The pitiable circumstances of the bright orphaned girl.

(Baonghean.vn) - We visited the family of Nguyen Thi Kim Thu, a student in class 3C at Quynh Thien B Primary School, Hoang Mai Town, just as she returned from school. Taking off her schoolbag, Thu went to the well to wash clothes and help her aunt cook. Early on, she was aware of her family's difficult circumstances, so Thu is quite independent and more mature than her peers.

Welcoming us into the small house, devoid of any valuable possessions left behind by her parents, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Quang (born in 1979) - Thư's maternal aunt - recounted: Thư is the only daughter of Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuc (born in 1976). As a single mother, Ms. Phuc always showered Thư with love and care, hoping to compensate for the emotional deprivations her daughter had experienced. Although life was difficult and she lacked a stable job, thanks to the help of her maternal relatives, the two of them managed to get by.

Despite her impoverished and unfortunate family life, Nguyen Thi Kim Thu always strived to excel in her studies and was consistently an exemplary student at her school. Photo: Thanh Thuy.

But misfortune soon struck the young child. In May 2014, while driving her grandmother to a doctor's appointment, Ms. Phuc was involved in a traffic accident and passed away. Already lacking the love of a father, and now with her mother gone, little Thu became an orphan at the tender age of six.

Thư's only remaining support is her grandmother, Nguyễn Thị Hạnh, who is nearly 70 years old. With a meager retired factory worker's salary, the two of them face countless hardships. On her first day of first grade, while her peers eagerly waited to be driven to school by their parents, Thư huddled behind her grandmother, her eyes filled with fear. At an age when she needs the care and guidance of her parents to adapt to a new learning environment, Thư has no one left but her frail, elderly grandmother.

Tragedy struck again when my maternal grandmother passed away after a sudden illness in September 2016. Out of love for her young niece who was orphaned at such a young age, my maternal aunt, Nguyen Thi Hong Quang, quit her job as a factory worker in the South to stay home and care for and raise her.

Outside of school hours, Thu is always well-behaved and helps her aunt with household chores. Photo: Thanh Thuy.

Currently, Ms. Quang does not have a stable job; she only does clothes alterations daily, earning just a few tens of thousands of dong a day. She is also thin and frail, making her unable to work as a hired laborer. With an unstable income and the need to support her niece's education, the lives of the two are extremely difficult. She doesn't dare think about her own happiness because she can't bear to leave her niece orphaned.

Despite her unfortunate circumstances and hardships, Thu is very diligent and academically gifted. Ms. Ho Thi Minh Tuyet, the homeroom teacher of class 3C, said: "In class, Thu is a quick-witted, diligent, and conscientious student. Every year she receives the title of 'Good Child of Uncle Ho' and is an outstanding student of the school. If given the opportunity to study, she will certainly excel in the future."

After saying goodbye to her family, the innocent yet sorrowful look in little Thu's eyes haunted us. We wondered what her future held.

Thanh Thuy

(Hoang Mai Radio Station)