Ms. Trần Thị Chuyên, a music teacher at Lê Hồng Phong Primary School in Ia Ko commune, has become a prominent figure in local charity work.
Distressed by students arriving barefoot and lacking basic necessities, she learned the Jrai language to better connect with families and encourage children who had dropped out to return to school.
In December 2020, she founded the Kết nối Từ Tâm (Connecting from the Heart) charity group under the National Volunteer Center and the Central Highlands Volunteer Network.
The group, now with 50 members, has donated more than 30 tonnes of clothing, provided 500 sets of school supplies annually, and delivered 1,000 gift packages to impoverished households, the sick and the disabled.
The group also runs a project supporting people in extreme hardship, including the elderly and those affected by leprosy in western communes. Beneficiaries receive 300,000 VND (≈ USD 12) per month, while children who have lost a parent receive 500,000 VND (≈ USD 20) monthly.
One beneficiary, Rơ Mah Kiên, a 50-year-old man living with leprosy in Ia Tôr commune, said volunteers repaired his deteriorating home, repainted walls, installed clean-water equipment and provided regular care, bedding, and clothing.
Beginning in early 2025, Ms. Chuyên’s group will launch a “Zero-Cost Meal” project in Sơr village to provide free meals and gifts to poor students, orphans, and children in difficult circumstances.
Her work has been formally recognized by the Central Committee of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union, the National Volunteer Center and various local authorities.
Another couple, Ms. M Lê and Mr. A Trăng, both born in 1992, have also contributed significantly to community education. After graduating from Gia Lai College of Education but unable to secure government jobs, they turned to farming and began offering free evening classes in their home in Wâu village, where 97% of residents are Bahnar.
Their classes, held Monday to Friday, now serve more than 40 students from grades 3 to 5. Ms. M Lê visits families to encourage consistent attendance, while her husband helps prepare lessons and remind children to join class. Students say the lessons and stories shared in class motivate them to study harder, while parents describe the classes as a lifeline for children facing economic hardship.
Through their daily efforts, these community volunteers are nurturing both knowledge and compassion among disadvantaged children in Gia Lai’s remote villages.
