Over the past few years, the Trade Union of the Faculty of Civil and Industrial Engineering, Hanoi University of Civil Engineering, has implemented many meaningful charitable activities aimed at the community, which have been recognized and highly appreciated. As part of the series of activities commemorating the 40th anniversary of Vietnamese Teachers' Day on November 20, 2022, with the aim of sharing the difficulties with colleagues and students in mountainous areas, the Executive Committee of the Trade Union of the Faculty of Civil and Industrial Engineering launched the "School for Children" program, hoping to bring a significant and meaningful gift to teachers and children at Lung Cao School, Giap Trung commune, Bac Me district, Ha Giang province.

In a short time, the program received enthusiastic support from faculty members in the Department and the University, the Hanoi University of Civil Engineering Staff Football Club, and businesses inside and outside the university. In addition, the program's success would not have been possible without the support of the leaders of Bac Me district, the People's Committee of Giap Trung commune, the local people, the teachers and students at the school, and especially the connection made by the staff of the Ha Giang Development Bank.

Representatives of the staff and teachers from Giap Trung Primary School and Hanoi University of Civil Engineering.
Together with the students at the handover ceremony.

Giap Trung Commune, Bac Me District, Ha Giang Province has 14 school locations, among which Lung Cao School is the most difficult and remote, bordering Cao Bang Province. The school has approximately 100 preschool, kindergarten, and first and second grade students, all of whom are H'Mong ethnic minority. Many children have to walk about an hour to get to class if the weather is dry, so they gather at the school from Sunday afternoon to be ready for Monday morning classes. This school was built a long time ago and is severely dilapidated. The classrooms leak; the walls and ceilings are peeling; the windows and doors are broken; the equipment is rudimentary;… When Mr. Nguyen Viet Bac, Deputy Director of the Ha Giang Development Bank, introduced this school location, representatives from the Civil Engineering and Construction Department visited the school to conduct a survey and propose solutions to help the school in the most practical way, ensuring that the students have decent learning facilities and age-appropriate playgrounds.

During the renovation process, despite facing many difficulties, representatives from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Construction, along with the construction unit, held meetings and devised a reasonable solution to overcome the problems. After about three months, the school had a new look; the damaged fiber cement roof was replaced with a corrugated iron roof; the plaster layers were removed and reapplied; all classroom doors and windows were repaired and repainted; and a children's playground was installed.

The classroom building after its roof was reinforced.

130%"> The joy of the students at Lung Cao School

On February 18, 2023, the Handover Minutes for the Lung Cao School project were signed between four parties: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Anh Tuan - Deputy Head of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, representing the sponsor; Mr. Dang Van Dau - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Giap Trung Commune, representing Giap Trung Commune; Ms. Tran Thi Duyen - Secretary of the Party Branch, Principal of Giap Trung Ethnic Boarding Primary School, representing the school; and Mr. Nguyen Van Tam - representative of the construction unit. Through speeches at the handover ceremony, Mr. Mai Van Toe - Member of the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee, representing Bac Me District, and Mr. Vu Anh Tuan - representative of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, also agreed to continue supporting schools facing difficulties and lacking teaching and learning equipment.

Representatives from the units signed the handover minutes.

We hope that the "School for Children" volunteer program of the Faculty of Civil and Industrial Construction will not only be meaningful gifts for the teachers and students of Lung Cao school but also a foundation to ignite dreams and aspirations, helping teachers and students overcome difficulties and achieve even greater success in teaching and learning. The image of the adorable and charming children, the future of the Giap Trung countryside, will always remain in the hearts of our entire team, and this is also the motivation for the Faculty of Civil and Industrial Construction to continue promoting volunteer activities, sharing with colleagues, and helping students in areas still facing many difficulties and shortages.