Nan – Showered with praise is a young woman teacher in northern Nan province who posted photos of a torn pair of shoes worn by a young student on Facebook with this triggering lots of donations and encouragement, Thai News Agency said today (March 9).
Ms Vilaiwan, a full-time teacher at Baan Namlee School at Nan’s Na Muen district shared the story of Nong Dear or Piyamart Khamlee, seven years old and a second grade student, who wore torn shoes to school and this elicited a lot of sympathy from netizens who wanted to buy a new pair for her.
Teacher: “Looking at the shoe rack this pair of shoes caught my eye, now whose is it?”
A small-built second grade student (Nong Dear) ran out and said: “It’s mine.”
Teacher: “Why are your shoes in this state, did the dog at home chew it?”
Nong Dear: “No, the shoes are tight so mum cut it open she said to wait till I am in the third grade then only will she buy a new pair because she went and searched and could not find a bigger size for me.”
Teacher: “Why did your mum cut it?”
Dear: “So that I have a pair to wear to school.”
Reporters got in touch with Miss Vilaiwan and she said she posted the photos because she felt sorry for the child and wanted to highlight the viewpoint of a young student living in a rough hilly area and her guardian who while making ends meet in a rural area adopted her from her disabled Myanmar mother.
This triggered a flood of sympathy from netizens and lots of shoes being donated for students. Many said this story about torn shoes shows the many sides of Thai society and how such things affect children’s life and their ability to study.
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Top: The torn shoes Nong Dear wore to school. Photo: Thai News Agency
Inset: Nong Dear with her pair of torn shoes. Photo: Thai News Agency