The province's excellent math student skillfully sorts scrap metal and becomes a new student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics.

Che Hoang Du, who just got accepted into the Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, is a top math student from Tien Giang province. Since childhood, he has been collecting scrap metal with his mother and is familiar with all kinds of waste.

Ms. Che Thi Phuong Dung's job is collecting scrap metal. Each day she earns a few tens of thousands of dong, sometimes around 100,000 dong on good days. This is her only source of income to support her two sons through university. - Photo: MAU TRUONG

The amazing mother who collects scrap metal for two future graduates.

Du also has an older brother, Che Hoang Duy, 21 years old, currently a third-year student at the University of Natural Sciences .

Du's small house, nestled deep in an alley on Dong Da Street (Ward 3, Precinct 4, My Tho City, Tien Giang Province), is currently overflowing with scrap metal. Mrs. Che Thi Phuong Dung and her two sons are diligently sorting the scrap metal in preparation for selling it.

"For the past few days, my body has been aching, and I can barely walk, so the recyclable bottles have piled up. Since both kids are off school and have come home to visit their mother, they're helping out," Mrs. Dung said shyly, as if trying to explain the mess in her house.

Ms. Dung collects all the things that others throw away, turning them into her main source of income to support her two sons, Duy and Du - Photo: MAU TRUONG

Amidst the mountain of scrap metal, Duy and Du skillfully tore open the discarded cardboard boxes, then neatly stacked them into a bundle. The plastic bottles, metal bars, and other scraps were sorted separately, then piled into large bags and stored in a corner of the house.

Seeing the visitors amazed by the skillful sorting of recyclable materials by her two children, Mrs. Dung smiled and said, "The two brothers have been collecting recyclable materials with their mother since they were little. After finishing their homework in the evening, they help their mother sort and pack the materials. They've gotten used to it and even the foul smell of garbage. Now, one is about to graduate and the other is going to university, but they don't mind doing these kinds of jobs."

Nearly 60 years old, Mrs. Dung has never dared to rest for a single day. The cycle of work to make a living has clung to her since she got married. From street vending and cleaning to collecting scrap metal, she has done it all. If she can't go out to collect scrap metal on a particular day, she stays home sorting it before selling it.

According to her, the difficult journey for her and her two children is far from over. "I have to hold on for another four years, until Du graduates from university, only then will I feel at ease. I'm afraid I don't know if I can make it through then," Mrs. Dung said with a forced smile, squeezing her knees which often ache.

Recalling the distant past, Mrs. Dung recounted that after getting married and having two children, she would push her cart around collecting scrap metal in her free time. Even after changing jobs several times, she still made time to collect scrap metal to earn extra income.

One day, when Che Hoang Du was six years old, the couple separated, and Mrs. Dung officially chose the profession of collecting scrap metal to make a living. The money she saved from discarded items helped her raise her two children, pay off her education, and settle all the debts her husband had left behind.

Another reason, which Mrs. Dung only revealed to her children much later, for her dedication to collecting scrap metal was to reuse old clothes and books so that her children wouldn't have to drop out of school.

Che Hoang Duy and Che Hoang Du grew up and went to school thanks to their mother's scrap metal collecting - Performed by: Mau Truong - Nha Chan - Diem Huong

Textbooks and clothes made from recycled materials: Second prize in the provincial math competition for gifted students, admitted to the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City.

The house where the mother and her two children live is always overflowing with recyclable materials. This is the main source of income to support Ms. Dung and her two children who are studying at university - Photo: MAU TRUONG

On the bookshelves of brothers Duy and Du, all the books are handpicked from the piles of recyclable materials they collect every day. From first grade to twelfth grade, the two brothers have never had to buy new books.

"When I was little, I was very embarrassed around my friends because all my school supplies and clothes were secondhand. While everyone else had new things, new books that still smelled of fresh paper. But by my final year of junior high school, I wasn't embarrassed anymore. In fact, I felt lucky because no matter how difficult our circumstances were, my mother never once considered making my brother and me drop out of school ," Du said.

"I remember when I first started middle school, as soon as I wore my white shirt to school on the first day, my classmates immediately pointed and giggled. Later, I found out it was because my shirt had the logo of another school printed on it, so they recognized me. I just laughed it off," Du recounted, adding that after that incident, his classmates also considered it normal for him to wear old clothes, books, shoes, etc., to school.

Even the study desk of the two brothers, Duy and Du, was made from salvaged scrap metal that they refurbished and repurposed. But that old, patched-up desk served as a stepping stone, guiding the two brothers one after another into university.

Despite living in poverty and having to repurpose all household items from recycled materials, Du consistently achieved high academic results and excelled, becoming a freshman in the finance program at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: MAU TRUONG

Che Hoang Du, in particular, was an excellent student for 12 consecutive years. In 12th grade, Du won second prize in the provincial-level high school mathematics competition.

Du is also one of the outstanding students commended by Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School. Previously, in the entrance exam for 10th grade at Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School, Du ranked 40th out of 700 selected students.

Recently, Du became a freshman in the finance program at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City.

Hunt for scholarships to cover living expenses.

Despite her impressive academic achievements, Du never considered herself superior. She said, "My studies are like my mother's job of collecting scrap metal. My knowledge is accumulated gradually through exercises, while my mother's scrap metal collection takes days to fill."

Now, my mother's burden of collecting scrap metal has become even heavier as both my brother and I are entering university, studying at one of the most expensive institutions in the country.

Du relies on her academic abilities to hopefully win scholarships, including the "Supporting Students to School " scholarship from Tuoi Tre newspaper, in order to ease the financial burden on her mother.

Mr. Le Lien Hoang - Party branch secretary and head of neighborhood 3 (Ward 4, My Tho City, Tien Giang Province) - said that Ms. Che Thi Phuong Dung's family is a poor household. "There are three of them: mother and two children, two of whom are in school, and the mother has been collecting scrap metal for decades. Recently, seeing their difficult circumstances, we mobilized sponsors to renovate their house, which has eased some of their burden."

However, now that both of her children are in university, Ms. Dung fears that her income from collecting scrap metal will not be enough to cover their expenses. I hope there will be sponsors to help Ms. Dung and her two children in some way," Mr. Hoang 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.

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" Clubs in Phu Yen; the "Supporting Students to School" Clubs in Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam - Da Nang, Tien Giang - Ben Tre, and the Tien Giang - Ben Tre Business Clubs in Ho Chi Minh City, Dai-ichi Life Vietnam, Mr. Duong Thai Son and his friends, along with various businesses and numerous readers of Tuoi Tre newspaper...

In addition, Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company also sponsored 50 laptops for particularly disadvantaged new students lacking learning equipment, worth approximately 600 million VND, and Nestlé Vietnam Co., Ltd. sponsored 1,500 backpacks worth approximately 250 million VND.

The Vietnam-America English Language Institute is sponsoring 50 free foreign language scholarships worth 625 million VND. Through the State Bank of Vietnam, Bac A Commercial Joint Stock Bank is sponsoring 1,500 books on financial education and financial management skills for new university students…

Businesses and readers who wish to support scholarships for new students can 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.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hoc-sinh-gioi-toan-cua-tinh-phan-loai-ve-chai-thuan-thuc-thanh-tan-sinh-vien-dh-kinh-te-tp-hcm-20241108203055239.htm