Kim Chi is 30 years old from the Duy Xuyen district, roughly
a 15 minute drive south of Hoi An. One
of 6 children raised by a single mother, she grew up, and still lives, there so
knows first-hand the struggles that children face in this underprivileged area. Now married with 2 daughters of her own, Kim
Chi has spent the last 6 years as a CEF Vietnam staff member. In fact, she was one of the original 2 staff
members that Linda Burn, founder of the organisation, hired. Her background has had a profound effect on
how she now lives her life, and the career she has chosen to help poor and
disadvantaged girls continue their education.
Kim Chi’s siblings were like many of the children in Duy
Xuyen in that they left school at around the age of 7 years old but, due to her
academic ability, Kim Chi was encouraged by her mother to stay on. Education isn’t
completely free in Vietnam and parents must contribute to their children’s
schooling. When these parents rely on
low paid manual farm work and selling produce such as vegetables, it can be
very difficult to keep their children in school – therefore putting pressure on
the children to leave school and raise an income to help support the family.
When Kim Chi was around 14 years old, her mother was unable
to work and could not continue to fund her education but Kim Chi’s drive to go
to university so she could improve not only her own life but that of her
mother, prompted her to talk to her Uncle who knew of an NGO-run children’s
home where she could apply to be housed, fed and funded to continue her
education at the local High School.
Initially, as the new girl, it wasn’t a happy experience for
her, but she realised that the young girls were being bullied by the boys and
stepped in to be their protector. She became their ‘big sister’ and supported
them through their time there – a role she still embodies as mentor to the 37
girls under her wing in the CEF programs.
At University, Kim Chi was mentored and was able to share
her struggles with someone who supported and guided her through tough
times. Every month, her own students
check in with her to share their experiences and Kim Chi is there to listen,
guide and help in any way she can in order for the girls to overcome their
difficulties and ensure they are strong enough to continue with their studies
and push to do well. Once again, she is the protective ‘big sister’.
She always knew that she wanted to work for an NGO. From her own experiences growing up in an
underprivileged background, being supported by an NGO to continue her education
at High School and then on through University, she knew she wanted to give back
and change things – hence her focus and drive for all the girls in her care
through CEF.
In Kim Chi’s own words: “I want to give back to someone else
to help them with their education. While I work with CEF, I always think that I
am lucky.”
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