Warm arms of 'Godmother'

Protect the unfortunate

The late afternoon sunlight of the early summer days was quite hot, making the gloomy atmosphere in the small house in Dien Bien block, Nghi Huong ward (Cua Lo town) even more stuffy. Passing through a sandy yard typical of a coastal village, entering the small house, Hoang Van Phuoc and his aunt sat sadly on the steps, the smell of incense smoke filled the air, making the atmosphere even more depressing. Phuoc is in 9th grade this year, his father passed away more than ten years ago. The two brothers were raised and educated by their mother, who worked as a construction worker. Then disaster struck again when Phuoc's mother unfortunately had an accident and fell from scaffolding to the ground. After a period of treatment at the hospital, she did not survive. His mother passed away, leaving behind two children alone in this world.

Phuoc's aunt said, "It's only been a little over ten days since my mother passed away. Phuoc often misses her and cries alone, he feels so sorry for her. She got married and lives in the South. When she heard the bad news, she immediately came back here to take care of her grandchild, but she couldn't stay with him for long. Phuoc's brother had just gone to work in Japan for a month when his mother passed away, but he couldn't come back. My sister-in-law passed away, leaving behind two helpless children and a huge debt from borrowing money from the bank to send her children to work abroad and to renovate the house." After saying that, the aunt sighed again, her eyes filled with tears. Hearing her say that, Phuoc sat in deep thought, his eyes sad and absent-minded, looking into the space filled with the smell of incense smoke.

Cua Lo Town Women's Union visits and encourages children in especially difficult circumstances. Photo: HT

Lighting incense to pay respect to the deceased, Ms. Phung Thi Hanh - President of the Women's Union of Cua Lo town and the union officials of Nghi Huong ward encouraged and shared the family's loss. Since the day Phuoc's mother passed away, the Women's Union officials of Nghi Huong ward often visited, cared for and encouraged Phuoc, and provided additional support to the family of the uncle who took care of him. Sharing with the family, Phuoc was mobilized by the school and the women's union to raise some money to buy an electric motorbike to go to school, and pay off a small part of the bank debt. Every day, Phuoc went to his uncle's house to eat and then returned at night to study, alone in front of the altar filled with incense smoke. "The union has called on a benefactor to support Hoang Van Phuoc with 1 million VND per month until he finishes high school. If he passes the university entrance exam, we will continue to support him, contributing to encourage him to overcome his fate and strive to study," said Ms. Phung Thi Hanh.

In Cua Lo town, in addition to Hoang Van Phuoc, there are 14 cases of orphans and students in especially difficult circumstances who are being cared for and helped by women's associations at all levels through the implementation of the "Godmother" model. Of these, 7 children have been supported from 300,000 VND to 1 million VND/month, the remaining women's associations, in addition to regularly visiting and encouraging them, are connecting and calling for sponsors. For example, the situation of two sisters Tran The Trung and Tran Thi Uyen Trang in block 5, Nghi Tan ward. Their father passed away nearly 10 years ago, their mother disappeared, and they live with their elderly grandparents in a cramped house.

Trung's grandfather, who is in poor health, has quit his job at sea for three years now, so the lives of four people depend on his grandmother, who is in her seventies, to run the market and sell small fish trays. "Because of poverty, Trung's sister, who is in 10th grade this year, has dropped out of school to work as a cleaner and dishwasher for shops along the coast. I'm worried about how to let my grandchildren get a proper education," said Mr. Tran Cong Hoang, Trung's grandfather. To directly encourage him and his two grandchildren to try, the women's union of Nghi Tan ward has given books, some school supplies and clothes to the two grandchildren, and is actively calling for and connecting with benefactors to support them so they can continue to go to school.

Mr. Tran Cong Hoang and his wife are old and weak, raising three orphaned children of school age. Photo: HT

In Quynh Luu district, also through the "Godmother" model deployed from the beginning of 2022 until now, the "second mothers" who are women's union officials have sponsored, provided regular spiritual care, and provided material support to 95 children and students in especially difficult circumstances, mostly orphans of both parents or orphaned with a parent with an amount of nearly 200 million VND.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai - Head of the Women's Union of Quynh Bang commune said that the women's union of 13 villages in the commune have sponsored 13 orphans. In addition, the Women's Union of the commune supports 1 child and calls on 2 benefactors to sponsor 2 other children with a level of 5 - 6 million VND/year. The form of sponsorship is by giving health insurance cards, body insurance cards, books, school supplies and financial support of 2 million VND/year until the children are 18 years old. At the same time, the Women's Union members take turns caring for, asking about and encouraging the children and their families regularly. For example, the case of Dau Thi Tra My, a 2nd grade student in Van Ly hamlet. Tra My's mother is being treated at the Mental Hospital, her grandparents are over 70 years old and often sick. All living expenses depend on the help of the community. Therefore, Tra My can continue to go to school.

Humanitarian policy

Although the "Godmother" model has just been implemented by the Women's Union at all levels, it has received positive responses from the community, and the Women's Union members are the most enthusiastic, because they understand the great and humane meaning of this activity. They are mothers, have experience in taking care of children, so they always understand the disadvantages and losses of orphaned children, lacking the warmth and protection of relatives. For example, in Hung My commune, Hung Nguyen district, Ms. Nguyen Thi Gai - Head of the Commune Women's Union said that immediately after disseminating the policy of implementing the "Godmother" model, all 4/4 branches of the commune, all members realized that this is a practical and meaningful policy, so everyone is determined to make efforts to implement it immediately. Not only the Women's Union branches, when disseminating it to villages, hamlets, and small traders in the commune also received enthusiastic responses. Each person contributed a little to help sponsor 5 orphaned children in Hung My commune. More than 30 children were adopted by the women's association, which provided financial support, care, and spiritual encouragement to motivate them to strive forward.

Quynh Bang Commune Women's Union mobilized donations to sponsor 14 orphaned students in the commune. Photo: HT

In poor mountainous districts such as Ky Son and Tuong Duong, these are localities with a large number of poor children, especially disadvantaged children, and orphans, the implementation of the "Godmother" model is even more practical. However, due to the poor living standards of the people here, the self-contribution of support from women's associations still faces many difficulties. For example, in Ky Son, the whole district has 81 children in especially disadvantaged circumstances and orphans who have not been supported. The Women's Union of Ky Son district has only called for and raised donations to sponsor one orphan in Huu Kiem commune, and is still working to create resources to help the remaining children. According to the Chairman of the Provincial Women's Union, all District Associations have started implementing the "Godmother" model since the beginning of 2022. Associations at all levels mainly generate funding from collecting scrap, "turning waste into breeding stock"; At the same time, members contribute money and proactively call for and connect with others.philanthropistsponsorship

The “Godmother” model isWomen's UnionVietnam has deployed it nationwide since the beginning of 2022. This is a practical and meaningful action to fulfill the call of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, responding to the special emulation movement "The whole country joins hands and unites to prevent, fight and defeat the Covid-19 pandemic" launched by the Prime Minister. Initially, the "Godmother" Program aimed to mobilize cadres, members, organizations and individuals to respond to the program; to sponsor, support the care and upbringing of orphans (in the immediate future, focusing on orphans due to the Covid-19 pandemic) in difficult circumstances, creating conditions for them to develop comprehensively in the family and community environment.

Women's associations at all levels in Cua Lo town, Quynh Luu and Hung Nguyen districts collect scrap to sell to raise money to support poor and orphaned students. Photo: HT

After the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been gradually controlled, in addition to orphans whose parents died due to Covid-19, women's associations at all levels continue to implement the "Godmother" model by expanding the support objects. These are cases of orphans who have not been adopted or have received little support; orphans of both parents, orphans of one parent, have no place to rely on, or have a foster parent from a poor household or a difficult family. In addition to the funds raised by women's associations themselves through scrap collection activities, the associations also mobilize domestic and foreign units, organizations and individuals to support, directly take care of, sponsor or support resources to care for and raise children. From there, associations at all levels are responsible for monitoring the implementation of policies related to orphans in the locality. Members also play the role of "second mothers" to support and guide children and families who directly care for and nurture them to have full access to State policies, especially support in care, emotional and mental counseling and ensuring safety for children in the family and community environment.

The Central Women's Union also emphasized in directing all levels of the union when implementing the "Godmother" model that it must be based on the principle of complete voluntariness; respecting the provisions of the law on children's rights. The support must be consistent with the needs of the children. Maximum priority is given to conditions for children to be cared for and raised in the family, relatives, community, and hometown environment; public and transparent support sources and beneficiaries. In addition, there must be close coordination between the union organization where there are collectives and individuals who are "Godmothers" with the Party Committee, authorities, centers and grassroots union organizations where the children live. With the humane goal of this model, there have been and will be hundreds of thousands of children across the country, especially orphans, who will enjoy the warmth of love, and have a "second mother" to support them to overcome the harsh storms of life./.