A lifeline for poor students in Quy Hop district.

(Baonghean.vn) -In accordance with Decision 157/2007/QD-TTg dated September 27, 2007, of the Prime Minister on credit for students, and given the characteristics of serving the mountainous district of Quy Hop, with its vast terrain, difficult living conditions, and large demand for loans, the Social Policy Bank of Quy Hop district has resolutely overcome difficulties to provide timely access to capital, creating educational opportunities for thousands of poor students in the area.

After more than 5 years of implementing the student loan program, Quy Hop district has seen 5,138 households receive loans totaling over 105 billion VND. The program has quickly become a part of daily life, making a positive contribution to the Party and Government's policy on promoting and developing education and ensuring social security in the area. During this period, no students in Quy Hop district had to drop out of school due to lack of tuition fees. Many families with 3-4 children attending school were able to provide just enough financial support for them to pursue their dreams. For example, the family of Mr. Truong Van Chien in Na Hieng village, Chau Hong commune (Quy Hop).

Mr. Chien's family has four children and is classified as a near-poor household. Their livelihood depends on agricultural production, and their economic situation is extremely difficult. To support their four children's education, Mr. Chien and his wife work tirelessly from dawn till dusk, farming, scavenging for ore, and doing odd jobs to earn money. Despite their hard work and dedication, they still couldn't afford to cover all four children's education expenses. Their eldest daughter, Truong Thi Hong, despite passing the university entrance exam, had to drop out to work and help her parents support her younger siblings' education.

Mr. Truong Van Chien shared: “Right at the most difficult time, my family, like many other households in the commune, received the good news that the State had a policy to provide loans to students from disadvantaged backgrounds to cover their study expenses. Decision 157/2007/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister was truly a lifeline for my family and many others. My family was approved for a loan of 51 million VND by the Na Hieng village savings and loan group to cover the expenses of three children: Truong Thi Hue - studying at Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry; Truong Thi Lan - studying at Vinh Medical College; and Truong Van Phu - studying at Hanoi University of Forestry. Currently, two of my children have graduated, have stable jobs, and are actively supporting their parents in repaying the loan. The outstanding debt is now only 33 million VND.”

Disbursement of funds at the Social Policy Bank branch in Quy Hop district.

The inspiring example of the Vi Thi Kim Lien sisters from the 11th grade in Quy Hop town, who overcame adversity to pursue their education and become useful members of society, has earned the admiration of many. Thanks to the student loan policy, the two sisters were able to continue their studies. The Kim Lien sisters were orphaned at a young age. Their father fell ill with a terminal disease and passed away when Kim Lien was only in first grade. Nearly ten years later, their mother remarried, but tragedy struck again a year after she gave birth to another sister; her mother suffered from heart disease and also passed away.

At that time, Kim Lien was in 8th grade. Life was extremely difficult; her stepfather, unable to support the three sisters, had abandoned them. It's impossible to fully describe the hardship the three sisters endured without both parents, without a place to live, and with no one to help care for the family. Kim Lien, as the eldest sister, became the main breadwinner, attending school and working part-time to earn money to support the family and raise her younger siblings.

When her younger sister passed the entrance exam to Nghe An Teacher Training College, the burden once again fell on Lien's shoulders, seemingly insurmountable. However, thanks to the government's policy of providing loans to students to cover their educational expenses, Kim Lien bravely applied for a loan for her sister's education, receiving 800,000 VND per month. After three years of study with good academic performance, her sister was hired to work at Chau Loc Primary School. A few years later, the two sisters repaid the loan to the bank as agreed.

Worried about her younger sister having a stable job, Kim Lien passed the entrance exam to the Nghe An College of Culture and Arts. During her three years of study, she received a student loan of 21.3 million VND from the Social Policy Bank of Quy Hop district. After graduating, she was hired as a teacher at Chau Cuong Secondary School. Now, both sisters have stable jobs, and their lives are less difficult than before. Thanks to the student loan program, the two sisters received timely financial assistance to cover their studies and achieve the good results they have today.

In addition, in Quy Hop district, thousands of students have accessed capital to cover their educational expenses, helping them realize their dreams of escaping poverty in remote and underdeveloped mountainous villages.

Text and photos: Quynh Lan