The "Godmother" Program: A Journey to Light Up the Future

In Tien Giang province, the Provincial Women's Union and its branches at all levels, with their love and responsibility, have become a pillar of support, helping orphaned children and children from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop comprehensively.

NO CHILD WILL BE LEFT BEHIND

Actively participating and recognizing the humanitarian significance of the "Godmother" Program, from the very beginning of its launch, the Women's Union at all levels in Tien Giang province conducted surveys and reviews of orphaned children and children in difficult circumstances to develop and implement specific support activities tailored to each situation. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that 100% of districts, cities, towns, and affiliated units of the Women's Union have implemented the program in various forms and methods, all aimed at helping children overcome their current difficulties and confidently move forward in the future.

Le Gia Bao, a child from neighborhood 3, ward 2, Cai Lay town, is happy to have Diem Trinh as his "godmother".

In particular, with the motto "No child should be left behind," after more than 4 years of implementing the "Godmother" program, 100% of children orphaned by Covid-19 in the province have "Godmothers," and 100% of the Women's Union branches have participated in the program to sponsor orphaned children until they reach 18 years of age. The number of orphaned children sponsored by the Women's Union until they reach 18 years of age is 168, including: the Provincial Women's Union sponsoring 3 children; districts, cities, towns, and affiliated units sponsoring 45 children; and local branches sponsoring 120 children. As of now, there are 1,357 orphaned children in the province due to Covid-19 or other circumstances who need care and support.

In the first six months of 2025 alone, the various levels of the Association maintained and received support for the care and nurturing of 517 orphaned children, with a total value of over 350 million VND. This brings the total number of orphaned children sponsored in the province to 1,570, with nearly 8 billion VND in total, including cash, gifts, clothing, books, sweets, and school supplies. In addition, the Association connected with benefactors to build and hand over a "shelter of love" to one orphaned child with a donation of 50 million VND and provided accompanying items such as a TV, refrigerator, rice cooker, and fan worth 20 million VND. They also facilitated the enrollment of one orphaned child at Hy Vong School in Da Nang City. For the Provincial Women's Union, in addition to organizing connections and mobilizing resources to implement the program, the collective and individuals of the agency have sponsored 4 orphaned children with particularly difficult circumstances due to Covid-19 in Cai Be district, Cai Lay town, and My Tho city.

In addition to implementing the "Godmother" Program, the Tien Giang Provincial Women's Union and its branches at all levels organized programs such as "A Million Gifts Sharing Love," "Spring of Love," and "Godmother." Through these programs, the Women's Union in the province mobilized charitable organizations and individuals to donate 5,405 gifts, 225 scholarships, 50 bicycles, and 10 laptops to poor, disadvantaged, and orphaned students, with a total cost exceeding 4.1 billion VND. The "Connecting and Sharing" Program alone awarded 400 scholarships to orphaned children in the province, with a total cost of 1.1 billion VND.

HAPPY TO HAVE A SECOND MOTHER

The "Godmother" program not only provides material support to orphaned children but also ignites hope in their hearts. The program has demonstrated the power of love and solidarity, bringing hope to orphaned children and their families. Therefore, the presence of these "Godmothers," with their care and support, has helped orphaned children feel loved, easing their pain and enabling them to overcome difficulties and gradually move forward.

"Through various methods and approaches, officials, members, and women at all levels have carried out meaningful, practical, creative, and effective work to help children in particularly difficult circumstances. Besides appealing for and providing financial support and gifts during holidays, members and women also directly visit homes to inquire about, care for, and guide children in life skills."

VICE PRESIDENT OF THE PROVINCIAL WOMEN'S UNION NGUYEN THI KIEU TIEN

Understanding the special circumstances of Phan Thảo Vy (from Bắc B hamlet, Điềm Hy commune, Châu Thành district, Tiền Giang province), who lost her mother due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she has an older sister and a younger sister. After her mother's death, her father also abandoned the children, leaving them to be cared for by their maternal grandparents. It is known that Thảo Vy's maternal grandparents are classified as a poor household, without land for production, and her maternal grandfather also recently passed away in May 2025.

Driven by her love for Thao Vy, Ms. Do Thi Tuyet, currently the Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Diem Hy commune, has become Thao Vy's second mother – her "godmother" – sharing her difficulties, joys, and sorrows, and encouraging her to overcome adversity. To date, Ms. Tuyet has mobilized benefactors to donate 20 kg of rice, cash ranging from 500,000 to 1,500,000 VND per quarter, a bicycle, essential goods, and school supplies to Thao Vy, totaling over 21.5 million VND. Notably, she also connected Thao Vy's situation with the "Standing Shoulder to Shoulder with Vietnamese Families" program on Ho Chi Minh City Television, which donated a house of compassion worth 166 million VND to her.

Sharing about her second mother, Thao Vy said: "I feel very lucky to have Ms. Tuyet's support and care. She not only provides material support but also constantly encourages me. I will try my best to study well and not give up in the face of difficult circumstances."

Since receiving visits, care, and financial support from his "Godmother," Le Gia Bao's life (in Ward 3, Precinct 2, Cai Lay Town, Tien Giang Province) has become more stable. Gia Bao has gradually become more confident, cheerful, and integrated with his peers; especially, he knows how to share and confide in his "Godmother" whenever he faces difficulties or changes in his daily life. That "Godmother" is Ms. Nguyen Thi Diem Trinh, currently the Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Precinct 2.

Ms. Diem Trinh said that after researching and learning about Gia Bao's difficult circumstances, she found out that his family has no land to cultivate, his father works as a construction worker, and the greatest loss for Gia Bao was the death of his mother in 2023 from cancer. Gia Bao has to live with his uncle to attend school.

And Ms. Diem Trinh has been accompanying Gia Bao throughout this time, providing 500,000 VND and other necessities every quarter. Although the support isn't much, above all, it's a love and a desire to give Gia Bao the best. In return for Ms. Diem Trinh's kindness, Gia Bao has strived in his studies, becoming a good student in his class. Gia Bao emotionally shared: "Now I have a mother. I promise to study hard so as not to disappoint my mother, the benefactors who have always cared for and helped me and my friends who are in similar circumstances."

The "Godmother" program has been creating a positive ripple effect among organizations, individuals, philanthropists, companies, and businesses in the area, thereby multiplying sharing and love in community life. With very practical encouragement, both materially and spiritually, it has helped the children feel warmer and more secure on their educational journey, looking towards a brighter future.

H. TUYEN - P. MAI

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/xa-hoi/202506/chuong-program-me-do-dau-hanh-trinh-thap-sang-tuong-lai-1044837/