A Kitchen, a Classroom, and a Thank You: NICEF in Suoi Hien, Son La

On August 15 - 16, our team embarked on a meaningful volunteer journey to Hoa Dao Suoi Bau Kindergarten - Suoi Hien campus, Gia Phu, Son La. More than simply a trip, it was an opportunity for us to connect with the local community, share moments of care and encouragement, and experience the warmth and resilience of the children and teachers in this beautiful mountainous region.

Now, let’s take a closer look at what the journey was really like through the eyes of Peter Hu Andersen, our COO - from the road to Son La to the heartfelt moments that made this volunteering trip so memorable.

Some weekends stay with you. This was one of them.

Last weekend, a group of us from NICEF, the Niteco Charity Engagement Foundation, left Hanoi before dawn and drove north into the mountains of Son La. Our destination was the Suoi Hien kindergarten point, a small satellite of Hoa Dao Suoi Bau Kindergarten in Gia Phu commune. The program had a name that says everything about its spirit: "Trao bep an yeu thuong", giving a kitchen of love.

We came to hand over a new kitchen, to share a meal and gifts with the children, and to say a proper thank you to the teachers who give so much, every single day, so far from the city.

It is easy to underestimate a kitchen until you see the one it replaces.

The old kitchen at Suoi Hien was tiny, roughly four square metres, closed in on every side, with a corrugated roof and a simple wood fire. And yet, in that small space, the teachers cooked warm semi-boarding lunches for the children, day after day.

That warm lunch is not a small thing. In these mountains, most families belong to one of Vietnam's ethnic minority communities, and many of the children do not grow up speaking Vietnamese at home. Preschool is where they
first learn it, gently and through play, so they are ready when regular school begins. A safe, functioning kitchen keeps the youngest children fed and coming to class. In other words, it quietly protects the very years when a child builds the foundation for everything that follows.

So this was never only about food. It was about keeping the door to education open.

Working closely with our local partner, the Vui Hanh Thien volunteer group, we were able to make sure our effort landed exactly where it mattered. They know the area, the schools, and the families, and they helped us survey the site, check the facts, and plan sensibly. That local trust made all the difference.

Together with Niteco, NICEF was able to deliver:

• A newly built kitchen: safer, more functional, and ready for many school years to come.
• Kitchen equipment to make it fully usable from day one.
• Food supplies and snacks for the children.
• A large smart TV for learning in the classroom.
• Foldable tables and chairs.
• Toys and gifts, because childhood should have a little joy in it too.
  
  

The moment I will remember most was standing beside the school's principal, Ms. Ngo Thu, to unveil the small blue plaque on the wall of the new kitchen. A red cloth, a gentle pull, and there it was: a simple sign marking a warm
place where children will be fed for years to come.

I said a few words to Ms. Ngo Thu, to the teachers, and to everyone gathered. My colleague Trang Khuat kindly translated for me. The heart of what I wanted to say was this:

We who visited that day all work in Hanoi, at an international company. We have good jobs, and people from around the world are glad to pay for the work we do. But we can only do that work because, somewhere along the way, dedicated teachers gave us an education. So we had not come simply to give a gift and be thanked. We had come to say thank you. The teachers here, and
teachers everywhere, gave us the gift of our future. What we brought was a small return of that gift, so they can pass the same gift on to a new generation. For all the effort they put in every day, we are forever grateful.

None of this happens by itself, and it certainly does not happen this well by accident. This entire trip was brilliantly organized by Hau, the President of NICEF. From building the local partnerships and vetting the school, to planning the logistics, the kitchen, the gifts, and every small detail of the day, Hau held it all together with remarkable care and heart. The reason the weekend ran so smoothly, and felt so meaningful, is her. On behalf of all of us who took part, thank you, Hau.

My thanks also go to the school leaders and teachers who welcomed us so warmly: Ms. Ngo Thu, Ms. Kim, and the teachers at the Suoi Chat and Suoi Hien points.