Most kids might find waiting outside their home for a school bus a bit boring. But it sure beats the way kids are getting to school in Huoi Hua, a northern province in Vietnam. They don’t do things the way people do it in America. Their idea of school transportation is a complicated one and, in some cases, a dangerous task you have to see to believe. But for students in this village, it’s simply a way of life. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Every week, students in Huoi Hua village wake up to this beautiful scenery.
The village is one of the most remote and difficult villages to get to and out of in the Muong Cha district of the Dien Bien province in northwestern Vietnam. The whole village has 75 households with about 500 people.

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Usually, kids rely on a bamboo bridge to get to school, except during the flood season.
Flooding causes the bamboo bridge to get swept away, which forces people of all ages to use bamboo rafts and stretch ropes to get across the stream safely, but even then, there are some serious risks.

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Traveling by stretch ropes is extremely hard for even the strongest adult.
The currents can be very powerful, which is why no child would ever be allowed to make this dangerous journey all on their own without an adult to supervise and guide them to the other side safely.

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Kids start out their week in the usual manner as most other children in the world.
They have breakfast, get dressed, and then they get ready to go on a perilous trek through a forest and a flood stream to get to school. In the end, it takes them over 5 hours to get there and 5 hours to come home.

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But they can’t exactly get to school with all their materials all wet.
So, they have to gather all of their school items together. This makes it easier to carry when they get ready to make the great crossing through the river. But you won’t believe how they do this without getting wet.

Once the kids have all their personal belongings bundled up, they give it to an adult.
This is sort of a ritual for over 50 school students who place their belongings in a plastic bag and then get adults, usually a parent, to pull the items through the stream. But that’s not the only thing that gets in the bag.

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The most precious cargo in the bag isn’t simply a bunch of school supplies.
The kids have to go inside the bags too, and it’s safe to say they’re terrified. But they’re willing to accept this dangerous mode of transportation to get an education that will hopefully help them escape poverty someday.

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The kids aren’t just thrown in the river to float to the other side.
A relative or healthy villager is assigned to help drag these bagged children across the river. It’s not the typical way that most mommies say “have a great day at school,” but for the villagers here, this method really works.

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The process is hazardous because a lot of things can go seriously wrong.
If the man were to lose his grip or if he makes even the tiniest mistake, the child inside the bag could get swept away by the strong flood waters. But those in charge of this task know how valuable their precious cargo is.

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Even though adults assure them it’s okay, some kids are very nervous.
They stare anxiously at the river as their turn approaches. They know they’re putting their lives on the line to get to school, but they also know how valuable it is to get an education. So, they risk life and limb to do this.

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