Last weekend, I had a chance to go to Phuoc Son district, a remote area far away from Hoi An. I have been there three times; however this is the first time I had a chance to pay visits to such poor families and it made me immediately want to help them. It was an interesting trip and I think that if anyone has an opportunity to go there, you too will be keen on supporting children there.
We met many lovely girls who are from poor families with good school results. I really admire some of them who are just in grade 10 or 11 and yet have to cover all their school fees and living costs to continue their schooling. However, they still manage to always be ‘good’ students at school without even having extra tuition. There were some other girls that are working hard all time in the family farm and only have time to study at night but they still do well at school and have good results.
I was impressed by a lovely girl, ‘T’, whose mother left home many years ago and she is currently living with her father and younger brother in a small house. Her father has been mentally ill since her mother suddenly left home and his health is not as good as before. For this reason she has to care for everything in the home including all financial issues. Fortunately she has a paternal aunt who lives next door and sometimes supports her a little bit. However the aunt is a hired laborer and her income is very low. As a result ‘T’ sells fruit in the market in order to make a living and support her family.
Her aunt told us while crying that she was unable to support ‘T’ if she passed the university entrance exam although she has been an excellent student for many years. Being asked about university, ‘T’ seems very keen on going to university; however, she realized that the chance for her dream coming true is very tiny. She also has to look after a grade 10 brother, at least until he finishes high school. Her opportunity to have tertiary education seems impossible now, but she would love to have that chance.
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