That ideal has been concretized by border guards in Điện Biên province through caring for and raising disadvantaged “green sprouts” on the frontier. The “Helping Children Go to School” and “Adopted Children of Border Posts” programs are practical initiatives demonstrating the affection and responsibility of border soldiers toward frontier communities.

At the Pa Thơm Border Post in Thanh Yên commune, since 2024, Lò Dương Khải and Quàng Thanh Tùng, both born in 2016, have spent nearly three years under the direct care and upbringing of green-shoulder-board “foster fathers.” Khải was orphaned early in childhood and lives with his grandfather in an impoverished household. Tùng still has a father, but his family is large, livelihoods are insecure, and schooling was at risk of disruption.

Taken in by the unit, the two boys received steady guidance and encouragement from soldiers to build autonomy in academics and daily routines. Currently in the 5th grade, both Khải and Tùng show conscious self-discipline in study and daily life. Lieutenant Colonel Trần Văn Sỹ, Deputy Political Officer of the Pa Thơm Border Post, shared: “During their first days with the unit, the children were bewildered and unaccustomed to personal hygiene, organizing belongings, or adapting to military discipline. Each child has distinct strengths, weaknesses, and emotional temperaments, so officers patiently talked with them, guided them, and accompanied them, helping them grow steadily more independent and mature.”

The story of Lò Văn Tuấn, among the earliest adopted children of the provincial Border Guard Command, highlights the value of companionship for children facing hardship. In the 7th grade, at risk of dropping out due to family difficulties, Tuấn was welcomed into the Mường Nhà Border Post for care, academic tutoring, and personal training. Six years alongside the unit under the guidance of his foster fathers enabled Tuấn to pass the entrance exam into Hanoi University of Physical Education and Sports.

Điện Biên’s border area encompasses 15 communes with more than 42,600 households, predominantly ethnic minorities; many families experience economic hardships that constrain educational investment for their children. In response, in 2016, the Party Committee and Command of the provincial Border Guard launched the “Helping Children Go to School” program to support disadvantaged pupils in continuing their education. In 2019, the “Adopted Children of Border Posts” program was introduced, targeting orphans, children without shelter, policy beneficiary families, and ethnic minority pupils facing exceptional hardships.

While the “Helping Children Go to School” model assists pupils in remaining enrolled, the “Adopted Children of Border Posts” program caters to cases requiring sustained, regular support. Depending on family circumstances, children receive tuition and living allowances or board directly at the stations. To date, nearly 260 student turns have received sponsorship from provincial Border Guard Command’s units. Currently, 26 children are raised full-time at border stations, while 78 students receive monthly stipends of VND 500,000 to maintain their schooling.

According to Senior Colonel Lê Đức Nghĩa, Deputy Political Commissar of the provincial Border Guard Command: “To implement the ‘Helping Children Go to School’ and ‘Adopted Children of Border Posts’ programs effectively, the provincial Border Guard Command’s units prioritize training and experience exchanges for cadres directly mentoring, managing, caring for, and educating foster children. Units maintain regular communication with families and schools regarding living and learning situations, ensuring well-rounded development through life skills such as self-care, keeping rooms clean, and joining productive labor alongside soldiers. The children consistently consider the border station their second home.”

Love for human beings in Hồ Chí Minh’s thought and ethics is embodied through care, empathy, and responsibility toward the people’s lives. For border soldiers, these principles take shape through familiar deeds: reaching children in need, assisting impoverished households, and persevering to ensure children have the chance to learn and mature. Each child kept in school and each nurtured ambition represents a tangible outcome of these efforts. Offered with responsibility and sincerity, these ordinary actions build enduring value, deepening military-civilian solidarity, reinforcing public trust, and fortifying a solid public support posture along the frontier.