Current Viet Nam Projects
Students pitch in, literally, in construction of Minors’ water system at a boarding school in the mountains of Dien Bien province, serving primarily children from Thai and Mien (Dao) ethnic minority communities.
Among the many challenges for students from the most remote villages in the northern mountains, the greatest obstacles to learning are lack of blankets and warm clothing in winter and for much of the school year, lack of water. A ninth-grade student from Lai Chau, in a letter to Minors, summed up the water situation at her school very well:
"We were born and raised in hardships in mountainous areas where most of our homes are far from school so we have to board at the school. The lives of more than 200 boarding students face many hardships, especially getting water for day to day use.
When we do not have water, we have to walk a kilometer to bring buckets of water back to cook, clean pots and dishes wash clothes, and sometimes we even have to share a gulp of water with each other. Some of my friends cannot take the hardship so they dropped out of school."
Many schools where we implement projects in Dien Bien and Ha Giang provinces face water shortages due to a lack of storage tanks and lack of clean water. Our chief priority these days is addressing this problem.
Students arrive at school carrying water from home under the welcome sign - "Mỗi ngày đến trường là một niềm vui"- "Going to school everyday is a joy"
Primary and Middle school students arrive at their schools in the morning bringing water from home.
Kindergarten and primary teachers lug water up a steep incline from the well tank nearest the school.
Various ways for schools to get water, a time-consuming task
Primary students patiently await their turn to contribute water brought from home, now a daily morning ritual at Muong Bang Commune School, in Tua Chua District, Dien Bien Province, and many schools in Ha Giang.
Sometimes water is collected drip by drip, as here at a gravity flow system near a primary school in Ha Giang in the dry season.
Description of Benefits
Provided by Project in 2023 - 2024
Water Purifiers
Before Minors' Support
With Minors' Support
At many schools where we implement projects, a drink of water is not so easy to come by for students, especially those who board.
As there is no storage, water has to be fetched daily, usually into less than sterile containers, carried back to school, to be boiled, fueled by a fire fed by sticks and branches and corn stalks, also fetched by the students from afar. All of which is not only risky from injury on slippery trails, but also takes hours from study or play time.
These units come in various sizes, and cost between 300 - 600 USD each, and have proven so far to be efficient and easy to maintain, and now children at these schools, when thirsty, just go have a drink. An unheard of luxury prior to this support.
Those most recently benefiting from provision of water purifiers at 7 schools in 5 districts of Ha Giang, are 2,929 students and their teachers of these highland ethnic minorities:
Hmong (Mong), Dao (Mien), Tay, Nung and Po Y.
Water Storage Tanks
Primary students welcome delivery of Minors’ water tank, now placed above the latrines at this boarding school.
A large number of schools still are without adequate water sources, and still bring in their own by what ever means available; here a teacher brings water to the school as students arrive in the morning.
Prior to having storage tank for water, students were unable to rinse and clean well their lunch trays.
Hygiene and health of students improve in many ways once more water is available.
Kindergarten students line up gleefully to wash their hands with water from their school's new storage tank.
Minors funds provided for the purchase and delivery of water storage tanks at schools in 15 communes, of 6 districts in Dien Bien and Ha Giang provinces.
Those benefiting from provision of these water tanks are 6,176 students and their teachers of these highland ethnic minorities: Hmong (Mong), Thai, Xa Phang, Dao (Mien), Tay, Nung and Po Y.
Food Raising
Garden tools provided by Minors are also used by students to lay water pipe near their school.
But even the old systems, here a cement tank provided by Minors 5 years ago is still on the job, above. Students know well how to conserve and cherish the water they do have, one rarely sees much waste. After washing up, water is recycled for watering garden vegetables, planted in every nook and cranny around the school and dorms.
Above, classrooms are hemmed in by vegetable gardens, taking up play areas where level land is scarce. Level ground is a rarity at most remote mountain schools; every bit is utilized.
This past school year Minors supported 4 Food Raising projects at schools in East Dien Dien, benefiting 1,387 highland ethnic minority boarding students from Hmong, Kho Mu, Lao and Thai villages.
Clothing
