Carrying childhood memories on my shoulders.

With their parents divorced and each living their own lives, sisters Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh and Nguyen Thi Huynh Nhu, residing in Rach Gia ward, lived with their grandmother. They quickly became accustomed to a life of hardship and learned to be self-reliant from a young age. At 14, while many of their friends were still carefree attending school under the protection of their parents, Hanh was already spending hours in a hair salon, learning to wash and dry hair to earn an income to support herself. Her childhood seemed shortened by the burden of earning a living so early.

Despite her young age, Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh has mastered many tasks at the hair salon to help support her family. Photo: MI NI

“I really want to go to school, but my grandmother is getting old and her health is deteriorating. Raising my sister and me alone is very difficult. I'm trying to learn a trade so that I can work later, help my grandmother, and allow my younger sister to continue her education,” Hanh shared. After more than 7 months of apprenticeship, Hanh has mastered the skills of shampooing, blow-drying, and relaxing massage to serve customers. Seeing Hanh's difficult circumstances and her diligence and hard work, the salon owner not only taught her the trade but also provided some financial support to help her grandmother with living expenses. Ms. Ngo Be Thuy, the salon owner, said: “At Hanh's age, many children are taken care of by their families in terms of education and recreation, but Hanh is aware of her family's difficult circumstances early on and is diligently learning a trade. Hanh is understanding, hardworking, polite, and always tries her best in whatever she learns, so I feel very fond of her.”

Nguyen Thi Huynh Nhu is a third-grade student at Nguyen Thai Binh Primary School. Outside of school hours, she sells lottery tickets to help support her family. Despite the hardships of life, Huynh Nhu always strives to study hard. In the 2025-2026 school year, she achieved excellent grades. “My family is struggling, but my grandmother and my sister Hanh always encourage me to study hard so that I can have a stable job in the future. Although life isn't as good as my friends', I feel very happy to be able to go to school, so I will try my best to study well,” Nhu expressed.

It's not just Hanh and Nhu; Tran Ngoc Nha Y, a third-grade student at Le Van Tam Primary School in Rach Gia ward, also quickly became accustomed to a life of hardship. Her parents divorced, her mother works far away, and she currently lives with her 75-year-old grandmother. Her grandmother, Phu Thi Nghia Loan, said that the family is classified as poor, relying mainly on government subsidies and the small amount of money her daughter sends home. When her grandmother is healthy, she bakes and sells cakes to earn extra income to support her granddaughter's education. Aware of her family's circumstances, Nha Y always lives frugally, avoids peer pressure, studies diligently, and helps her grandmother with daily chores. “My grandmother is old, has many illnesses, and has difficulty getting around, so I always help her whenever I have free time. I hope she stays healthy so she can live with me and witness me growing up. I will try my best to study well so that I can have a stable job in the future,” Nha Y said.

Over the past period, government agencies at all levels and many social organizations have paid attention to caring for the material and spiritual lives of children in difficult circumstances. However, some still face hardship. Despite this, many children continue to strive, study diligently, and nurture their dreams of a better future.

MINI

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/gac-tuoi-tho-len-vai-a487018.html