Teacher brings education to remote island

On Hòn Chuối Island, Vietnam, Trung tá Trần Bình Phục, a border guard officer, has taught children for over 16 years despite challenging conditions.

Hòn Chuối Island, about 17 nautical miles from the mainland, is home to 65 families and 225 people who primarily earn a living from fish farming and seafood. The island lacks electricity and running water, and residents move between two areas, Gành Nam and Gành Chướng, twice a year to avoid seasonal winds.

For more than 16 years, Phục has run the island’s only school. He began teaching in a simple leaf-roofed house with makeshift furniture, and the school has since improved. He currently teaches students across five grade levels with just three blackboards, handling all instruction for free. Each day, Phục travels the steep, rocky terrain to bring students to class. Beyond academics, Phục provides students with books, clothing, and celebrates holidays with them.

Nguyễn Thị Kim Thi, a local resident, feels secure sending her children to his class, praising him for teaching them not only to read and write but also to be good people. Student Nguyễn Phước Lợi shared that Phục teaches good manners and the importance of family. Phục first came to Hòn Chuối Island in 1997 and was moved by the number of children who could not read or write.

He requested a transfer to the island to begin teaching, and repeatedly petitioned to stay despite regular military rotations, seeing the continued need for education. He carefully prepares lessons for all grade levels, acknowledging the varying abilities of his students, some of whom begin first grade at age 13. He hopes to continue teaching until the island has a formal school building.