Vietnamese soldiers provide writing boards, pens, and notebooks to the Banpa Primary School in celebration of International Children's Day. (Photo: Anh Huyen)

Life in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp – home to over 120,000 people affected by conflict in South Sudan – is a stark reminder of the hardships local children endure every day.

Banpa Primary School, one of only four functioning schools in the IDP area, serves over 2,200 students. Yet it has just 11 makeshift classrooms built from corrugated metal and wood – no doors, no fans, no lights – only a blackboard for the teacher and a few benches where students squeeze together to learn.

Facing these challenges, the officers and staff of Vietnam’s Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 6, currently serving under the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan, organized activities to mark International Children’s Day.

The Vietnamese peacekeepers provide sanitizing solution and soap, to teachers and students at Banpa Primary School. (Photo: Anh Huyen)

Along with essential school supplies like blackboards, pens, and notebooks, the Vietnamese military peacekeepers also presented 250 gift packages to outstanding students. Though modest, these gifts brought great encouragement to young learners growing up in hardship.

“We highly appreciate the support activities by the Vietnamese peacekeeping forces in South Sudan, especially your valuable contributions to our country’s educational efforts. This support is truly meaningful, giving children access to knowledge and helping them learn to read and write. Thank you for your assistance,” Gabriel Gatduel, Principal of Banpa Primary School, said.

The support didn’t stop there. Amid a cholera outbreak in the IDP camp, the Vietnamese team also provided sanitizing solution and soap, and conducted hygiene training sessions for teachers and students.

Lack of clean water, food, healthcare, and education has been a chronic problem here.

Second Lieutenant Do Thi Dieu Huyen, the youngest female officer of the Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 6, shared her deep empathy with the children growing up amid dust, scorching heat, and flimsy shelters.

Most have no shoes and no school bags, and many have never seen a picture book or coloring set. Children’s Day is virtually unknown to them. That’s why Huyen and her colleagues have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the kids.

“The greatest reward we receive is seeing the children smile. Even a little joy means a lot. That’s what motivates us to keep fulfilling our mission,” said Huyen.

Children’s Day is celebrated for African kids at an IDP camp in South Sudan. (Photo: Anh Huyen)

As of May 2025, Vietnam had deployed 1,100 officers and personnel to peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Abyei, and at UN Headquarters.

They are performing a noble task in some of the world’s most desperate humanitarian hotspots. The Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 6 stands out – not just for medical expertise, but for spreading peace and compassion.

Major General Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, said, “Vietnam’s field hospitals have consistently received high praise from UN leaders and colleagues. We’ve proven our professionalism and deep commitment to all assignments.”

In the sweltering, harsh terrain of Africa, the presence of Vietnamese peacekeepers continues to ignite hope and bring smiles to the eyes of South Sudanese children.