooms are also a common area, serving to enhance the spiritual life of the local community through activities such as reading books and performing arts.

According to the 2018 Education Program, which has be applied from the 2020 school year, computer science has become an elective course in Grades 1-2 and a compulsory course in Grade 3. Nevertheless, the Na Co Sa ethnic minority day-boarding school in Na Co Sa Commune, Nam Po District, Dien Bien Province, lacks the required machinery and equipment to teach computer science. The students at the institution have no access to actual training and may only study theory from textbooks. The project is expected to support the school by investing in computer rooms and equipping them with computers for learning purposes, in order to ensure practical conditions for the students.

Over 800 pupils are now enrolled in Na Co Sa 3 Kindergarten, which is comprised of 30 classrooms. Nonetheless, the school lacks sufficient infrastructure, with wooden boards and tin roofs for classrooms. The spaces between the wooden planks allow frigid air to enter the rooms. Owing to a scarcity of classrooms, pupils must study in improvised locations. The project to construct new classrooms for the Na Co Sa 3 Kindergarten will help students study in modern, spacious classrooms equipped with essential learning equipment, which will assist students in studying more successfully and have a better educational experience.

Dien Bien Province is home to the impoverished Na Co Sa Commune, which is populated exclusively by the H'mong ethnicity. During the rainy season, children from this region must travel 4-10 kilometers over treacherous and mountainous dirt roads to attend their schools. This project aims to expand and pave 1 km of the road connecting the main road to the school and dormitory, making it easier for students to reach the school.