Háng Á village is located in a remote mountainous highland area, where residents continue to face significant challenges due to harsh weather conditions, frequent landslide risks, and a high poverty rate. The village has 117 households, including 78 classified as poor, 4 as near-poor, and the remainder as households that have only recently escaped poverty. Prior to 2024, the access road to the village remained incomplete, and neither mobile phone coverage nor connection to the national power grid was available, posing serious challenges to daily life as well as to children’s education.
Situated more than 320 kilometers from Hanoi, the journey to Háng Á is arduous, involving steep, slippery mountain passes and sections where soil had to be dug and rocks cleared to open a path. The Háng Á Kindergarten (under Hoa Huệ Kindergarten), is located in this area and currently serves the educational needs of children in the village.
Háng Á before construction.
Since 2013, children in the hamlet had only been able to study in one temporary prefabricated classroom and one borrowed room at the Community House. All classrooms had deteriorated severely, failed to meet educational standards, and were unable to accommodate children under three years of age, despite high demand. At present, 82 preschool children attend the site across three class groups: nursery, ages 3–4, and ages 4–5. All students are children of the H’Mông ethnic minority.
The first stones were laid, forming a solid foundation for the new school site.
Despite numerous obstacles related to weather conditions and road landslides…local residents persevered and contributed their efforts to building a foundation for education.
The road leading into Háng Á village.
On December 6, SEN Charity, the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank), and sponsors collaborated with the Khao Mang Commune People’s Committee to organize the inauguration ceremony of the Háng Á Kindergarten. The project not only carries profound humanitarian value but also opens better educational opportunities for children in this especially disadvantaged village.
Háng Á Kindergarten overview.
After more than six months of construction, delayed by severe weather and landslides, the project was successfully completed and inaugurated amid the joy of students, teachers, and local residents. The new campus is spacious, clean, and modern, fully equipped to serve learning needs and to function as a community focal point for the hamlet. The facility includes 3 classrooms for 82 preschool children, as well as:
- A kitchen providing nutritious meals for students
- A dedicated rest room for teachers, allowing them to focus on teaching with greater peace of mind
- A solar power system and Internet connectivity
- Separate sanitary facilities and essential educational equipment
Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the inauguration of the Háng Á Kindergarten.
The new school campus—spacious, clean, modern, and fully equipped.
In parallel with the ceremony, SEN Charity was honored to accompany a team of volunteer doctors from Military Central Hospital 108 in providing medical examinations, health consultations, and free medication to students, teachers, and parents in the hamlet. This meaningful activity contributed to community healthcare, particularly in an area with limited access to medical services.
Medical staff coordinated to provide free health check-ups and medication to all students, teachers, parents, and local residents at the new school site.
Additionally, SEN Charity, Vietcombank, and project sponsors presented 82 gift packages to 82 children, bringing joy and encouragement on this special occasion. The school also received essential support items, including a refrigerator, television, bookcases, and other practical equipment, helping to improve both living and learning conditions for teachers and students alike.
Leaders of Vietcombank and the SEN Foundation present the sponsorship plaque to the school and local authorities.
Each completed project represents a doorway to the future for children in highland areas. Following the construction of the school site, access roads have improved, and mobile phone coverage and solar electricity are now available, enabling teachers and students to enjoy significantly better living and learning conditions. This marks an important step toward improving the quality of life for the entire village.
Traditional cultural performances at the inauguration ceremony.
SEN Charity extends its sincere gratitude to local authorities, sponsors, volunteers, medical teams, and all compassionate individuals who have accompanied us on this journey to provide educational opportunities and healthcare for the children of Háng Á. The project embodies not only material value but also profound spiritual significance. Sharing love and connecting communities—no matter how distant their origins—can still blossom amid the harsh mountain landscape.
From this point forward, the school will be the place where children born among white clouds and rocky mountains begin their educational journey in the light of hope—a light that SEN Charity has helped to kindle.
We wish the students here continued diligence and academic success, and that each day at school may be filled with joy and hope.
Content: Nguyễn Thị Thuý Quỳnh | Translator: Đào Phương Anh
