During the unfamiliar days of enrolling at Can Tho University, new student Phan Nguyen Phuong Anh did not forget to call home to ask about her sister who has unfortunately suffered from cerebral palsy for the past 24 years.
Phan Nguyen Phuong Anh tries hard to study well to take care of her parents and older sister - Performed by: LAN NGOC - NHA CHAN - MAI HUYEN
New student Phuong Anh determined to get a university degree, despite many difficulties ahead - Photo: LAN NGOC
Phan Nguyen Phuong Anh (Long Ho district, Vinh Long ) asked her parents to let her go to school because she wanted to earn money through her studies.
Mother sells lottery tickets, father has arthrosis, second sister has cerebral palsy
Since childhood, seeing her parents working hard to earn money, Phuong Anh told herself to study hard so that she could repay her parents and help take care of her older sister.
In mid-September, during the days of heavy rain and storms, Ms. Nguyen Thai Duong (49 years old, Phuong Anh's mother) was disheveled from the rain and quickly covered the lottery ticket bag with her shirt. She smiled and said that she would rather get wet than let the lottery tickets get wet, because if the tickets were wet, they would not be able to be sold, and that day would be a big loss.
"I have been selling lottery tickets for nearly 20 years. I receive 100-120 tickets a day and then walk around the markets near my house to sell them. Many times customers do not buy, but I try to persuade them to buy them for me so that I have money to send my children to school and buy food for my eldest daughter who has cerebral palsy. My acquaintances know my difficult circumstances, so they feel sorry for me. Whenever they meet me, they buy lottery tickets to support me so that I can sell them all quickly and take care of my children. If I sell all the tickets, I make a profit of 100,000-120,000 VND/day. If I have any remaining tickets, I lose that much profit," Ms. Duong said.
Mr. Phan Hoang Huy (51 years old, Phuong Anh's father) said that he has been working as a construction worker for more than 20 years. When he was still healthy, whenever someone called him to work, he would go right away. Sometimes when there was no contractor calling him, he would drive himself to find a place that was doing construction or building a house and ask for a job.
The family meal was simple but the whole family happily gathered together - Photo: LAN NGOC
"Then 5 years ago, I had pain in both legs. I thought it was normal muscle pain, so I took some traditional Chinese medicine. But after a while, my legs gradually became weaker and I couldn't walk. When I went to the hospital, the doctor said that my hip joint was necrotic and I had to have surgery to be able to walk again. I spent months in a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for treatment. That time, it cost nearly 200 million VND. My wife had to borrow money to take care of me," Huy recalled.
Not being able to do heavy work like before, he still works as a construction worker with a salary of 250,000 VND/day. People sympathized with him so they let him do light work as a construction worker, as a way to help Huy's family.
Kim Anh (Huy's eldest daughter) is 24 years old this year but has cerebral palsy. Like a child, she needs her mother's help with eating and personal hygiene.
Due to his family’s difficult circumstances, the local government supported him with land. Mr. Huy was determined to build a decent house so that his three children would have a safe place to live, instead of the thatched house next to the river like before, even though it would take 5 years to build.
"Rice, soy sauce, instant noodles... are given by the temple. Whenever I sell all the lottery tickets, I buy more fish and meat for my children to have a decent meal to make up for the days of eating white rice with fermented bean curd and boiled vegetables," Ms. Duong said in a low voice.
After school, Phuong Anh often helps her mother with housework - Photo: LAN NGOC
"I will make money with a college degree"
Sometimes, when things got tough, her parents even wanted to let Phuong Anh drop out of school to find a job as a factory worker. But the new student wanted to study and earn money from her university degree, and did not want to be stuck in poverty due to lack of knowledge.
Phuong Anh wants to continue her dream of university, even though she knows that the path is full of obstacles. The cost of university education is high when her parents cannot afford it - Photo: LAN NGOC
"During my 12th grade year, I always thought about having to concentrate on studying hard to pass the university entrance exam. I considered a bachelor's degree as a "ticket" to help me use my knowledge to create material wealth to help my parents and take care of my unfortunate sister. I tried my best," Phuong Anh confided.
After graduating, Phuong Anh wants to work to earn money to help take care of her older sister and 9-year-old brother who is still in school - Photo: LAN NGOC
Ms. Pham Thi Hoa Dang - Phuong Anh's homeroom teacher - said that Phuong Anh is a diligent, studious student, and very polite to teachers. She never neglected her studies because of her family circumstances. On the contrary, Phuong Anh worked hard to achieve the title of excellent student of the school.
"Phuong Anh is a good student of her teachers and is loved by her friends. Now, she is standing on the threshold of university with a large expense. I hope there will be a benefactor to support her so that she can continue to go to school," Ms. Hoa Dang expressed.
Phuong Anh is currently a new student majoring in tourism at Can Tho University. On the day she completed the admission procedures, Phuong Anh’s mother had to borrow money to pay her tuition. The debt piled up even more when the family’s previous debt of 20 million VND had not yet been paid.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 in difficult circumstances, 20 special scholarships worth 50 million VND/scholarship for the entire 4 years of study and learning equipment, gifts...). With the motto "No young person can go to school because of poverty", "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 Scholarship Fund - Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company and the "Nghia Tinh Quang Tri" and Phu Yen Clubs; The " Support to School " Club of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam - Da Nang, Tien Giang - Ben Tre and the Tien Giang, Ben Tre Business Club in Ho Chi Minh City, Dai-ichi Life Vietnam Company, Mr. Duong Thai Son and friends, 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, lacking learning equipment worth about 600 million VND, Nestlé Vietnam Company Limited sponsored 1,500 backpacks worth about 250 million VND. The Vietnam - America Association 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, instructing financial management skills for new students...
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