Learn to repay the kindness of family.

(Baonghean) - The circumstances of Tran Thi Hien (9A class, Thanh An Secondary School - Thanh Chuong district) are quite special: Her father died in an accident when she was one year old; her mother left home, leaving her with her elderly grandfather. After her grandfather's death, Hien was taken in by her uncle's family... Lacking the love, care, and guidance of her parents, and facing difficult living conditions, Hien has overcome all obstacles to excel in her studies, achieving all-around academic excellence for many consecutive years...

Tran Thi Hien helps her aunt bundle brooms to sell.

In the empty house of Mr. and Mrs. Tran Cong Tau and Phan Thi Thuy (Hamlet 5, Thanh An Commune, Thanh Chuong District), the only valuable item is a cupboard. It serves as both a place to store the family's clothes and a "bookshelf" for their three children (two of their own and Hien – the daughter of their deceased older brother). When we arrived, Hien was helping her aunt bundle brooms to sell.

After her father passed away, Hien was taken in and cared for by her grandfather. Most of their meals consisted only of vegetables and pickled vegetables, as her grandfather was old and frail and no longer able to work; he had to shoulder three roles at once: grandfather, father, and mother to care for Hien. Hien said that only when her grandfather received his elderly allowance did their meals include a savory dish (he receives 180,000 VND per month as an elderly allowance). Despite living in poverty, her grandfather was very concerned about Hien's education. Touched by her grandfather's hard work, Hien was always determined to study hard to repay his kindness, and her perfect scores were gifts she dedicated to her beloved grandfather.

Her grandfather passed away when Hien was in sixth grade. Out of compassion for their unfortunate niece, despite their own extremely difficult circumstances (classified as a poor household in the commune), her uncle's family took Hien in, cared for her, and provided for her education. Hien shared: “My uncle and aunt's family is still struggling. Their lives depend on eight acres of leased land for five people; some seasons are good, some are bad. I'm lucky that my uncle and aunt love me like their own child and provide me with a full education.” Remembering her grandfather and grateful to her uncle and aunt, Hien vowed to work hard in her studies so that she could have a stable job in the future and help ease the burden on her uncle and aunt. Hien's aunt, Thuy, spoke affectionately of her orphaned niece: “Hien is very well-behaved and always diligent in her studies. After school, she comes home and immediately helps me cook, clean, and tutor her two younger siblings.”

At home, Hien is a filial granddaughter, and at school, she is loved by her teachers and friends, always willing to help her classmates. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly, Hien's English tutor, said: "Hien is a very determined student who has overcome adversity. Her family doesn't have the means to provide her with foreign language study books or a computer, so during recess, Hien always takes advantage of the time to review her lessons and do her homework; she borrows the school's computer lab to solve math problems online or participate in the IOE English competition. She excels in all subjects and is among the top 5 students in class 9A. All the subject teachers want to select her for the gifted student competition team to further develop her skills."

With her efforts to overcome her circumstances and strive for academic excellence, Hien consistently achieved the title of all-around excellent student for eight consecutive years; in 5th grade, she won second prize in the online math competition at the district level; in 6th grade, she was awarded the title of excellent student in math at the district level; in 7th grade, she was awarded the title of excellent student in English and Literature at the district level; and currently, she is being selected by the school to join the team for training to compete in the excellent student competitions in Math, Physics, Chemistry, etc.

Text and photos:Le Hoa