Nguyen Thuy Duong, a student from De Gi commune, is sponsored by Cat Khanh border guards. (Photo: Nguyen Thao/VOV)

Nguyen Thuy Duong is a sixth-grade student at Cat Khanh Secondary School in De Gi Commune, Gia Lai province. Everyday after school, Duong rushes back home to make dinner and help her paraplegic father with house work. Their entire livelihood comes from repairing bicycles, which earns them a meager income.  

Last year, the Cat Khanh Border Guard Station in Gia Lai signed up to sponsor Duong as part of a program called “Take the children to school.” Thanks to their support, which includes a sum of 20 USD every month plus food and school supplies, Duong and her father have stayed strong in life. 

“I love them. They funded us and gave me school supplies so I can keep going to school. They even asked if I wanted anything, but the clothes they gave me last year still fit, so I said I will ask for new clothes when I move up a grade,” Duong said. 

Duong is moved by the support from the border guards, which helps her continue her studies. (Photo: Nguyen Thao/VOV)

At Quy Nhon Dong Ward, the Nhon Ly Border Guard Station has adopted eighth grader Tran Thi Huynh Trang. Trang’s father passed away in a traffic accident and her mother, Huynh Thi My Hoa has had to do odd-jobs all year-round to raise her two children. 

Since last year, Trang has been receiving clothes, books, school supplies, and 20 USD every month. The border guard’s support has helped her overcome hardships and motivated her to work hard, with excellent academic performance for many consecutive years.

According to Hoa, “The border guard officers care for us and visit us a lot. We are grateful to them. I told my daughter that working hard is the best way to show gratitude, but also, to prepare for her future. When I told the officers that my daughter got excellent results at school, they were really happy.”

Thanks to financial assistance from Nhon Ly Border Guard Station, Ms. Hoa can keep sending her daughter to school. (Photo: Nguyen Thao/VOV)

Launched in 2016, the program “Take the children to school” has become a pillar of support for disadvantaged students in border areas of Gia Lai province. To date, 77 students in difficult circumstances have been signed up for long-term sponsorship and will continue to receive support until they graduate from high school. In addition to financial support, border guard stations regularly check up on and provide guidance to these children in their study and everyday life.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Nghi, a political officer of the Cat Khanh Border Guard Station, said: “Our unit works closely with local authorities, schools, the children’s homeroom teachers, and families to monitor their academic progress and provide appropriate support. On holidays, the New Year, and at the beginning of new school years, we provide them with school supplies and textbooks. In the 2024-2025 academic years, we raised funds to buy 12 bicycles for the children. Those who graduated have come to us to say “thank you.” 

Over the past 10 years, border guards in Gia Lai province have provided supports for 77 disadvantaged students, many of whom have entered colleges and universities. (Photo: Thanh Binh/VOV)

Among those sponsored, 25 have entered universities and colleges in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hue. The program has strengthened the bond between the border guards and the people, and helped promote the image of the “Uncle Ho’s soldiers,” said Vice Chairman of Quy Nhon Dong Ward People’s Committee, Nguyen Thanh Danh. 

“We greatly appreciate our border guards’ professional, transparent, and sustainable implementation of this program. They don’t just offer financial aid but also mentor and accompany the children. Officers and soldiers are encouraged to donate a day-worth of their salaries to help disadvantaged and orphaned children continue their studies,” Mr. Danh said.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, the Gia Lai Border Guard has presented 193 scholarships under the “Take the children to school” program and 85 gift packages under another initiative called “Border Guard Stations’ foster children” across the border areas of Gia Lai. 

Colonel Doan Ngoc Bau, Political Commissar of the Gia Lai Border Guard Command, said: “In addition to defending our sacred national sovereignty, the border guards also act as father-figures to the children here. In the future, we’ll continue  working closely with families, local authorities, and schools to ensure that more children can safely and confidently go to school. Through these programs, we want to further promote a humanitarian spirit and help disadvantaged children find hope and opportunities to grow.”

The “Take the children to school” program has helped countless children living in poverty continue going to school, who, today, are accompanied by compassionate and dedicated border guard officers and soldiers on a path towards a brighter future.