"I stayed awake all night knowing that the schoolyard was flooding. By the time I arrived the next day, the water had risen about halfway up the walls of the classrooms," recounted Viet.

That was Hoang Van Viet, principal of Quang Vinh Elementary School in Trung Khanh District, Cao Bang Province, northern Vietnam, who recently swam into his flooded school to save whatever he could from the rising floodwaters.

On the night of August 23, Viet went to bed in fear after school security reported at 8:00 pm that floodwaters had risen at least 10 centimeters.

With the storm still raging, he had no choice but to wait until morning to assess the damage.

The next morning, despite the ongoing downpour, Viet made the 40-kilometer journey to the school where he discovered the classrooms sunken under 1.5 meters of still-rising floodwaters.

Hoping to save what he could, he began swimming across the campus and through the classrooms.

“Once inside, there was nothing I could do,” he recalled.

Though Viet was concerned about the school’s infrastructure, his primary worry was the well-being of his students.

Quang Vinh Elementary, a boarding school, had seen more than 30 bags of rice and meat submerged by the rising floodwaters.

It was not until August 29 that the waters receded enough for Viet to gather his teachers for a 6:00 am meeting.

Only then could the staff begin preparing for the rapidly approaching school year — cleaning classrooms, arranging furniture, and improvising crafts.

By day’s end, the Quang Vinh team was not working alone. More than 50 teachers from nearby schools had joined in to help prepare meals and clean the flood-damaged campus.

Quang Vinh Elementary School is located in a particularly impoverished area, with most students coming from low-income backgrounds and ethnic minority communties, mainly Mung and Nung.

The flood had ruined 75 plywood tables used by teachers and students, along with other essential equipment, the electric system on the first floor, a refrigerator, daybeds, stainless steel bowls, and kitchen tools.

Determined to ensure a timely start to the new school year, Viet organized repairs during the four-day National Day holiday, which started on August 31, enabling his students to return for an opening ceremony rehearsal on September 1.

Two sponsors provided 1.8 tonnes of rice for student lunches, ensuring that they would be well-fed for the next several months.

Viet was stunned when a photo of him swimming through the flooded school went viral on social media.

For him, it was simply a natural response to his responsibility toward the school and its students.

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