My wish is that all the children will have the opportunity to go to school.

For many years, siblings Truong Nhat Huy (born in 2011) and Truong Minh Thi (born in 2013) have relied on their elderly and ailing aunt and grandmother in Tan Liem village, Trieu Do commune, Trieu Phong district. Huy and Thi's mother suffers from the effects of Agent Orange/dioxin, rendering her mentally impaired. Their education depends entirely on their aunt. Despite her best efforts, the lives of the aunt and the three siblings remain difficult. Huy and Thi have yet to experience the joy of going to school...

Ms. Tuyen and her grandchildren are hoping to receive attention and assistance from kind-hearted people so they can overcome their difficulties - Photo: HN

For many years, the old house of Mrs. Truong Thi Thanh Tuyen (72 years old), the grandmother of Huy and his siblings, has been devoid of laughter. The whole family is still burdened with worries and struggles to make ends meet. “From childhood until now, I have always lived in poverty. In 1990, when I was pregnant with Huy and his siblings' mother, I had to work hard and strenuously, and my diet was inadequate. As a result, my child was very weak and had a deformed head. Even so, I still persevered, working hard to raise him, hoping he would grow up healthy,” Mrs. Tuyen recounted, her voice choked with emotion.

Growing up, Huy's mother, Truong Thi Nga, frequently suffered from illnesses and showed signs of mental instability. After examination, she was diagnosed with Agent Orange/dioxin poisoning. Sympathizing with her children's suffering, Mrs. Tuyen always took meticulous care of them. However, Nga's condition worsened over time, and she lost control of her behavior.

During her aimless wanderings, Nga became pregnant and subsequently gave birth to Huy and Thi. Tragedy piled upon tragedy when her two children were born unhealthy and not as intelligent as other children. Since their birth, Mrs. Tuyen and their aunts and uncles have done their best to care for Huy and Thi, but the family still struggles to provide enough food and clothing. This is because Mrs. Tuyen's other children are also in difficult circumstances and cannot offer much assistance.

Mrs. Tuyen's voice suddenly softened when she spoke about her grandson, Truong Nhat Huy's, going to school. She explained that because the family was so poor, struggling to make ends meet, and without anyone to help with the paperwork for her grandson, Huy, despite being 14 years old, had never been to school. Without education, Huy always looked listless and sad. All day long, he just stayed home playing, unable to help the family with anything and uncertain about his future.

More fortunate than her older brother, Thi was able to have her paperwork and documents processed by her maternal aunt, who applied for her to attend school under the inclusive education program. Currently, Thi is in 6th grade at Trieu Do Primary and Secondary School in Trieu Phong district.

Ms. Tuyen said emotionally, “Since Thi started school, my granddaughter and I have received much help from teachers and neighbors. However, I am always worried that when she goes to higher education, which requires more expenses, I won't know where to turn for support because her mother is mentally disabled and I am old and frail. Now, I only wish for one thing: that both of my unfortunate grandchildren can go to school, live in a loving environment, and experience joy like so many other children.” More than ever, Ms. Tuyen and her children and grandchildren desperately need the support and care from charitable organizations and individuals to have a brighter future…

Hoai Nhung

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/uoc-mong-cac-chau-deu-duoc-den-truong-194631.htm