It's raining in An Hoa

It's raining in An Hoa. It reminds me of the importance of schooling in Asia because I have a class tonight and, no matter what, I'll have to go out in the rain to do it. In New Zealand and other western countries, children seem to miss school for all sorts of reasons - illness, inclement weather, pupil free days(!?). Here it's unheard of. The attached clip has to be one of the most incredible things I've ever seen. In a remote part of the country even a washed out bridge and swollen river won't stop the kids from getting to school. The solution? Float them across the river in large plastic bags. I can't think of much more to add in terms of commentary except to repeat, schooling is very, very important in Asian culture and nothing is allowed to stand in it's way. And just to show this isn't an isolated incident:

Children from Ea Wy Commune are helped to cross the bridge on the way to school

Ho Thi Dom, who lost a leg to burns, has hopped 4km to school every day for 9 years. “She is always in the top three and among the best students at school,” teacher Kien proudly said of the “role model” of her class.
“No matter how far and craggy the route is, rain or shine, she never skips any class.”

With a flashlight, an old bicycle, and a briefcase, students in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak have to cross the forest at 3:00 am to go to school, from Monday to Friday every week.

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