Student with disabilities starts library at rural school
Poor children living in Phu Tho province’s Thanh Ba District believe that only books can open a door to the world. Unfortunately, not many books, particularly history and art productions, are sold in the area.
Pham Ngoc Thuong, 14, has had poliomyelitis since he was two months old.
His grandparents sent him to live in Thanh Ba Centre for Disabled Children because his father died while his mother left home to take a job.
Thuong decided to place a bookshelf in his classroom to help his friends improve their reading. He has used social media websites to encourage youngsters around the country to donate and send books to his school.
“Many students in Hanoi and other provinces have delivered their books to help us build our own library,” said Thuong. “Every book delivers love and sharing from donors to us.”
Thuong and his classmates spent more than seven months saving to buy a small bookshelf to store the charity books.
They locked the shelf with a key, which was kept by their class manager. They called it “Our Library.”
“To borrow a book from the library, you have to sign a paper to guarantee your return. We wanted to keep and deliver the books to our younger friends after we leave school,” Thuong said.
Thuong said he likes reading history books and he dreams of becoming a historian. “Reading can improve your soul and will. All of the stories I have gained from good books offer me opportunities to change my destiny,” he said.