This morning, we visited a school library in an ethnic minority area. The school has 136 students, all from minority communities, studying from grade 6 to 9. Two years ago, a new library was built with joint support from Thiện Chí and the community. They each contributed 50%, for a total of 30 million đồng. In addition, Thiện Chí finances 10 scholarships for students in this school.
The library itself is a simple green iron-sheet room, while many of the books are stored in another space. Teachers explained that they would like to further develop the library by adding computers, so students could access a broader range of online resources. Each year on April 21st, it’s Book Day, and all students spend the day reading wherever they like on the school grounds.
In this zone, there are two primary schools and one secondary school, each with a few scholarships supported by Thiện Chí (10 in each primary school and 3 in the secondary one). Once children finish primary school, they attend secondary school at a boarding facility far away, returning home only once every six months. At the primary level, they also receive three hours of English per week.
After the school visit, we spent time with families living in the same area. The recent heavy rains had flooded roads and house entrances, making access more difficult.
First family:
This household includes four members: a mother and her three children, aged 14, 10, and 4. The oldest daughter has a disability since birth and cannot speak. The father passed away in a motorbike accident. With no agricultural land, the family depends mainly on daily labor for income. Their house was partly built with the support of Thiện Chí, which contributed 12 million đồng of the total 50 million cost, while relatives provided doors and wooden beams. During our visit, the mother was absent, and because of the daughter’s disability, we could not exchange much information.
Second family:
This family consists of five members: parents and three children. One child attends school thanks to a scholarship, while another does not go to school. The mother stays home to take care of the children, including one who has a serious disability. The father and one son work as day laborers. Every month, the family also receives 300,000 đồng from a private donor, connected to a friend of Thiện Chí. Previously, they had borrowed money for dragon fruit farming, but due to poor conditions, they had to stop cultivation. This means they were unable to fully repay Thiện Chí, so no further loans are being provided at this stage.
Third family:
To reach this home, we had to walk barefoot through floodwater at the entrance. The household has four members: husband, wife, the wife’s younger brother (a grade 11 student), and a child in grade 1. They have been borrowing from Thiện Chí for three years under the revolving loan system. Each round lasts about 5–6 months, and with each successful repayment, their loan amount increases. They started with 3 million đồng, gradually increasing to 10 million, which is the maximum. This capital is used to invest in agriculture and livestock, with the aim of improving their economy. They currently maintain 200 dragon fruit trees (3–4,000 đồng/kg), 100 cashew trees (30,000 đồng/kg), and nine goats on land belonging to the grandfather.
Leticia