An example of overcoming difficulties.

(Baonghean)At the recent awards ceremony "Lighting up the dreams of Nghe An children, honoring underprivileged children who overcome difficulties in 2013" organized by the Provincial Youth Union, Tran Dinh Phong - a 5th grade student from Dien Doai Primary School - Dien Chau - was a figure who garnered much affection from everyone present.

Looking at his bright, intelligent face, few would guess that the boy has to live in such difficult circumstances. He has two siblings; his father died early from a serious illness, and his mother suffers from mental illness and is unable to work, so his older sister had to drop out of school to support Phong's education. While his sister works far from home, Phong has to take care of everything at home, from cooking and cleaning to caring for his mother. Whenever his mother's mood changes, she becomes irritable, wanders away from home, breaks things, and no longer recognizes her family. Phong has to rely on neighbors and cousins ​​to "keep her calm" and give her medicine. Only after his mother recovers does Phong bathe and feed her by himself.

In those difficult circumstances, I thought that the only way to escape poverty and have a brighter future was to study hard. Despite struggling with hunger and hardship, and despite having to miss school many times due to my mother's recurring illness, Phong was always an excellent student throughout his five years of primary school, leading his class in mathematics. In the 2012-2013 school year, Phong won the provincial-level award for excellence in mathematics. He said: “Before the competition, I didn't think I would win because I hadn't had much time to prepare. Achieving this has further strengthened my resolve to pursue my dream of becoming a good doctor so I can cure my mother's illness!”

Tran Dinh Phong

Phong is an excellent student, articulate, and a talented student leader at school, well-liked by teachers and classmates. During student activities, Phong is always the leader of group games and group lessons. As a student leader, Phong always tries to be close to his classmates, readily helping those with weaker academic performance or who are lazy learners. Therefore, his 5A class consistently leads in both academic and extracurricular activities at school. He also dreams that if he continues his education and pursues any field of activity, he wants to become a public speaker to inspire and motivate underprivileged children like himself.

Speaking about the future, Phong became emotional again: “Before, my older sister could send money home for food, clothes, and books, but now she’s gotten married, so it’s very difficult for her to support me and Mom anymore. We only have two plots of leased land, and on days when Mom isn’t sick, we can work a couple of days, otherwise we have to rely on our neighbors.”

This new school year brings even more difficulties for the poor boy. Fortunately, on June 1st, he received a scholarship from the commune's education fund, sponsored by people from his hometown living away from home, in recognition of exemplary students like Phong. He said: "Although I don't have the same opportunities as my peers, I feel very lucky because I've always received care from my teachers, friends, and many social organizations. I think that no matter the circumstances, the most important thing is one's own effort."

Text and photos: Thanh Nga