Giving wings to dreams

Ms. Ma My Khanh, representative of My Anh Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (in the blue shirt), hopes that the children will always strive their best to overcome difficulties in life.

In November 2021, Andrea Tran, a Vietnamese expatriate from Belgium, and her family received financial assistance for nine students from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds in Ca Mau City, through a selection and recommendation process by the Education Promotion Association of Ward 8, Ca Mau City (including 4 junior high school students and 5 high school students).

According to the project, each junior high school student receives a subsidy of 800,000 VND per month, and each high school student receives 1,000,000 VND (equivalent to 100,000,000 VND per year). Students receive the subsidy quarterly and continue to receive it until they graduate from high school, provided they maintain a good or excellent academic record each year.

However, after six rounds of support, Andrea Tran's family was unable to continue the project due to business difficulties. Faced with this situation, the Ward 8 Education Promotion Association was in a difficult position, as the ward's education promotion fund was limited and could not provide further assistance. This difficulty was overcome by Ms. Ma My Anh, Director of My Anh Pharmaceutical Company Limited, who connected with the relevant parties and continued the project.

“The company has 50 employees, and they also have children of school age. First and foremost, we have to support the children of our employees; then there are other social support programs that we have been providing for a long time. But seeing how difficult the circumstances of these children are, we try our best to continue supporting them and help them pursue their dreams,” said Ms. Ma My Khanh, Deputy Director of My Anh Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

The monthly support allowance for each high school student is 800,000 VND and for each junior high school student is 600,000 VND. Students will also receive the allowance quarterly as before (i.e., each quarter, each high school student receives 2.4 million VND; each junior high school student receives 1.8 million VND).

Dang Phat Tai, a student in class 8C at Phan Boi Chau Secondary School, Ward 4, lives with his maternal grandparents. His maternal grandfather, To Van Thanh (sitting next to him), is 73 years old and sells beef meatballs from a cart every day to cover family expenses, making it very difficult for him to afford his education.

Only after interacting with and learning about the family circumstances of the students receiving the subsidy can one truly appreciate the significance of this program. Mr. Tran Chi Cuong, from Tan Hiep hamlet, An Xuyen commune, Ca Mau city, brought his daughter Tran Hong Nhung, a student in class 8A at An Xuyen 1 Secondary School, to receive the subsidy. He confided: “Our family has no land for farming, and our main income comes from my work as a construction worker. But this season, the weather is unpredictable, making it difficult to earn a living, while we have to cover all sorts of expenses. Our children are about to start school, and we need money for everything from notebooks, textbooks, school bags, clothes, shoes, and school fees… we are extremely worried. Now, receiving this support to help with our children's education, we are very happy and grateful to the sponsor.”

At the aid distribution event, I noticed a sad face. Upon inquiry, I learned that his name was Dang Quoc Khai, a 12th-grade student at Ly Van Lam Secondary and High School, residing in Thanh Dien hamlet, Ly Van Lam commune. Khai lives with his father, and also has two uncles who suffer from chronic illnesses (mental illness and asthma...) that his father is responsible for caring for. His father's income from driving a Grab car isn't enough to cover expenses, so outside of school hours and during the summer, Khai works at a spicy noodle restaurant to earn extra money to help his father support the family. Receiving the continued financial support is very meaningful to him. "This money will help me with my studies, primarily to graduate from high school. I haven't dared to dream of going to university yet," Khai confided.

Mr. Truong Du Thai, Chairman of the Education Promotion Association of Ward 8, shared: “When we heard that the sponsor was no longer able to maintain the project, we were extremely worried. We are very happy, grateful, and appreciative that Ms. My Anh has stepped forward to take over. We hope the company will continue to operate smoothly so that it can provide long-term support for the children.”

"The company's business is currently facing many difficulties, but we will do our best to maintain the sponsorship. We hope that the students understand the sincerity and dedication of the company's team, and will always strive to study hard and excel," Ms. Ma My Khanh advised.

Huyen Anh

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