Supporting disadvantaged students to attend school.

The start of the school year is fast approaching. For families with limited financial resources, this is a time when parents struggle to prepare their children for the new school year. Showing empathy and support, women's associations at all levels in the city have been organizing many practical and meaningful activities to care for and assist the children of members and women in difficult circumstances to attend school.

The Women's Union of Phuoc Thoi ward and benefactors presented gifts to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds ahead of the new school year 2025-2026.

The gift-giving ceremony for underprivileged students with excellent academic performance, organized by the Phuoc Thoi Ward Women's Union in the Binh Thuan area, took place in a warm atmosphere with the participation of ward Women's Union officials, local women's branches, benefactors, and 80 students. According to Ms. Pham Bach Tuyet, President of the Phuoc Thoi Ward Women's Union, each gift package included a leather school bag, notebooks, and school supplies worth 250,000 VND, funded through social mobilization efforts by the Women's Union.

Holding the gift he had just received, Huynh Pham Duy Khang from Binh Thuan province emotionally shared: "My mother's health is failing and she can't work, while my father works as a construction laborer with an unstable income. This year I'm entering 8th grade. With this gift, my parents will worry less, and I will have more motivation to overcome difficulties and study well."

Nguyen Thien An's family, residing in Binh Thuan province, is also facing difficult circumstances. This year, Thien An is in 8th grade, and he has a younger sister in elementary school. A few months ago, Thien An's grandmother suffered a stroke, and his mother has to constantly care for her, preventing her from working. The family's economy mainly relies on the profits from his father's scrap metal business. Thien An expressed: "I thank the kind people who donated the leather schoolbag and school supplies. When I get home, I will share the gifts with my sister so that both of us will have the motivation to study and progress."

The Thoi Long Ward Women's Union recently coordinated the awarding of gifts and scholarships to disadvantaged students in the area. Ms. Huynh Thi Phuong Thao, President of the Thoi Long Ward Women's Union, stated: “Before the start of the new school year, the Ward Women's Union mobilized 20 scholarships, totaling 20 million VND, to be given to disadvantaged students, aiming to create favorable conditions for them to study well.” Ms. Tran Thi Be Ba from Long Hoa area, who brought her granddaughter, Ngo Thi My Han, to receive the gift, said: “My family is classified as near-poor, and my husband and I mainly work as laborers to make a living. My Han's parents have separated and have their own lives. I haven't bought anything for my granddaughter yet, so I'm very sad. This gift is very meaningful; it eases my family's worries, and my granddaughter will be better dressed for school.”

To provide timely support for disadvantaged students to attend school, starting in early July 2025, many local women's associations sent letters to departments, agencies, businesses, and philanthropists to solicit scholarships and school supplies. Women's associations in various wards and branches have developed and maintained many practical models for promoting education and talent. Notable examples include the model of mobilizing officials and members to collect and sell scrap materials to raise funds for scholarships to support children of disadvantaged members, established by the Thoi Long Ward Women's Association; the "Student Flower" model – mobilizing support for bicycles and scholarships for children of members at the beginning of the school year, established by the Cai Rang Ward Women's Association; and the "Turning Waste into Health Insurance" model of the Ninh Kieu Ward Women's Association…

In addition, the Women's Union branches in communes and wards directed their sub-branches to prioritize providing interest-free revolving capital to female members to help care for their children during the back-to-school season. Receiving 5 million VND in revolving capital, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy from Long Thanh area, Thoi Long ward, bought clothes and school supplies for her two children. Ms. Thuy shared: “Our family doesn't own any land for farming; my husband and I do small-scale trading and weaving to make a living. We have two children in high school. This revolving capital helps me alleviate some of the worries about the new school year's expenses.”

In addition to providing care and support, the Women's Union branches in communes and wards assign staff to attend gift-giving and scholarship awarding ceremonies in various areas. Through these activities, they promptly encourage and support disadvantaged students in pursuing their dreams.

Text and photos: TAM KHOA

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/tiep-suc-hoc-sinh-hoan-canh-kho-khan-den-truong-a189960.html