Students build school for poor children
Population increase outstrips school building

Hoang Hoa Trung, 29, and his friends have built eight schools that should last for more than 20 years, for students in mountainous areas.

Hoang Hoa Trung, 29, and his friends have built eight schools that should last for more than 20 years, for students in mountainous areas.

The inspiration came from a visit to Bat Trang Pottery Village in Hanoi’s Gia Lam District, where Trung saw many items with slight defects.

This gave him the idea of selling the faulty goods for discount prices to raise money for poor students.

Together with a friend, he visited every house in the village to discuss the plan.

He received overwhelming support from the villagers, and has been collecting faulty pottery for three years to sell for VND10,000 (US$0.4) per item.

The highest amount he raised was during a sale at FPT University where he earned VND6 million ($260).

Not content with one revenue source, Trung found an even less likely way of raising cash.

Passing under Vinh Tuy Bridge one day, he saw a great amount of cow pat so he decided to collect it and sell it to farmers to use as natural fertiliser.

On another occasion, Trung was presented with bags of old clothes which he sold for VND1,000 ($0.04) each.

Trung also had the idea of asking students for scrap from their dormitories, including used paper, pots and pans.

All of this has gradually added up beyond Trung's expectations.

Since 2012, Trung and his friends have built on average a new school each school for minority students in northern mountainous provinces such as Lai Chau and Dien Bien.

This goes to show many small things can add up to something a lot bigger than you think, as long as you have the determination.

VNS