The pitiful plight of the widow and her three young children in their dilapidated house.

This is the heartfelt story of Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich, from Tien Phong hamlet, Nghi Loc commune (Nghe An province). Ms. Bich's family hopes for the community's support and sharing in their tragedy.

Tragic event

Five years ago, the small family wasn't exactly destitute when Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich and Mr. Vo Van Nguyen left their hometown to work as factory workers in the South. Then, tragedy struck when Mr. Nguyen discovered he had a serious illness: end-stage renal failure.

Ms. Bich was forced to quit her job to care for her husband. To pay for his treatment, they gradually sold off all their accumulated assets. With no money, no job, and his illness worsening, overwhelmed by suffering, Mr. Nguyen took his own life in 2022.

Holding a piece of paper with the words: "I'm sorry, wife! I couldn't provide for you and the children. Please try to take care of the children for me," Ms. Bich was like a soulless person, silently mourning her husband, then hugged her three young children and returned to her hometown of Nghi Loc.

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Ms. Bich recounted, her voice choked with emotion:“The grief over the death of their father hasn’t subsided yet. I have children, so I have to try not to dwell on it and constantly remind myself to try to overcome this so I can take care of them…”

A makeshift home for four impoverished individuals.

Leaving their hometown without a home and returning with nothing, Ms. Bich and her children were temporarily lent a dilapidated, abandoned house by relatives to live in. It's called a house, but it's not enough to protect the four of them from the sun and rain. It's a damp, cramped place, barely big enough to fit a rickety bed for four people to live in day after day.

After Typhoon No. 5 passed, the house was severely damaged, and the mother and her children were practically living outdoors. Perhaps the most valuable possession in this house is the bookshelf that a charitable community donated to Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich's children.

Every day, Ms. Bich goes to work at a shoe factory near her home to support her children. However, recently, her work has been frequently interrupted because the company is facing difficulties. So, she looks for any extra work she can find, from collecting dry firewood to sell to doing odd jobs for local people. Mother and children thus eke out a living on Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich's meager income.

A dream of a home

The poor woman received some support from her neighbors and community, including clothes and school supplies for her children. However, what she and her children desperately needed was shelter, and that was beyond their means.

Although Ms. Bich owns a small garden, inherited from her parents, she cannot afford to build a house. In 2024, her family was included in the government's list of recipients for housing renovation assistance, receiving 50 million VND. However, for her, providing food for her three children is already a struggle; where would she find the financial resources to contribute to building a house, besides the government assistance?!

Upon learning this information, the Fatherland Front Committee of Nghi Loc commune encouraged Ms. Bich and her children, and is making efforts to call on the community to join hands in supporting the four of them to build a small house to live in.

However, currently, the four of them are living in constant anxiety, as this year's rainy and stormy season is predicted to be even more complicated and potentially devastating. In their shack, which is hot even before the sun comes out and leaks even before it rains, Ms. Bich hopes for a "miracle" to happen to her and her children.

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All donations should be sent to: Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich, Tien Phong Hamlet, Nghi Loc Commune, Nghe An Province, phone number: 0373.428.678; account number: 1039555075, Vietnam Foreign Trade Bank - Vietcombank.
You can also contact the program's reporter, journalist Nguyen Ngoc Dung, from Nghe An Newspaper and Television Station, at 0913.064.060.