New supplies and furniture arrive at Quang Hanh Kindergarten and Tha Cat Primary schools after flooding. Photo: CWS Vietnam
Heavy rains recently hit northern Vietnam in Quang Hanh district of Quang Ninh province, located near three big coal mines. During the flash flooding, a dam holding back coal residue broke, damaging many homes and the Quang Hanh Kindergarten and Tha Cat Primary schools.
The Quang Hanh kindergarten has around 800 students between the ages of three and five among its main and satellite locations. The remote Tha Cat Primary school has five classes with 130 students. At the height of the rains, all the classrooms and playgrounds in both schools were under about five feet of floodwater and coal slurry mud. The flooding, which happened just two weeks before the new school year started, damaged all the teaching and learning equipment as well as desks and chairs for both teachers and students.
CWS worked closely with the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee to provide 200 chairs and 40 desks for students and five sets of teacher chairs and tables to replace the ones lost. The furniture and supplies were delivered with representatives of Quang Ninh Fatherland Front, the government education and training department and local authorities on hand as well.
Helping children learn is a priority for us on the CWS Vietnam team, and the smiles on the children’s’ faces as their new school supplies were delivered was something to behold. Thanks to these new supplies, students and teachers started the school year on time and with the essential materials needed to help young minds flourish!