In Ho Chi Minh City, the SSpS sisters are running a small but transformative English program — one that sees language learning not just as a skill, but as a pathway to dignity and belonging for children from all walks of life.
Where Every Color Shines
A rainbow is made up of many colors. In much the same way, the Little Rainbow English Class hopes that every learner will not only find joy in discovering a new language, but will also uncover their own inner goodness and beauty. When students share these gifts with one another, the world is surely filled with a wonderful rainbow. Starting in 2024 with just a handful of students, the program has now grown to nearly 70 students across six levels, ranging in age from 4 to 14. It has been an amazing, grace-filled journey.The Breath of the Spirit on a New Dream
The memory of the workshop where the Vision, Mission, and Goals of the class were first shaped remains vivid. The sisters gathered, prayed, and discerned together, working to finalize a name for this newly born dream. Several beautiful, poetic, and inspiring names were proposed and discussed with great seriousness. Yet none of them seemed to fully capture the essence of what they felt called to do. Finally, it was “Little Rainbow” that the Spirit breathed into their hearts — not as a loud or grand revelation, but as a quiet, unifying certainty that this was their identity. Why “Little Rainbow”? That question led them to rediscover both the science and the profound symbolism of the rainbow itself. In science, a rainbow is not a static object; it is a dynamic phenomenon born from light and specific atmospheric conditions. Light enters a humble water droplet, slowing and bending as it passes from air into denser water. It then reflects off the inside of the droplet, separating into its distinct colors. When the light finally exits, a rainbow is born. This scientific reality mirrors the missionary calling of the SSpS sisters. They do not create the light — Christ is the light. They are merely the water droplets. When His light passes through their simple, fragile human efforts, it refracts into a beautiful spectrum of love, care, and education. Furthermore, across many cultures, the rainbow symbolizes new beginnings, transformation, and hope. For the sisters, it stands for a fundamental conviction: learning a new language is the right of every child, regardless of background, wealth, or status.Grounding the Mission in the Soil of Vietnam
As a young region stepping forward into new fields of mission, Little Rainbow English Class represents a genuine, concrete new beginning for SSpS Vietnam. The sisters are living in a time when people across the country deeply appreciate the importance of learning a foreign language — seen as a key to the future, a tool for opportunity, and a bridge to the wider world. Yet they noticed a gap. Quality language education is often expensive, highly competitive, and laden with pressure. In contrast, the sisters wanted to offer something distinct: a friendly, joyful, and genuinely safe environment where children are not pressured to conform to a rigid mold. They wanted a space where children feel respected for who they are today — not only for who they might become tomorrow. In their classroom, the focus shifts from academic competition to personal dignity. Students are given the freedom to shine in their own color, at their own pace.The Reality of the Everyday Journey
When the doors opened in 2024, the class began with just a few neighborhood children gathered around a table, many questions, and very few resources. Two years later, the transformation has been remarkable. Today, nearly 70 students are welcomed across six distinct levels — from tiny four-year-olds discovering the alphabet for the first time, to fourteen-year-olds finding their voice in more complex conversations. Teaching children aged 4 to 14 in a missionary context requires patience and a willingness to face reality honestly. There are days of chaotic energy, moments of frustration when a child struggles with a new sound, the quiet tension of shyness when different groups mix in class, and the sudden tears of a nervous newcomer that can temporarily derail an entire lesson. But unity in diversity is not a phrase printed on a brochure — it is something practiced in the ordinariness of daily life. It is visible when:- An older student patiently helps a younger peer tie their shoes or find their page.
- Children from vastly different family backgrounds sit at the same table, sharing a single set of colored pencils without hesitation.
- A shy, quiet child who refused to speak for the first month finally raises their hand to answer, cheered on by classmates who refuse to leave anyone behind.
Living the Universal Language
The mission finds its heartbeat in a simple slogan: “Learn, play, grow together in Love.” These are not merely catchy marketing words. They are deeply rooted in the missionary experience of St. Joseph Freinademetz, who famously discovered that love is the language everyone can understand. In the classroom, the sisters quickly realized that grammar and vocabulary are merely vehicles. The true core of what they do is sharing the language of love and peace. One does not need an advanced degree or a high proficiency score to understand a gentle smile, a patient pause, or a hand extended in support. This universal language becomes vital because of the heavy realities many students carry. Many of the children who walk through the door come bearing hardships — poverty, the pain of rejection, the confusion of broken families. Their personal stories are not statistics; they are raw human experiences that touch the heart deeply. Looking into their eyes, the sisters feel a deep call of compassion rising within them — an urgent reminder that while the structural problems of the world cannot all be fixed, something can be done for these children, right here, right now. A rainbow, by its very nature, does not appear in a vacuum — it requires a storm. It breaks through the heavy, grey sky right after the rain, with unexpected brilliance. It is the deepest hope of the Little Rainbow community that through their small, daily actions — a timely word of encouragement, a meaningful life value shared after each lesson, and a safe space to fail and try again — these children will experience the rainbow breaking through the storms of their own lives. By embracing one another’s unique gifts, their classroom becomes a living witness to unity in diversity, proving that when people share their lives in love, a fractured world can indeed be made whole, one little rainbow at a time. Sr. Maria Khuat Kim Phuong, SSpS – Region of Vietnam
