A book shelf in the library. Photos: SGGP

Nguyen Van Phap, born in 1980 in Binh Thanh Village in Nghia Hanh District, has collected over 14,000 books for the library in the village which is a double-story in the vast field. Books are classified into different subjects including history, economic, foreign languages, reference books and picture stories. Library classification should help in finding the most helpful place among the existing collection of the library.

All books have been bought by Phap or donated by his relatives and friends.

Local pupils can borrow in seven days gratis. Phap has been working in the Central City of Da Nang and returned his hometown on Saturday or Sunday; therefore, his mother helps him to arrange books to give books to pupils.

His double story house is converted into library in the vast field.

He shared that he himself likes reading books; therefore, he expects children in the village can enjoy good things from books. When he was a high schooler, he usually borrowed books from the school library but the local high school still suffered from a great shortage of books; as a result, he had to hire books. When in university in Ho Chi Minh City, he worked as a part- time employee in a book store helping him to satisfy his passion for books.

After graduating from a university in Belgium, he came back Vietnam to work in a company in HCMC. He often returned his hometown to reunite with his relatives. He decided to bring all his books to open a library to create the possibility for children and adults in his hometown to access books.

In 2016, he built a double story house near his parents’ house to accommodate all his books which is named “Library in Dao Village”. Simultaneously, he presented boats to each household in the village to travel in flooding season. His mom, Le Thi Son is delighted at his deed as children in the village hardly pursue education as they are all from low-income families.

Local pupils are reading book in Phap's library.

Phap also bought six computer sets to teach local pupils computer technology. He expected children to learn the technology at young age to develop their computer skills.

Additionally, he gives schoolbags, books and textbooks and confectioneries to pupils in rural district and gift poor families. He received a certificate of merit from the government office in April, 2020 for his contribution to library development in the locality. Chairman of the People’s Committee in Quang Ngai Province also presented a certificate of merit to him on December 19, 2020 for his good deed.

SGGP

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