(VOVWORLD) - More than 3,500 kindergarten children in the northern mountainous province of Son La have benefited from two community projects, called “Bringing up children in Moc Chau” and “Happiness for children”. The projects were initiated by young police officer Duong Hai Anh, who was honored as one of the Vietnam Outstanding Young Faces of 2022.
 Lieutenant Duong Hai Anh and Vi Tuong Lai’s family. (Photo: VOV) |
Lieutenant Duong Hai Anh has made frequent visits to schools in Son La’s border districts to help the local children.
After graduating from the People’s Police Academy in 2019, Hai Anh was assigned to work at the Moc Chau district police station. During his patrols to villages, Hai Anh saw that the local children went to school carrying only rice and salt for their meals. He came up with the idea of giving the children a healthier lunch, and the project “Bringing up children in Moc Chau” began in January, 2021.
“I felt so sorry to see that the local children didn’t have good meals. I decided to do something to help them,” said Hai Anh.
Multiple organizations and individuals have joined the project, providing lunches to more than 3,500 local kindergarten children in the past 2 years. This has encouraged more children to go to school.
“The project has helped us a lot, encouraging parents to get their children to go to school. Now 100% of the local children attend school,” said Ms. Dang Thi Hai Luyen, a teacher at Pha Luong school.
Realizing that the children still had to study in schools with poor facilities, Hai Anh launched a second project called “Happiness for children,” which builds schools and houses and provides the children with warm clothes, blankets, books, and toys. Ms. Lo Thi Loi, the grandmother of Vi Tuong Lai in Long Sap commune, said now they live in a new house, thanks to the project.
“The house was built with the support of the Youth Union of Son La province’s police force. We are so happy,” said Ms. Loi.
 Lieutenant Duong Hai Anh joins many voluntary trips to disadvantaged areas. (Photo: VOV) |
The project “Happiness for children” has built 5 houses and 14 schools in 5 districts in Son La province. The two projects have cost approximately 450,000 USD. Son La has more than 14,000 children in need, Hai Anh said.
"In the coming months, I plan to duplicate the project 'Happiness for children' in other disadvantaged districts. There are at least 40 schools in Son La province that need to be rebuilt. As one of the Vietnam Outstanding Young Faces, I feel very proud and will continue to perform good deeds,” he said.
Hai Anh also received the National Volunteer Award in 2021 and the Prime Minister’s certificate of merit in the movement of learning and following the moral example of President Ho Chi Minh in 2022, and was one of 50 people to receive the “Exemplary Good Deed Award” in 2022.