A haven for underprivileged children

After more than 30 years of establishment and operation, the Thai Nguyen Provincial Center for Social Protection and Work (the Center) has become a haven that "revives" unfortunate childhoods. Here, children are well-fed, sleep soundly, and attend school. From this peaceful home, many children have grown up and become useful citizens to society.

The children are cared for by the center's staff as if they were their own.

A peaceful home

Our first impression upon visiting the Center was the sight of the children innocently playing hide-and-seek, badminton, and soccer. Mr. Nguy Quang Vinh, the Center's Director, stated: Currently, the Center is managing, nurturing, and caring for 65 individuals, including 17 children. Fourteen of these children are healthy and intelligent enough to attend school, while the rest are children with severe disabilities.

Seeing visitors arrive, the children greeted me cheerfully and politely. But behind their innocent smiles, I sensed a profound, hidden pain buried deep within. For example, Nguyen Van Khanh, abandoned by his parents from the moment he was born. Then, a childless couple adopted him. It seemed fate had smiled upon them, but just a few months later, his adoptive parents refused to take responsibility, and the local authorities had no choice but to hand Khanh over to a foster care center.

Because she suffers from an underlying medical condition for which no cure has yet been found, Khánh's life-threatening illnesses have left her too weak to attend school. However, every day, the staff at the center guide Khánh in reading books and stories, helping her open up a beautiful world of childhood within her heart.

At the Center, the children participate in recreational activities, collective cleaning and daily internal hygiene tasks, assist in the kitchen with the catering staff, and engage in various experiential activities, through which they gain additional knowledge and improve their life skills.

For children with disabilities or HIV/AIDS, daily guidance from staff includes participating in household chores, personal hygiene, dancing, singing, and literacy classes. This helps children learn to spell, spell, perform simple calculations, and acquire appropriate skills, creating conditions for them to receive equal care and education according to their age.

Every day, the children are guided by staff from the Center to read books and newspapers.

Ms. Trac Thi Van Ha, Head of the Social Work and Community Development Department, said: In the 2025-2026 school year, the Center will have 5 children in preschool, 6 children in primary school, 3 children in secondary school, and 1 child in vocational training. The academic results show that 100% of the children are progressing to the next grade level.

To ensure that the children could attend school like their peers, the Center's management contacted schools in the area directly and processed enrollment applications for each child. Throughout the school year, staff at the Center took turns daily transporting the children to and from school, attending parent-teacher meetings, and protecting them from bullying by other children.

Reliving a true childhood.

Each "angel" at the Center carries a sad story. Some children were abandoned by their biological parents at birth, others lost their parents who went astray and ended up in prison. Some children unfortunately lost both parents... Currently, the Center houses 10 children of inmates, 5 abandoned children, 1 child orphaned by both parents, and 1 child without a father whose mother left, leaving them without a source of support.

Although they cannot yet express their feelings to the staff who care for them, the children understand very well that this is the only home that can bring them peace. Every meal, every sleep, every illness, every trip to the hospital, every school trip—all are taken care of by the Center's staff. Le Thi Anh Ninh innocently said: "For more than a year now, my three sisters and I have been cared for by the Center's parents, who look after our meals, our sleep, and take us to and from school. I'm in 5th grade, my younger sister Le Phuc Hieu is in 3rd grade, and my youngest sister Le Bao Vi is in 2nd grade."

Three meals a day for children should always ensure good nutritional quality.

Ms. Le Hau Hanh Giang, Deputy Head of the Care and Nurturing Management Department, said: "To ensure the children's health, the Center conducts daily check-ups to create menus for each child and ensures they take their medication on time. To prepare breakfast for the children, the kitchen staff are present from 5 a.m. Receiving the menu and lighting the stove, 17 children of different ages and preferences are served. Some have porridge, others have mashed rice. Older children have minced meat, braised pork, betel leaf rolls, etc. The dishes change every day. The biggest worry is that the children won't finish their portions. The youngest children are coaxed to eat, spoonfuls of milk."

Visiting the children's rooms, we found them to resemble a boarding school dormitory: besides beds, blankets, and neatly folded clothes, there were also study corners and bookshelves. Even though a school year had passed, the children still reminded each other to review their old lessons. They also went to the shared reading room to choose suitable books for themselves.

Looking at these children engrossed in their books, few realize that they have endured immense hardships at a very young age. Life's storms came too early, hardening many young hearts and causing them to become withdrawn. Some barely speak to anyone. Some are afraid of interacting with strangers. Some wake up crying in the middle of the night. But the patience and love of the staff at the Center have truly acted as their second parents, helping them regain a meaningful childhood and realize they haven't been abandoned in this world.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202605/mai-am-cua-nhung-tuoi-tho-bat-hanh-48c4050/