Strangers rushed to help the single mother and her four children escape anonymity.

Ms. Miep combs her children's hair - Photo: DOAN CUONG

Single mother and four children

Under the scorching sun, the small, dark rented room of single mother Thi Miep and her four children in Hoa Minh ward (Lien Chieu district, Da Nang ) is stiflingly hot.

Seeing the four children (the oldest 12 years old, the youngest 4 years old) lying sprawled on the floor was heartbreaking for everyone.

"The children haven't started school yet, and fearing they might wander off into the streets, someone bought them a television and some toys so they could play together while their mother was working," lawyer Mai Quoc Viet said.

Children eagerly await their mother's return from work - Photo: DOAN CUONG

It was past noon when Ms. Miệp returned.

With one eye damaged, her hard life had made her look older than her 36 years.

Miệp comes from a border region of Binh Phuoc province. Her family life was unhappy, so she brought her children to Da Nang. The early days were incredibly difficult because it was a strange land with unfamiliar people. "Without any documents and being illiterate, I couldn't find work, so no one would hire me," Miệp recalled.

Amidst those hardships, the mother and her five children received help from neighbors and strangers alike.

She was also introduced by a "stranger" to a job washing dishes – which she used to earn a living to support her children.

Many times her eyes ached, but she still tried to go to work. "If I don't go to work, my children won't have anything to eat. Thinking about my children makes me have to go," Ms. Miệp said.

In between parts of the story, Ms. Miệp paused for a long time before continuing. She mentioned that someone had come to pick her up to go get her ID card. "They helped me, but I don't know their names. They asked for my phone number, but I can't read it, and I can't remember the number," she said honestly.

The journey to help the five mother and children escape anonymity.

Ms. D. - a resident of Da Nang - lives near where Miep and her mother are staying, so she knows about their difficult situation and has helped them with food and supplies.

But what worries Ms. D. most is that the five mother and children have no identification documents. Especially the children, they need to go to school. They have a future. "Without documents, the mother and children are like anonymous people," Ms. D. confided.

Ms. D. discussed the matter with lawyer couple Mai Quoc Viet (Da Nang Bar Association) to work together.

A mother and her five children in a small rented room - Photo: DOAN CUONG

Ms. D. allowed Ms. Miep to register as a resident in her family. Meanwhile, the lawyer couple, Mr. Viet and his wife, assisted in writing the relevant documents and drove Ms. Miep to get her identity card. "The police officers knew about this case and helped process it very quickly," Mr. Viet said.

After Ms. Miep received her citizen ID card, the lawyer couple rushed to the ward office to get birth certificates for their children.

However, we were only able to issue birth certificates for two children (issued in January 2024) because they already had birth certificates.

Two children still haven't been able to have their births processed because one child doesn't have a birth certificate, and the other child's birth certificate has the wrong mother's name.

Mr. Viet was instructed to return to Binh Phuoc to find two witnesses who could testify that they had seen Ms. Diep give birth, and to contact the place of birth to complete the procedures for reissuing the correct information...

"Given the situation of the five family members, with no money and Ms. Miệp's memory being inconsistent, returning to her hometown is almost impossible," lawyer Việt said, adding that he has written a petition to the authorities.

Accordingly, in September 2023, Mr. Viet provided free legal advice to Ms. Diep to help her register the birth certificates for her children.

Ms. Miệp was born and raised in a remote hamlet in Bình Phước province; she belongs to the Xtiêng ethnic minority group. She is illiterate, has limited vision in one eye, and lacks a stable occupation.

Ms. Miệp has four children, but because they don't have birth certificates, they haven't been able to go to school.

Thanks to the care and assistance of her neighbors in the Hoa Minh area, and the support of the ward police, Ms. Miep was able to obtain a legal place of residence and get her citizen identity card.

After obtaining identity cards, the process of issuing birth certificates for Ms. Miệp's children encountered difficulties with the child born in 2012 and the child born in 2018...

At the same time, the Vietnamese lawyer also sent a document to Ms. Miệp's hometown to verify whether birth certificates had been issued for the children.

For nearly a year, the Vietnamese lawyer couple has been working tirelessly to help Ms. Miệp and her five children - Photo: DOAN CUONG

Recently, Vietnamese lawyers received guidance documents from the department.

"According to the regulations, it is still possible to obtain birth certificates for the children, but a witness is required. My wife and I will continue to go to the ward office to sign as witnesses," lawyer Viet said.

The neighborhood's dream

Mr. Nguyen Huy Dung, the head of the neighborhood committee, shared: "Now, our biggest wish is for all four children to be able to go to school."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-dung-chay-don-chay-dao-giup-nguoi-me-don-than-va-4-con-khong-con-vo-danh-20240612153031966.htm