Another September is coming, another back-to-school season for students. Although I have passed the school age for a long time, but every time this season comes, I feel happy as if I was going back to those unfamiliar days to school. This school year, I have the opportunity to visit Son Hai Primary and Secondary School, Son Ha, Quang Ngai province, to visit and organize the Open Ceremony of Toilet project for elementary students here.
Early in the morning, when there were a few people doing exercise, people was preparing their business, the whole city seemed to be still quiet, I and the Microtec Danang team represented Sen Fund gathered to start the day. Joining with us is Mr. Son, one of the generous sponsors of the project; the 200km route became shorter on the straight highway, September sunlight crept through the car door, predicting a sultry golden morning. It took us less than 4 hours to reach our destination, Son Hai School.
That day was the first gathering day of the school after the long summer vacation, welcoming us were the surprised and strange eyes of the little children here. Mr. Phuc, the team leader, quickly greeted the Headmaster, and visited the Toilet block that had just been finished and cleaned a few days ago. We divided into 2 teams, in charge of Presenting the Ceremony of the project and Organizing a small party for the elementary students here. Nearly 300 students were lined up neatly in the front of the schoolyard under the huge trees shading them.
When I heard the teacher saying “students” –“keep silence”, I burst out laughing. Recalling the times when I was a child, the days I brought my schoolbag back to school, I realized I was really lucky to be able to study in such a small, well-equipped school. “To put yourself in somebody’s shoes” – this means that only when we put ourselves in that situation do we realize how it is. Imagine not having a private toilet, going to the Acacia forest nearby, or going nearly 250 meters to the junior high school’s place, we felt worried and sorry for those students. Despite of the difficulties, the children still showed a big smile, all dressed green pants and white t-shirts and received our packages of sweets. The words “Thank you Sir, thank you Miss”, which echoed throughout the whole yard, made us feel happy and appreciate the reliable and great significance of the construction work for the school. We hope that the children will study and improve themselves in a comfortable and clean educational environment so that they can develop themselves and bring greater contributions to their homeland.
On this occasion, we also gave gifts to poor families with 11 children and Mother whom we had visited before. The road became crooked and the sun was hotter at 11 noon. With the support of the village chief and the oldest daughter in the family, we crossed a fairy fast-flowing stream with self-assembled wooden boats. Although the road was winding and we had to walk up the narrow slope for nearly 25 minutes, those smiley faces of the guide teachers helped the team arrive early and give gifts to the family.
The small house is full of laughter and kind greetings to the mother and the children. We really hope that these young faces will grow up to be well-round people and always love each other.
Goodbye to the school and small family, we returned with the joy of helping and sharing. But thee most lingered thing to me was probably the image of the children washing their hands happily at the new washbasin, as well as the bright eyes full of energy of the eldest daughter in the family as she led us to the house, they are the young generation who will surely light up our future.
