Leo Jao walks us through the history and activities of Trường Phổ Cập Phường 25, a primary school in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), recounting how it continues to have a life-changing impact on people from marginalized communities.

The controlled chaos of Ho Chi Minh City hit me the moment I stepped outside. Motorcycles weaved through narrow streets like a symphony of calculated madness, horns blaring in perfect harmony, life pulsing through every corner. I was on my way to visit Trường Phổ Cập Phường 25, thinking I would simply observe a small, community-run school. What I discovered instead was a beacon of hope, built not just with bricks, but with compassion, sacrifice, and an unshakable belief that every child deserves an education, no matter the circumstances.

At the heart of this remarkable place is Ms. Đoàn, a woman whose story embodies resilience and a profound sense of purpose. But it wasn’t until I joined her on home visits that I truly understood the depth of what this school represents, not just for the 198 children who walk through its doors, but for the families struggling in the shadows of Vietnam’s economic miracle.

A Humble Beginning

Trường Phổ Cập Phường 25 was founded in 1997, not by an organization, but through the vision of a Catholic priest involved in the Focolare Movement. He noticed the alarming number of children in the area who didn’t have access to education: many without birth certificates, some with disabilities, and most living in poverty. He invited Ms. Đoàn, who had just graduated from university, to return to the community and help open the school. She agreed and never left.

Today, the school educates 198 children in six classrooms, with six dedicated teachers. The student population includes children with autism, learning difficulties, or simply those who are “overage” and unable to enroll in public schools. Some are orphans. Many come from migrant families who can’t provide the necessary documentation or fees for public education.

Beyond Classroom Walls

Every school day, classes begin at 7:15 AM with meditation. This isn’t a typical start for children, but it’s necessary since the school lacks outdoor play space. Meditation helps the children calm their minds, reset their energy, and prepare to learn.

By 10:30 AM, they eat a warm lunch cooked by Ms. Đoàn and the staff themselves. After lunch, the children rest or enjoy a short story or video before afternoon classes begin. The school day ends at 4:30 PM.

Everything is entirely free: tuition, meals, and uniforms. Since 2019, the local government has prohibited the school from collecting any fees. Maintaining operations is a constant challenge. The school operates out of two abandoned houses, which have been repurposed with government permission. The Focolare community and other donors support the school, but resources are always stretched thin.

What makes this school extraordinary is not just the curriculum, but its holistic approach to nurturing the child. The school is able to offer English, computer literacy, life skills, chess, martial arts, and art classes, thanks to over 30 volunteers who come regularly to teach.

Riding Through Reality

But the school’s work doesn’t end at 4:30 PM. On a sweltering afternoon, I found myself squeezed onto the back of a motorcycle of a student volunteer, with Ms. Đoàn also on another student volunteer’s bike, weaving through Ho Chi Minh City’s notorious traffic. Despite having only two motorcycles for our mission, we somehow managed to load them with sacks of rice, bottles of cooking oil, and other necessities. The city’s organized chaos became our delivery route as we made our way to visit 16 families that the school continues to support.

Each stop revealed a different story of resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. At our first visit, I met a couple whose love story defied convention. They had divorced, but when the wife learned her ex-husband was terminally ill, she took him back. Now with three children to care for and being the only parent able to work, this tiny, thin woman labors as a construction worker. “I do everything the men do at work,” she told me matter-of-factly, “but they still pay me less.” Her voice carried no bitterness, only the quiet determination of someone who has chosen to persevere.

The next family showed me a different kind of strength. A grandmother caring for six grandchildren alone, while also tending to her mentally ill daughter. When Ms. Đoàn offered to bring more light bulbs so the children could study properly in the evenings, the grandmother politely refused. She was afraid of the electric bill. Working as a domestic helper, every đồng[1] counted. The dim light of a single bulb would have to suffice for homework time.

Perhaps the story that will stay with me longest was of a 92-year-old grandmother who is the sole caregiver for her 12-year-old grandson, since the child’s parents are no longer in the picture. After each school day, she and the boy collect trash together to sell for survival. As I sat in their small home, learning about their daily routine, I realized this wasn’t just about making ends meet; it was about dignity preserved through honest work.

Stories That Transform

Back at the school, Ms. Đoàn shared a story that exemplifies the long-term impact of their work. A young boy who lost his father to a communicable disease and was abandoned by his mother shortly after, nearly ended up in an orphanage. His grandmother was already caring for six other children and couldn’t manage another. Ms. Đoàn intervened, offering to help raise the child through the school.

He started first grade at Trường Phổ Cập Phường 25 and continued through high school, eventually getting accepted into a prestigious university of architecture. When financial difficulties made university impossible, Ms. Đoàn encouraged him to attend a local college while working part-time. Last October 2025, he graduated and returned to the school to teach art — completing a beautiful circle of hope.

“Whenever I think of him,” Ms. Đoàn tells me, “I become more motivated to keep going.” This is just one story among many, but it represents the multiplication effect of compassion — one life changed becomes an agent of change for others.

The Larger Context

Vietnam has made tremendous progress in education, with a literacy rate of over 95%, according to UNESCO.[2] The country’s economic growth has lifted millions out of poverty. However, as I witnessed during our motorcycle journeys through the city’s back alleys, marginalized communities still fall through the cracks. Children of migrant workers, those without proper documentation, and families caught in extreme poverty often find themselves excluded from the very system designed to uplift them.

Trường Phổ Cập Phường 25 exists to serve children who face challenges in obtaining education. But Ms. Đoàn worries constantly about what happens after grade 5, when students leave the protective environment of the school. Public middle and high schools charge tuition and require documents that many of these children don’t have. Without continued support, their educational journey could end far too soon.

A Dream Bigger Than Buildings

“I have many dreams,” Ms. Đoàn told me as we watched children play during their afternoon break, “but the one I carry the most is to help these children continue learning even after they leave us.” She is tirelessly building partnerships with NGOs and individual sponsors to help her students afford secondary education or vocational training. Her mission isn’t just to teach; it’s to create pathways to dignity.

As Ms. Đoàn shared: “Bread and milk are gone after a day, but a child’s spirit — if nurtured — will last a lifetime.” Her approach recognizes that these children need more than academic knowledge; they need to learn that they matter, that their dreams are valid, that their circumstances don’t define their future.

She ended our conversation with words that have stayed with me: “This school was something we never dared to dream, but here it is — standing, living, helping. And it is standing because so many people stood with us.”

How You Can Help

Trường Phổ Cập Phường 25 runs on the generosity of strangers — on hearts that believe, like Ms. Đoàn, that no child should be left behind. Whether through donations, volunteering, or sharing their story, anyone can be part of this mission.

The families I met don’t need pity; they need partnership. They don’t need charity; they need opportunity. And sometimes, they just need someone to believe in their potential.

In the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s beautiful chaos, there is a school that survives not because it must, but because it matters. It is, in every sense, a school built on love — and sustained by the belief that education is not a privilege, but the right of every child, no matter how hidden they might be in the city’s sprawling maze of streets.

Leo Jao

If you’d like to support the school or learn more about its work, get in touch with us through Ms. Đoàn doanmk2019@gmail.com and Leo Jao lgtjao@gmail.com. Every bit of support — whether financial, volunteer time, or simply spreading awareness — creates ripples of change in young lives who need to know they are not forgotten.

[1] The official currency of Vietnam

[2] United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization