VietNamNet Bridge – For those of us who bemoan the daily commute to work, spare a thought for the children in Ong Tu and Ka Ooc mountainous villages who must learn to swim before they can go to school.

Children in Ong Tu and Ka Ooc villages in central Quang Binh Province's Trong Hoa Commune have to swim across a local river to school everyday. Life jackets and boats or bridges are needed to ensure safety. (Photo: VNS)

Ho Thuan, a pupil at the school, says dry clothes and school books are packed into a plastic bag to keep them dry during the crossing, which she says is terrifying because the river is 200 metres wide where they have to cross and is deep and cold.

But she is pragmatic. "If we want to go to school, we must swim," she said.

The children have been forced to swim across the river since October last year when the last dugout canoe was swept away when the river overran its banks.

Dinh Huu Nien, deputy chairman of Minh Hoa District People's Committee, said local authorities did not have the money to build a footbridge across the river where the children cross.

He said a concrete bridge with supports would cost about VND50 billion (US$2.3 million) to build, while a simple suspension bridge would cost an estimated VND13 billion ($619,000).

"The provincial coffers are not big enough to pay for either," Nien said.

There are 300 residents in 57 households in Ong Tu and Ka Ooc villages.

Nien said the residents of the two villages had been advised to relocate to other areas to avoid having to cross the river but that they were reluctant to move.

Following media coverage of the children's plight, the district authority recently handed out 110 life jackets to the villagers and made three boats available for their use.

Dinh Xuan Tien, chairman of Trong Hoa Commune People's Committee, said a team of eight boatmen had been employed to ferry children and other residents across the river, for which each household has to pay a small sum.

Hung Primary School principal Dinh Thiem said: "It is a great relief that children now have access to life jackets and boats so that they can get to school."

He said teachers and parents were always terrified that someone would drown, especially during the rainy season from August to December.

"We sigh with relief when we see everyone has made it safely to class," Thiem said.

He said last month children from the two villages could not make it to school because the river flooded.

A number of villagers were swept away during the floods, but all were rescued, he added.

Ho Phin, Trong Hoa Commune Party Committee secretary, said the commune did not have enough money to pay for a bridge, adding that it was difficult to raise funds because the number of people in the two villages was small.

Meanwhile, village headman Ho Nhung said a simple rope bridge could be built at relatively little cost. It would save time and money and be far safer, he added.

Trong Hoa Commune People's Committee Tien agreed. "Ethnic people do not need a big bridge. A simple suspension bridge would satisfy them," he said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News