Although he didn’t know how much food was enough for preschool children or what they would consider delicious, Lieutenant Phang A Mang of the Long Sap Border Guard Station learned to confidently take charge of the kitchen because he was acting as a foster father.  

"At first, it was difficult because I didn’t understand the kids’ portions and how much to serve them. Over time, we learned, researched and put our hearts into it. The children are very little, so we had to figure out how to make the food easy for them to eat, cut the meat into small pieces, finely chop and cook the vegetables to ensure the right portion size and proper nutrition for the children," said Mang. 

The border guard foster fathers are cooking for the children.

Long Sap border guards’ contributions from their salaries to provide lunch for the children are already a valuable gift. But the the act of climbing up the mountain to the school to personally cook and care for the children has been priceless. Lieutenant Mac Van Quan, leader of the mass mobilization team, told VOV: "Being able to provide the children with delicious meals that we cook is truly meaningful. When I see the children eating well, it makes me very happy. Knowing that they are healthy and able to study and grow—this is a great happiness."

Officers and soldiers had to get up at 4 in the morning to prepare breakfast at the border station and bring the meals to the children before their classes start. It was only in the past three years that the Buoc Pat Task Force, which is located near the school, was assigned to cook for the children and switched from preparing breakfast to lunch, so that the children could have a full meal and rest during lunchtime at school.

The Pha Luong school is located in a border area, where people's lives are still difficult

Children are happily enjoying their lunch.

The Buoc Pat school has only one teacher, Tenh Thi Pang Nha, who takes care of more than a dozen preschool children. In this border area, most of the students come from poor families. Without the help of the border guards, teacher Nha wouldn't know how to keep the children engaged with school. She said:

"Before we received the meals provided by the border guards, many children had dropped out of school, and it had been impossible to persuade them to go to school. Now, all the children attend school regularly and no one has dropped out. Without the soldiers' help, it would be incredibly hard for me to take care of the children on my own," said teacher Nha. 

Lieutenant Nguyen Van Manh visits the family of Song A Tua.

Whenever they hear his friendly call and see the familiar solidly-built figure of Lieutenant Nguyen Van Manh, the family of Song A Tua can't hide their joy. Tua, a child from the border hamlet of Pha Luong, Chieng Son commune, has never known his biological father and his mother is mentally ill. Tủa's grandfather, Song A Cau, who has been acting as both a father and grandfather to him for the past 10 years, is now over 90 years old. His eyesight is poor, and his steps are slow. He doesn’t know how many more times he’ll be able to climb the mountain to take Tua to school.

"Tua doesn’t have a father, but he’s very fortunate to have the border guards as his guardians, especially Uncle Mạnh, who treats him like his own child, taking care of him and making sure he goes to school. I know the border guards will support Tua until he finishes 12th grade, so I feel very relieved. I am so grateful to the border guards,"  Tua's grandfather said.

 Foster father Manh has become a special source of support for Tua and his family.  

 "In 2020, when I came to work at the Chieng Son Border Guard Station, I was assigned to the Pha Luong Task Force, responsible for the two villages of Pha Luong and Suoi Thin. The day I went up there, it was raining heavily, and I saw an elderly man and his grandson walking down to school. The grandfather was taking his grandson to school in the pouring rain, struggling hard. They were barefoot, the grandfather’s face was covered in mud, and he looked very weak. So, I decided to take the two of them to school on my motorbike. The dirt road was very slippery, but I made every effort to help them get to school on time," said Manh. 

Having a foster father has made Tua more confident and sociable. Bui Thi Thuong, a teacher at Chieng Son Primary School said: "In past years, Tua had many problems, attended school irregularly and studied poorly. But since being adopted by the border guard station, he has been attending school regularly, and his academic performance has improved. Tua is well cared for, with food to eat and clothes to wear."

Although he can't be with Tủa every day, as a border guard officer has many responsibilities, Lieutenant Manh takes care of him even in small ways. The border guards stationed in Son La consider it a priceless gift to see their foster children wearing the green military uniform, who will  continue the mission of protecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national border security that they have been safeguarding day and night. 

Lia Xuan Ngoc, along with others, is studying and training at the Border Guard Academy.

Attending the Border Guard Academy has been the dream of Lia Xuan Ngoc, a poor student born in 2006 in the border commune of Chieng Tuong, Yen Chau district, Son La province, for 10 years, ever since he became a foster child of the border guard.

Now, as a first-year cadet, Ngoc remembers when he lived and studied with the officers and soldiers of the Chieng Tuong Border Guard Post.  "At the Post, I received attention, love, and guidance from the officers, who advised me to apply to the Border Guard Academy. It all stems from my passion and love for the border guards. I will strive to study and train well so that after graduation, I can contribute my youthful energy to the border, my homeland, my country, and to the Son La Border Guard," said Ngoc. 

Lia Xuan Ngoc, one of the first foster children of the border guards

Lia Xuan Ngoc was one of the first foster children of the border guards when the program was launched in the Sơn La border region 10 years ago. The provincial Border Guard has supported more than 300 students.

Colonel Vu Duc Tu, Deputy Political Commissar of the Son La Border Guard, said: "Carrying out the 'Helping Children Go to School' program and the 'Foster Children of the Border Guard Post' initiative is both a joy and a responsibility. It’s also an honor to work with various sectors, local authorities, and the people who live in the border region. It’s a way for the border guard force to show our gratitude to the people who have stood side by side with us in protecting the nation's border."

 The foster fathers should have been very proud that two of their adopted children have recently passed the entrance exam and are now studying at the Border Guard Academy. And many others are studying at various schools nationwide.

These individuals have beaten the odds with the encouragement and help of the beloved officers and soldiers, who are assuming the dual role of safeguarding national sovereignty and taking care of remote border communities.