No one could imagine that there, in HCM City, exists a school which students have to spend one hour reaching by rocky boat. There, in the schools, books are really luxury items.

There, in the schools, books are really luxury items

The guards at Border Post No 554 were so happy when they saw people from the mainland visiting them. Le Quoc Dung, a border guard, told us that the way we have gone is the way students go everyday to reach their classes.

In Thanh An island commune, where there is no high school, students have to go to the high school in the centre of Can Gio district. Every day, ferry-boats bring students from the island to the school on the mainland in the morning, and then bring them back to the island in the afternoon. This is the itinerary of students when the sea is calm. Meanwhile, in bad weather with strong waves, they have to spend two hours reaching the school.

Bringing books to students

There, in Thieng Lieng hamlet, border guards have opened classes, gathering 40 children, and a class to eliminate illiteracy.

Though local residents having been living in great difficulties, they have still been trying to cross the sea to seek knowledge.

Eager for books

Thanh An island commune proves to be one of the poorest communes in HCM City. It bears a lot of natural calamities.

The commune was the place which witnessed the severe devastation of Durian typhoon in 2006. Local residents have been earning their living by making salt and coastal fishing; therefore, they still have a lot of difficulties. Small children, after school hours, have to help their parents catch fish.

The hard life of local residents has made books luxury items for them.

Truong Huu Phuoc, Headmaster of Thanh An Secondary School, said that the school now has 300 students and 30 teachers. Phuoc said the school is now seriously lacking classrooms, laboratories and function rooms. Especially, it is seriously lacking books for both students and teachers.

A lot of families there do not have money to purchase textbooks for their children. For the last many years, the school has called on students to pass their textbooks to the next generations. However, students there still do not have books.

Thuy, the woman who helped us transfer 5,000 books donated by the HCM City Entrepreneurs’ Association under the OneBook project initiated by SachHay.com, related that students here have to purchase books by installment, with prices of up to VND100,000/set of books. However, they always have to wait several months to get books, which are carried out from the mainland.

We spent one day in Thanh An island commune, and then the ship brought us back to the mainland. Just one day made us understand the value of books and knowledge.

VietNamNet/DT