Worried about his child's tuition, a single father drives around the neighborhood to see if anyone is looking for a job.

When he heard that his son was going to university, Mr. Le Van Nghien was panic-stricken with worry. He had no cow to sell, and the charity house he owned wouldn’t be worth much if mortgaged, so where would he get money to send his son to school?

New student Le Thi My Hanh, Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture - Photo: MAU TRUONG

"Single" father loves his children immensely, working from construction, digging ditches to… butchering pigs

In October, the humid weather in the West made Mr. Nghien’s work unfavorable. Construction projects near his house were also out of work, ditch digging and mud filling were not hired, and pig slaughtering work came and went at night.

All day, Mr. Nghien drives his old car around the neighborhood looking for jobs to do for a few days to earn money to pay for his children's school fees.

Having just turned 44, Mr. Nghien looks much older than his real age. "I have never had a day of real rest in my life, and I have never left the village. Every day when I wake up, I have to worry about food for my two daughters and my elderly parents."

In 2006, storm No. 9 (Durian storm) destroyed Mr. Nghien's family house in Tan Thanh commune, Giong Trom district, Ben Tre province. At the same time, another storm also arose in his family's home. His wife quietly left the three of them to find new happiness, leaving behind his two daughters, Le Thi My Tien, only 5 years old, and Le Thi My Hanh, 18 months old.

"Storm No. 9 destroyed the thatched house. The children's mother was already dissatisfied with her husband's poor situation, so that day she said she was going to buy milk for the children and then left. Since then, she has not asked or visited her children once," said Nguyen Thi Gioi, grandmother of Tien and Hanh.

The daughter studies well thanks to YouTube

New student Le Thi My Hanh and her father, Le Van Nghien - Photo: MAU TRUONG

The two sisters Tien and Hanh grew up in poverty and deprivation. No one in the family was literate, but their grandparents worked hard to send them to school.

Every day, her grandparents went to work as hired rice harvesters and mud cleaners; while Nghien worked as a construction worker during the day and helped out at slaughterhouses at night. The family survived until Tien was in 9th grade, but the economy was so bad that Tien had to drop out of school to work as a factory worker, leaving Hanh to go to school.

"My sister Tien really dropped out of school and went to work as a factory worker. My sister was a very good student, so when she dropped out of school, she was very sad. I felt remorseful and promised that I would try to study hard like her in the future," My Hanh said.

Not having money for extra classes like many of her classmates, Hanh chose to study on social media platforms. "During my studies, I usually systematize all the knowledge in class. Then I expand my knowledge in textbooks and listen to more lectures from teachers on YouTube. Especially for the weak parts, I focus on studying them thoroughly and deeply and doing a lot of advanced exercises," Hanh shared her study secrets.

"Since entering high school, I have been trying my best, because I know that as a poor child, I have to work hundreds, even thousands of times harder than other people," Hanh confided.

Although she did not attend extra classes, thanks to her reasonable learning methods, Hanh always achieved excellent results in her high school years and was in the top 4 of her class. Recently, Hanh passed the university entrance exam and became a new student majoring in tourism at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture.

In her application for Tuoi Tre 's Support to School scholarship, Hanh said: "My biggest challenge is the social prejudice that poor children should study pedagogy, or else they should go to work. I think differently, we all have our own choices, no one can prove that those who choose or go against that viewpoint fail. There are many successful people in life who have very low starting points. They were once poor students who rose up by their own strength. Looking at admirable examples like that, I can overcome challenges in life."

The day Hanh was announced to have passed the university entrance exam, everyone in the family was overwhelmed with happiness because she was the only one in the family to go to university. But the joy was fleeting, and anxiety and worry soon overcame her because of the burden of tuition fees.

Mr. Ho Thanh Phuong, head of Tan Loi hamlet (Tan Thanh commune, Giong Trom district, Ben Tre province), said that Le Thi My Hanh's family is near-poor.

"The main breadwinner of the family is Mr. Le Van Nghien, but he works as a hired hand every day so his income is unstable. Life is already difficult, now that he has a child in college, it's even more difficult," said Mr. Phuong.

Model of helping each other pay tuition fees for children in small neighborhood

Mr. Nghien recalled the day his daughter announced her university admission, he felt like he was dreaming because he was so happy and joyful. But he suddenly remembered that a few days ago, a friend of his also had a child going to university and had to mortgage his land certificate and sell a cow to pay for his child's admission, he felt sad again. Because he knew that there was nothing valuable left in the house that could be sold to pay for school fees. In the end, he and a few friends in the group of workers who were also in trouble chose to support each other to pay the tuition fees.

"For example, when it's time for someone in the group to pay their tuition, we all chip in a little to make sure it's enough. When it's someone else's child's turn to pay for it, we do the same. Thanks to that, my daughter has enough money for her initial tuition. As for the next semesters, I don't know how we'll pay for it," said Nghien.

We invite you to join us in School Support.

Tuoi Tre newspaper's 2024 School Support Program launched on August 8, expected to award 1,100 scholarships with a total cost of more than 20 billion VND (15 million VND for new students with difficulties, 20 special scholarships worth 50 million VND/scholarship for 4 years of study and learning equipment, gifts...).

With the motto "No young person can go to university due to poverty", "If new students encounter difficulties, there is Tuoi Tre " - as a commitment to support new students in the past 20 years of Tuoi Tre .

The program received contributions and support from the "Accompanying Farmers" Fund - Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company, Vinacam Education Promotion Fund - Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company and the "Quang Tri Affection" Club, Phu Yen; "Supporting Students to School" Club of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam - Da Nang, Tien Giang - Ben Tre and Tien Giang, Ben Tre Entrepreneurs Club in Ho Chi Minh City, Dai-ichi Life Vietnam Company, Mr. Duong Thai Son and friends with businesses and a large number of readers of Tuoi Tre newspaper...

In addition, Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company also sponsored 50 laptops for new students with special difficulties and lack of learning equipment worth about 600 million VND, Nestlé Vietnam Company Limited sponsored 1,500 backpacks worth about 250 million VND.

The Vietnam-USA Society English Language System sponsored 50 free foreign language scholarships worth 625 million VND. Through the State Bank, Bac A Commercial Joint Stock Bank sponsored 1,500 books on financial education, guiding financial management skills for new students...

Businesses and readers can support scholarships for new students by transferring to Tuoi Tre newspaper account :

113000006100 VietinBank, Branch 3, Ho Chi Minh City.

Content: Support " Support to school " for new students or specify the province/city that you want to support.

Readers and businesses abroad can transfer money to Tuoi Tre newspaper:

USD account 007.137.0195.845 Ho Chi Minh City Foreign Trade Bank;

EUR account 007.114.0373.054 Foreign Trade Bank, Ho Chi Minh City

with Swift code BFTVVNVX007.

Content: Support " Support to school " for new students or specify the province/city that you want to support.

In addition to funding scholarships, readers can support learning equipment, accommodation, jobs... for new students.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lo-sot-vo-hoc-phi-cho-con-cha-don-than-rao-xe-khap-xom-coi-co-ai-keu-man-viec-khong-20241104175752674.htm