(VOVworld) – Born in the mountain district of Van Yen, Yen Bai province, Ban Thi Khe of Dao ethnicity is determined to raise her children and give them an education. Thua Xuan reports:
Khe Giang commune is mainly inhabited by ethnic minority people, of whom the Dao account for 72%. Life is extremely difficult and the number of poor households is more than half of the total. Khe married in 1984 and has 3 children. Since Khe gave birth to the first child, she told herself to do everything she could to give her children a proper education as a way to escape poverty. Khe said: “Most people in the commune just want their children to marry when they grow up and don’t care much about their education. But I think differently. Learning is the best way to acquire knowledge and understand society.”

Khe said she and her husband have been working hard to support their children’s studies: “Sometimes they are distracted by their friends’ games. When it rains, because of the long distance, they don’t want to go to school. We have to explain to them the disadvantages of our lack of education and even scold them in order to get them go to school.”

Thanks to the couple’s determination, the 3 children all attended universities. The eldest son studied at the Thai Nguyen Agriculture University and is now an official in charge of land-related issues in the commune. The second son, after graduating from Hanoi’s Culture University, is now vice chairman of Phinh Ho commune, Tram Tau district. And the youngest is now in his last year at the Thai Nguyen Medical School.

Khe’s family now earns approximately 5,000 USD a year from growing cinnamon and raising pigs. They have built a house. They have set a good example for others in the commune to follow. Dang Thi Mui of Dai Son commune said: “Mrs. Khe is very friendly. I’ve learned a lot from her experience in growing cinnamon and raising pigs and encourage my children to continue their studies to support themselves in the future.”

With grown children and stable economic circumstances Khe now has more time to join social activities. She is now President of the commune’s women’s union. Khe has been passing her experience in raising children, developing the household economy, and building a happy family to other women through meetings and art performances. She has coordinated with social organizations to persuade women to donate land and contribute in other ways to the new rural development program. Ban Phuc Minh, Party Secretary of Dai Son commune, said: “Mrs. Khe has done very well the tasks assigned to her by the local Party committee and government. She has persuaded members of the women’s union to adopt models to boost the economy, reduce poverty, practice thrift, and give their children an education.”

Khe said her children having a good education and stable jobs is her greatest reward.