Who gets to dream? How education is rewriting the fate of underprivileged children in Vietnam

VIETNAM: A classroom created by Hoàng Trọng Khánh, a factory worker whose love of teaching turned a simple idea into a lifeline for dozens of students.

By 5:30 p.m., the makeshift classroom comes alive. The children babble enthusiastically, exchange stories, and settle down with their notebooks. Many of them are sons and daughters of migrant workers, families crisscrossing the ambiguities and challenges of city life.

Khánh himself knows these struggles well. Born and raised in Huế City, he moved to Ho Chi Minh City in 2010 after difficult family circumstances and took a job at a veterinary medicine factory in Phước Long Ward. Just like most of the migrant workers, all of his days were stretched, controlled by tedious tasks, need, and inevitability, yet inside him was a youthful vision — to teach, to assist children who, like him, have confronted adversity.

A chance encounter

Khánh’s journey began one ordinary afternoon over coffee with a colleague. Across the street, four children were studying on the roadside, unsupervised.

“They were the children of the coffee vendor. Their home was too small, so they had to study outside while helping their mother at the stall,” Khánh remembers. “I felt I had to do something.”

The children were cautious at first. “They looked at me and said, ‘You’re not a teacher. How can you help us?’” However, Khánh was undeterred. He flipped through their textbooks and realised they were learning eighth-grade physics. He started with simple, playful riddles about rain, wind, thunder, and lightning—things the children could see and touch in their everyday lives. Within twenty minutes, their eyes lit up; they understood.

After his factory shifts, Khánh returned to teach. Soon, the children asked him to help with math, too. He noticed many relied heavily on calculators and struggled with basic arithmetic, so he patiently guided them step by step, never rushing.

Compassion beyond the classroom

Neighbours noticed Khánh’s dedication. Nguyễn Thị Hoa, who has lived nearby for nearly a decade, said, “He cares for these children like they are his own. Sometimes he cooks for them, buys them snacks, and always ensures no child is left behind. Even when parents offer to help with electricity or rent, he politely declines if they are struggling.”

Initially, parents were hesitant, but as the children grew more confident, disciplined, and cheerful, trust blossomed. The first lessons had been held outdoors, even in a graveyard, with notebooks spread on the ground and the sun dipping behind the trees. Stirred by Khánh’s commitment, neighbours ultimately built a small thatched accommodation with small tables and lights to make education more relaxed, and learning became easier.

Lessons without fees

As the class grew, parents pooled resources to rent a small house for VNĐ4 million (around US$180 or S$232.2) per month. Fifteen years later, Khánh’s free class has nurtured 600 to 700 children. Each session has 10 to 15 students spanning different generations. Tuition is free; contributions are asked only from families who can afford small costs like electricity or rent.

Mẫn Nhi, a sixth-grader, beams when she talks about her time in Khánh’s class. “I’ve been studying with Uncle Khánh for two years. He makes learning fun. We use games, riddles, and real-life examples. My grades have really improved because of him.”

What started with math and physics eventually expanded to literature and English. One parent, at first doubtful about a factory worker managing a free class, said, “After just one semester, our child became more self-disciplined and confident. We are deeply grateful to Khánh. He treats the children like family.”

A light in the city

What started as a humble act of compassion became a noiseless, transformative power in Phước Long Ward. In a tiny area that glimmers gently at sundown, Hoàng Trọng Khánh demonstrates that persistence, ingenuity, and heart can brighten the lives of countless children—one lesson at a time.