Nguyen Nhu Quynh (second from the left), a student in class 7A1 at Luong Tam Secondary School, is happy to have her godmother's support every time the school year begins.
For the past two years, thanks to the support of her "Godmothers"—the aunts and female teachers at the Women's Union of Luong Tam Commune, Can Tho City—Nguyen Nhu Quynh, a 7th-grade student at Luong Tam Secondary School, has been able to confidently attend school. Quynh expressed: "If it weren't for the care and love of the 'Godmothers,' I would probably have dropped out of school and stayed home to help my grandmother shell cashew nuts to earn money to support the family. Being able to go to school every day and learn so much useful knowledge is a great happiness for me." On the occasion of the new school year's opening ceremony, the Women's Union of Luong Tam Commune awarded Quynh a scholarship of 1 million VND to help her buy clothes and school supplies.
Quynh is a child from a particularly disadvantaged background in Luong Tam commune. Her father abandoned her before she was born; when she was two years old, her mother also passed away due to a terminal illness. Quynh lives under the loving care of her aunt. Despite lacking parental love, Quynh is very well-behaved and academically gifted. Besides attending school, she helps her aunt shell cashew nuts, earning over 20,000 dong a day. Quynh excitedly recounts: “For every kilogram of shelled cashew nuts, my aunt and I get paid 7,000 dong. She said she will save this money to buy school supplies for me. I will try my best to study hard so as not to disappoint her.”
After more than four years of implementing the "Godmother" program launched by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union, women's unions at all levels in Can Tho City have promptly supported over 250 orphaned children due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other reasons. To date, 49 children have reached the age of 18, and 6 are receiving free education and meals at the Hope School in Da Nang, run by theFPT Group.
Currently, there are 200 orphaned children in the city who are being sponsored and supported by the Women's Union at various levels in coordination with many organizations and individuals. Of these, 120 children receive regular support (500,000 to 2 million VND/month), 72 receive irregular support, and 8 have left the area. The total cost of support exceeds 8.6 billion VND, including 816 scholarships, 115 bicycles, over 13,280 gifts, and 10 "shelters of love"/dream houses…
Beyond material support, the "Godmothers" also care for, encourage, guide, and assist the children with their studies at home; they provide essential supplies suitable for the children's daily needs and studies. Thai Ngoc Nhu Y, a 6th-grade student at Dong Phuoc Secondary School, expressed: "The teachers gave me notebooks, books, and lots of milk. I am very happy and grateful for their care." Nhu Y has been sponsored by the Women's Union of Dong Thanh commune (now Dong Phuoc commune) since the beginning of 2024. Her family is facing difficulties, and she has a leg disability. Although she has been unable to walk since childhood, Nhu Y is very studious. The Women's Union of the commune has shown concern and given her a wheelchair to facilitate her daily activities and help her confidently go to school...
Continuing the "Godmother" program and coordinating with the "Loving Leaves" and "Helping Children Continue Their Education" programs, from the beginning of September until now, women's associations at all levels in the city have visited and presented 30,542 gifts to orphans, children in difficult circumstances, and children with disabilities; and awarded more than 2,950 scholarships and school supplies worth 3.5 billion VND on the occasion of the opening of the 2025-2026 school year.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Can Tho City and Chairwoman of the City Women's Union, affirmed: "Over the past time, the 'Godmother' program has truly been a bridge of love, bringing compassionate hearts closer to and accompanying orphaned children, guiding them towards a better future."
Text and photos: CAO OANH
Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/diem-tua-cua-tre-mo-coi-a191728.html
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