Lighting up the future for poor students in border areas

Meeting Lang Anh Khoa (Thai ethnic group, Ia Lop commune) for the first time at Ea H'leo Border Guard Station, few people can imagine the difficulties he has had to go through. Khoa lost his father at an early age, his mother went to work far away, so he had to live with his elderly grandparents. At the age of "not yet full of food and not yet worried about life", Khoa had to spend most of his time catching crabs and snails, helping his grandparents earn a living. A life of deprivation in all aspects made Khoa thin, quiet, and often alone.

Border guards talk and encourage border students to try hard in their studies.

The turning point in Khoa's life came in 2022, when the Ea H'leo Border Guard Station decided to adopt him under the "Adopted Child of the Border Guard Station" program. From then on, he moved to the unit's Field Work Team to live; Professional military Major Pham Xuan Thuy, Deputy Captain of the Mass Mobilization Team, became his second father, wholeheartedly taking care of and teaching him from the smallest things. Khoa was given priority by his fathers to buy equipment, school supplies, new clothes, and to instruct him wholeheartedly, often correcting and talking to him. It was the soldiers' care, caress and loving education that helped him gradually open up, become sociable and polite. From a weak student, Khoa has risen to achieve average results and has more determination and will to achieve higher results in the 2025-2026 school year.

Not only Lang Anh Khoa, many other students in the border areas of the province have also been empowered by the arms of soldiers. For example, Y Kham Tra Nie Kdam (student of Vo Thi Sau Secondary School, Buon Don Commune) has been sponsored by Bo Heng Border Guard Station since 2024. Nay La Ly Ta Eban and Gia Bao Nie (students of Y Jut Primary School, Buon Don Commune) have been supported since 2021 in the project "Army officers and soldiers help children go to school". Nay La Ly Ta Eban shared: "My family is very poor. Since being sponsored by the soldiers, my studies have been more favorable."

Supporting students is not only limited to individuals, but has become a major policy for many years. In the new school year 2025 - 2026, the Provincial Military Command has deployed agencies and units to provide funding to support food, transportation, school supplies, and essential needs for 416 students in land and sea border communes through projects and programs.

According to the Project “Army Officers and Soldiers Helping Children Go to School”, 349 ethnic minority students are supported with a budget of 7.4 million VND/year from the State budget. According to the program “Helping Children Go to School” and the program “Godmother”, 63 students are supported with a budget of 500,000 VND/month, implemented by the border guards. According to the program “Adopted Children of Border Guard Station”, 4 children are adopted and supported with food and accommodation at the border guard station.

Professional military major Pham Xuan Thuy guides his adopted son in his studies.

Along with implementing the general policy, many units have also proactively called on and mobilized benefactors to give meaningful gifts to children at the beginning of the new school year. For example, Ea H'leo Border Guard Station mobilized support for 10 bicycles for disadvantaged students of Cam Ba Thuoc Primary School and Nguyen Trai Primary School; Battalion 85 (Regiment 888) coordinated with Phu Yen Ward Youth Union to give gifts and sponsor 3 students with difficult circumstances in the ward with the hope that they would have the motivation to overcome difficulties and try hard in their studies...

Major Nguyen Phi Lanh, Deputy Political Commissar of Ea H'leo Border Guard Station, shared: "We not only hope that the students will have more opportunities to study, but also want to become relatives, make up for their emotional shortcomings, and help them have more faith in life. Each student who successfully overcomes difficulties is a great joy and a motivation for the unit to continue spreading these meaningful actions."

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202509/thap-sang-tuong-laicho-hoc-sinh-ngheo-o-vung-bien-6a1211b/