Caring for children in difficult circumstances

Over the years, the work of caring for, protecting and educating children, especially children in especially difficult circumstances, has always received attention from Party committees, authorities and the whole society. Through practical activities such as giving scholarships, bicycles, and sponsorship, many less fortunate people have been promptly supported and helped to overcome difficulties and continue to excel in their studies and lives.

Students of Giao Thuy District School for Disabled Children are taught culture and equipped with life skills to integrate into the community.

For the past 4 years, Tran Ban Long in Loc hamlet, My Thuan commune (Nam Dinh city) has been sponsored by Ms. Dao Ngoc Thuy, Director of Hoang Long Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company, Nam Dinh city. Long has special circumstances because his mother passed away due to a serious illness, his father is in poor health and is involved in legal trouble, he has to rely on his elderly and weak grandparents to continue living and studying. Previously, to pay tuition, buy books, school supplies, and clothes for Long, many times the family had to borrow money from relatives and neighbors. Sharing love and encouraging Long to continue going to school, Ms. Thuy has provided 5 million VND each year to help Long overcome his circumstances. When he was only 16 months old, Tran Hai Linh, a 7th grade student at Hien Khanh Secondary School (Vu Ban) lost both his father and mother and was raised by his grandparents. Despite the difficult economic situation and the lack of love from her parents, Linh, listening to her grandparents, has always been a good student, achieving high academic results for many years in a row. Knowing Linh's situation, through the Association for Promotion of Education at all levels, since 2019, Mr. Tran Duyen Tuyen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Manh Hai Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (Nam Dinh city) has sponsored her with a support level of 6 million VND/year until she finishes university.

In recent times, child support work has been widely deployed by sectors and localities in the province. At the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, Ý Yên district coordinated with the Vietnam Children's Fund to organize a program to award scholarships and gifts in kind to children in especially difficult circumstances in the district. At the program, 325 scholarships and gifts in kind worth over 203 million VND were awarded; including 100 cash scholarships, each worth 1 million VND; 25 bicycle scholarships, each worth 1.75 million VND; 200 gifts in kind of candy, each worth 300,000 VND. This is not only practical material support, but also a great source of spiritual encouragement, adding motivation for children to overcome difficulties and continue their dream of going to school.

The province has 4,432 children in special circumstances and over 20,000 children at risk of falling into special circumstances. Along with properly and fully implementing the State's policies and regimes for children, every year, the Provincial People's Committee has directed all levels, sectors, and mass organizations to mobilize resources and community participation to care for children in difficult circumstances. At the same time, coordinate to build a safe and healthy living environment, proactively prevent risks of harm, minimize abandoned children, violence, and sexual abuse. Localities maintain commune and ward models suitable for children and urgent actions to support child care and protection. Up to now, the province has had 100% of children in poor and near-poor households, children under 6 years old granted health insurance cards; organize vaccinations and health care for children to reduce the rate of malnourished children, contributing to comprehensive child protection. 98% of disabled children receive assistance and care in various forms, are rehabilitated, and areeducated to integrate into the community.
Many activities of giving gifts, scholarships; exempting and reducing tuition fees, giving scholarships, study books; consulting, supporting vocational training, creating jobs, taking care of health for orphans, homeless children and disabled children... have been implemented by all levels, sectors and organizations to help many children have conditions to integrate into the community. The work of preventing children from falling into special circumstances; communication, education, and social mobilization to prevent and combat child abuse; prevent and combat drowning, accidents and injuries; prevent and combat domestic violence... have been strengthened. At the Provincial Center for Social Protection, the Center for Relief of Disabled Children in Nam Dinh City, and the Giao Thuy School for Disabled Children, 100% of disabled children are granted health insurance cards and receive health care. Here, children not only learn culture, life skills, and motor rehabilitation support, but also learn sewing and office computer skills, equipping them with more confidence and effort to succeed in life.

In addition to the achieved results, the current funding for child protection and care at all levels is still limited compared to practical needs. Therefore, this work requires more active participation from all levels, sectors and localities. Especially, mobilizing social resources, integrating programs and projects to have more resources to care for children. Thereby contributing to spreading care and love, helping children in difficult circumstances to study, develop comprehensively, towards a bright future.

Article and photos: Hong Minh

Source: https://baonamdinh.vn/xa-hoi/202504/cham-lo-cho-tre-emco-hoan-canh-kho-khan-6e736c8/