Performed by: THAI BA DUNG – NHA CHAN – MAI HUYEN – TON VU
Recently, upon receiving her university acceptance letter and realizing how challenging the road ahead would be, Hau met with her teacher at the boarding school to confide in her.
Two orphaned children
Hau took advantage of the time to study and help her uncle while waiting for good news about going to university – Photo: DAM TAM
Phuoc Son District Ethnic Boarding Junior and Senior High School is a high school with one of the highest numbers of orphaned students in Quang Nam province, with many having lost both parents.
In such stories of hardship, teachers at this remote school often turn to Tuoi Tre newspaper when the "Supporting Students to School" scholarship program is launched, to introduce new students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Ms. Dam Thi Tam, a literature teacher at the school, sent a list of many students who had been accepted into university. Among them was the story of Ho Thi Hau.
In the home of her maternal uncle, where she has been living for the past 13 years, the young Giẻ Triêng student needs support to get into university. Hậu used to have a complete family, with a younger brother (currently in 11th grade), but when she was 5 years old, her mother suddenly fell ill with a brain disease and passed away. Some time later, Hậu's father also remarried.
“When Mr. and Mrs. Ho Van Duong heard the news about our family, they came to visit. Seeing the two sisters innocently playing in the sand, covered in dirt, with nothing to eat in the house and their clothes tattered, they took my younger brother and me home. I stayed at Mr. Duong's house, while my younger brother went to stay at Mr. Duong's sister's house,” Hau recounted.
More than a father
Hau and Mr. Duong – her benefactor who took her in since she was 5 years old – Photo: DAM TAM
Teacher Dam Thi Tam, who knew the circumstances of the two sisters, Hau and her sibling, well, recounted that when Hau went to stay with her aunt, she was emaciated and pale. When she was taken for examination, doctors concluded that Hau had a congenital heart defect and needed early intervention.
Fortunately for Hau, her uncle loved her very much. Mr. Ho Van Duong was a civil servant, and although his circumstances weren't very good, when he learned that Hau was ill, he did everything he could to get her treatment.
Hau was taken to the operating room, where he underwent surgery amidst the anxious worries of his family. It seemed that every time Hau woke up in his hospital bed, he saw his uncle.
“Throughout the years, Uncle Duong has always been optimistic. He always found ways to encourage me and did everything he could to help me return to normal and live a happy life. Thanks to his care, I am able to live until now,” Hau said emotionally.
Having lost their mother and with their father remarrying, Hau and her younger brother lost their emotional support. But the Gie Trieng girl said that both she and her brother were always compensated for by Uncle Duong and his younger brother, who provided them with food, education, and new clothes.
Hearing the teacher mention the scholarship called "Supporting Students to School" brought tears to my eyes.
Hau said she hopes to go to school and find a job to repay the kindness of those who have helped her – Photo: DAM TAM
Ho Thi Hau shared that from a young age, her greatest desire was to go to school, then to university so that after graduation she could find a job and repay the kindness of those who had helped her.
In the recent high school graduation exam, Hau applied to a teacher training program to save on tuition fees. Despite achieving 27.22 points, her dream of becoming a teacher remains unfulfilled. Hau then decided to pursue a history major at Quang Nam University.
Upon entering university, Hau faced an unprecedented challenge: the tuition fees for four years. Her adoptive uncle and aunt were elderly, and their pensions were so divided that they could hardly afford to support her continued education. In this predicament, Hau turned to her teacher, Dam Thi Tam, to learn about the "Supporting Students to School" scholarship.
“When Ms. Tam introduced me to the ‘Supporting Students to School’ scholarship application, I was overwhelmed with emotion, as if I had just seen a lifeline. If I am selected, the scholarship would truly be a miracle for me. It would give me more motivation to continue on and reach my dreams,” Hau said.
Hau took advantage of the time to study and help her uncle while waiting for good news about going to university – Photo: DAM TAM
"The second father"
In a letter sent to Tuoi Tre newspaper, Ho Thi Hau said that with her heart condition, if she hadn't had surgery in time, her health would have deteriorated, and she might not have lived to attend university as she is now. Therefore, Hau is always grateful to the people who have taken care of her and her younger brother.
Mr. Ho Van Duong said that in 2011, when he learned that Hau and her younger sister were in difficulty, he and his wife went to their house and found them playing in the sand, with nothing to eat. He and his wife took the two sisters home, bathed them, and took care of them. Hau's younger brother was given to his younger sibling to raise, and he and his wife adopted Hau.
“After raising Hau for about three months, we took him for a check-up and found out he had a heart condition. My family took him to Da Nang for surgery. The surgery cost 75 million dong, with organizations sponsoring half and me paying the rest. I’ve been raising him until now, and I love him very much,” Mr. Duong said.
We invite you to join us in supporting students to attend school.
The Tuoi Tre newspaper's "Supporting Students to School 2024" program, launched on August 8th, is expected to award 1,100 scholarships with a total budget of over 20 billion VND (15 million VND for disadvantaged new students, 20 special scholarships worth 50 million VND each for the entire 4 years of study, plus learning equipment and gifts...).
With the motto "No young person should be prevented from attending university because of poverty," and "If new students face difficulties, Tuoi Tre is there for them" – this is a commitment to supporting new students throughout Tuoi Tre 's 20-year journey.
Please scan this QR code to register and refer disadvantaged new students who need support to attend school. The program accepts applications until September 20, 2024.
New students can register online to apply for the 2024 "Supporting Students to School" scholarship at: http://surl.li/fkfhms or by scanning the QR code.
The program received contributions and support from the "Farmers' Companion" Fund - Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company, the Vinacam Scholarship Fund - Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company, and the "Quang Tri Solidarity" and "Phu Yen Solidarity" clubs; the "Supporting Students to School" clubs in Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam - Da Nang, Tien Giang - Ben Tre, Quang Ngai, and the Tien Giang - Ben Tre Business Association in Ho Chi Minh City, the German-Vietnamese Mutual Assistance and Cooperation Association (VSW), Nam Long Company, Nestlé Vietnam Co., Ltd., and other businesses, philanthropists, and numerous readers of Tuoi Tre newspaper.
Businesses and readers who wish to support scholarships for new students are kindly requested to transfer their donations to the Tuoi Tre newspaper's account:
113000006100 VietinBank (Vietnam Industrial and Commercial Bank), Branch 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
Content: Support the "Helping Students Go to School" program for new university students, or specify the province/city you wish to support.
Readers and businesses abroad can transfer funds to Tuoi Tre newspaper:
USD account 007.137.0195.845, Foreign Trade Bank of Ho Chi Minh City;
EUR account 007.114.0373.054 Vietcombank Ho Chi Minh City
with Swift code BFTVVNVX007.
Content: Support the "Helping Students Go to School" program for new university students, or specify the province/city you wish to support.
In addition to providing scholarships, readers can also support new students with learning equipment, accommodation, job opportunities, and more.
Graphics: TUAN ANH
This video provides instructions on how to register for the program for disadvantaged freshmen in need of assistance, as well as how to contribute to the program.
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