Poor mountainous students tremble in icy cold

Many students in Son La Province these days have to huddle themselves in their thin clothes in the icy cold.

Dozens of students at Hang Dong Primary and Secondary School in the mountainous province of Son La Province these days have to huddle themselves in their thin clothes in the icy cold.

Hang Dong, one of the poorest communes in Son La, often witnesses thick fog and the temperatures below 10 degrees in winter.

Wooden-made make-shift classrooms leave desks and pupil books wet.

Hang Dong, one of the poorest communes in Son La

Due to lack of materials, one of teachers had to take down an entire wall of each classroom to divide rooms, creating big hole in each classroom.

This first-grade student wears just a thin shirt

Despite wearing a quite thick coat, this second-grade pupils still trembles

Lighting a fire to warm up

Warming up hands to be able to write

Most of the students’ clothes are not warm enough