Doan Ngoc YY's grandmother is very proud of her grandson. He is a good student, well-behaved, and loves his grandmother - Photo: YEN TRINH
The girl has just passed the entrance exam and enrolled in Ho Chi Minh City University of Education , Long An province branch.
A month after entering school, every weekend, rain or shine, she took the bus twice, more than 2 hours, from Long An to Ho Chi Minh City to help her mother take care of her sick grandmother.
Orphaned child, mother becomes "multi-field" employee
When she was young, YY's family lived in Cho Moi, An Giang . When she was in elementary school, one day her father was selling fruit on the street when he had an accident. Then he had to undergo dialysis. Her mother was worried about finding a cure for her father. In less than two years, the mother and children fell into despair when the main breadwinner of the family passed away.
Life in the countryside was too difficult, so Ms. Huynh Ngoc Linh (44 years old, Y's mother) brought her daughter and youngest son, who was just over 2 years old at that time, along with Y's grandmother to Ho Chi Minh City.
They went through several places to stay, depending on each other to survive. Luckily, the current owner was kind enough to reduce the room price a bit, to 3 million VND/month.
Every morning, Ms. Linh wakes up at 4am. She takes care of all the household chores by herself. Even though she has a torn ligament and degenerative arthritis, she never takes a day off.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Linh saved up money to rent a small fruit stall. Her side job was housework, earning 50,000 VND/hour but few people hired her.
“Whenever someone calls me, I drive a motorbike taxi to take their children to school, for about 20,000 VND each time. I buy cellophane paper and have it ready, so when someone calls, I can wrap flowers or gifts for them. I also pluck grey hair for older women to earn some money,” she confided.
Ms. Huynh Ngoc Linh, mother of Doan Ngoc YY, is proud of her daughter's good studies but worried because her family's situation is too difficult - Photo: NGOC SANG
YY always helps her mother with housework and takes care of her grandmother. She looked for a job since middle school to earn some money to help her mother - Performed by: NGOC SANG - NHA CHAN - DIEM HUONG - TON VU
Trying food at the conference: "Sometimes it hurts my stomach but I try to make money"
In 9th grade, Y decided to drop out of school or go to vocational school. “I was wondering whether to study or drop out. At that time, the pandemic broke out. There was nothing to eat at home. I thought a lot, if I went to school, my mother would have to pay a lot of expenses. If I dropped out, I could help my mother earn money.”
Ms. Linh encouraged her child to continue studying. Only by studying will she not have to suffer like her mother in the future. She confided: “Y is understanding, obedient, studies well, and knows how to help her mother. I just hope that she will study well and succeed.”
The understanding and strong orphan girl – Photo: YEN TRINH
Since junior high school, Y has done all kinds of extra work to earn money to help her mother buy rice and books.
She even attends seminars on food, milk, etc. for teenagers to earn money.
“I tasted the dishes and gave feedback to the brand, getting paid 70,000 VND/time. Many days I had a stomachache but didn’t dare complain, I really wanted to earn money to help my mother.”
Every day she comes home late at night, she helps clean the house, take care of her younger sibling and studies.
In the summer, YY worked as a cafe assistant for 18,000 VND/hour. “I found a place to work from morning to afternoon so that the wages would be higher. I gave that money to my mother to buy rice and saved it to buy uniforms and school supplies,” Y said.
She shyly said, she also copied notebooks for her friend, each page was 3,000 VND.
He was always in the top 3 of his class in high school. The direct reason was: “The top 3 students get more practice books, saving money on buying them. I often ask for textbooks from my seniors.”
I like being an elementary school teacher, even though the road is bumpy.
New students of the University of Education - Photo: YEN TRINH
Some time ago, Y researched the majors, tuition fees of schools, which were expensive, which were cheap. She passed the early admissions to 7 schools. She chose to study pedagogy because the tuition was cheaper, and she liked being a teacher.
From the admission score of high school transcripts in physics and chemistry combined with the specialized capacity assessment test of math and medicine to study at the branch of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education in Long An.
"I wish to become a teacher to teach children how to read and write, and later have a stable job to take care of my mother and grandmother," she said.
The university sky opens up the future, but also opens up a long journey not only in terms of distance from the place of study, but also requires perseverance when Y only has a little pocket money in his pocket.
In the rented room next to Ba Chieu market (Binh Thanh district, Ho Chi Minh City), Y's family has nothing valuable except a refrigerator, stacks of books and certificates. In the kitchen is a box of instant noodles. He happily shows off two specialized books he bought with his small part-time income.
Her younger brother is in 7th grade, mildly hyperactive, a good student, and wears thick glasses like his older sister. When his older sister talks, he listens attentively. People who meet him for the first time may feel that his younger brother often talks nonsense, but Y is always gentle with him, asking, “Are you hungry?”, “Have you showered yet?”…
Outside, darkness was falling. The only meals consisted of raw vegetables, cucumbers, and a pot of braised pork that had been stewed for three days. When the family was too busy or short on money, they ate instant noodles.
She lit incense and placed the bag of cakes on her father’s altar. The room was small so the altar was placed on top of the refrigerator. The gentle eyes in the portrait seemed to want to tell her daughter to try her best, her father was no longer in this world to be her shoulder to lean on but would watch over her every step.
Y's voice was determined: "If I receive a scholarship from Tuoi Tre newspaper, I will use it to pay for tuition and buy medicine for my grandmother...".
Hearing that YY was admitted to university, Ms. Phan Thi Bich Ngoc (teacher at Ha Huy Tap Secondary School, Ho Chi Minh City) was very happy: "Your efforts have paid off. The road ahead will be full of difficulties, but I believe that with determination and passion, you will overcome them to become the best teacher."
She taught Y physics since 6th grade, but when Y's name was mentioned, she immediately remembered him. Knowing his circumstances, she often encouraged and cared for him. She also taught Y's younger brother. She said that Y was shy before, perhaps due to his inferiority complex.
She asked and shared, and the little student started to become more active. “I love you so much, even though it was difficult, YY still tried to bring me a pair of watermelons during Tet. She is very kind, so studying at the Pedagogical University is really suitable for Y,” she expressed.
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, Tuoi Tre is there" - 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, etc. for new students.
![[Photo] Binh Trieu 1 Bridge has been completed, raised by 1.1m, and will open to traffic at the end of November.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/10/2/a6549e2a3b5848a1ba76a1ded6141fae)
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