Building Schools in Ba Be Distric

Ba Be district is a poor area in mountainous Northeast Vietnam, home to a national park in Bac Kan province. It remains a rural area far from mass tourism; hiking lovers know it for its beautiful lake and landscapes.

After leading some tours in Ba Be, our director, Exotic Voyage’s founder could witness the poor living conditions of local families and, above all, the old schools that were just made of tatted shacks, which is very chilly in winter. Some schools were also situated in remote locations, and the kids had to walk through a fast flowing rivers and rice fields to reach it. Thus, he decided to find better places and to build new schools for the children.

Exotic Voyages team started a harsh journey to find nice places to build the schools. It was harder than we thought. We needed to buy pieces of lands by ourselves and grant it for the local educational authority. The distance from our office in Hanoi (5 hours for nearly 300 kilometers) was one of the biggest challenges we had to face because lots of journeys were required to fix administration or building problems. However the investment and efforts, we felt ecstatic to bring happiness and better working conditions to the kids.

At the beginning, the idea was to build one school and follow the evolution of the students in their new environment, but the project grew and got a bigger impact.

From 2004 to 2008 Exotic Voyages constructed 5 kindergarten schools in the area, each time with the same energy and the same envy to change lives.

This passionate investment improved the education of about 250 children in Ba Be District:

2004 : Pac Ngoi Village.

2005: Nam Mau Village

2006: Na Hai Na Vai Village

2007: Dong Phu Village

2008: Lom Village

Exotic Voyages team followed this initiative by a great number of trips in Ba Be district to bring necessary studying tools for the children: pens, papers, books, clothes and blankets as well to protect the families against the cold winter times.  

On the first day of school we could hear the laughs reasoning in the classrooms. The emotion of the children was spreading around and got us as well. This was a great chance for them to gather in a safe and equipped environment, to learn in good conditions and be inspired for a great future.

Helping children has been Exotic Voyage’s motto since the company was founded. As a responsible travel agency we like to be close to the communities, know them, their issues and participate to make their life better. We are mostly engaged for the children as they represent the future, the new generations. We want them to grow happy and with all the necessary tools to be able to realize their dreams.

 Exotic Voyages wants to carry on with other projects in Ba Be district. We are seeking for new and vivid ideas to bring hope in the communities and lighten those children’s lives. Don’t hesitate to contact us to share any idea you might have, or any support you could bring.

Marion Nourrisson