A support system for children of working-class families facing difficult circumstances.
(Baonghean.vn) - Caring for the children of workers and laborers has long been a regular activity of the Nghe An Trade Union organization. With the dedication of the trade union officials, this activity is increasingly being implemented in a creative and practical way.
A large family
At the Nghe An Public Employees' Union, in addition to giving gifts to the children of union members, workers, and employees before the start of the new school year, the union also annually commends children with good academic achievements. Since the beginning of 2023, the grassroots unions under the Public Employees' Union have also enthusiastically participated in the "Godmother" program launched by the higher-level union.
Born in 2011, Luong The Uyen Nhi lost her father when she was in first grade. With a small family and her mother's poor health, Nhi and her mother live in hardship and poverty in an old, dilapidated house near the border in Tan Sang village, Ngoc Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district.
Knowing Nhi's situation, through the program..."Godmother"The Trade Union of the Provincial Party Committee of the Bloc of Provincial Agencies has adopted the child, undertaking to provide monthly financial support totaling an estimated 105 million VND over 7 years. Beyond simply providing material support, the Trade Union of the Provincial Party Committee of the Bloc of Provincial Agencies has truly given Nhi and her mother a warm and loving family.
Sharing her perspective on implementing this program, Ms. Ho Hong Lien – a trade union official of the Party Committee of the Provincial Agencies Bloc – confided: “We want to compensate for the child's material and emotional deprivations, and give her more loving, non-biological parents. That's why we travel hundreds of kilometers to visit the mother and child regularly, bringing gifts like clothes, books, and toys for her, and cooking warm family meals together, guiding her to be independent and do housework…”
Overwhelmed by the affection of her foster parents, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, Uyen Nhi's mother, couldn't hide her emotion: "Since her father passed away, Nhi has become very quiet and withdrawn. But the care, patience, and genuine love of the aunts and uncles from the Party Committee of the Provincial Agencies Bloc have helped her open up and accept them. She loves them very much; every time she meets them, she's very happy, and every time she says goodbye, she feels nostalgic… Before the new school year, they came to visit her, giving her a school bag, books, toys… and even teaching her how to make mooncakes. Nhi truly has more family, and my daughter and I have more support."
Uyen Nhi's case is one of 80 children who received support from the "Godmother" program implemented by grassroots trade unions under the Civil Servants' Union. This is also a prime example of the reality that: with the same program, if you invest a lot of dedication, love, and concern, you will reap well-deserved rewards.
Let's go to school together...
During the interactive session of the "Sharing Love, Helping Children Go to School" program in 2023, organized by the Cua Lo Town Labor Union, 10-year-old Nguyen Hoang Phuong Thao moved the entire audience to tears when she stood up to share her family's circumstances.
Having lost their father at a young age, Thao and her sister lived with their mother, a kindergarten teacher with a meager salary who often left early and returned late. Although they knew their mother and grandparents loved and compensated them immensely, Thao couldn't help but feel disheartened at times by their hardships and deprivations… Many of the children in the auditorium that day had similar circumstances to Thao.
"Sharing Love, Helping Children Go to School" is an annual activity implemented by the Cua Lo Town Labor Union to share and encourage children of union members and workers in difficult circumstances. Although the gifts may not be substantial in material terms, they carry immense spiritual value.
Sharing her thoughts on the 2023 program, Ms. Phung Thi Hanh, President of the Cua Lo Town Labor Union, said: “The new aspect of this year's program is that we have coordinated with the Cua Lo Town Department of Education and Training to call upon and connect units, businesses, grassroots trade unions, and philanthropists to join hands in sharing with children of union members and workers who are in difficult circumstances, orphans, etc. The children not only receive practical gifts but also have the opportunity to interact, acquire many self-reliance skills, and gain positive perspectives on life. We also hope that the program will spread so that disadvantaged and underprivileged students have more support in life.”
“Returning home after this year's program, both of my children felt very happy. In previous years, they only came to receive gifts, but this year they also got to participate in interactive activities, field trips, and skill-building exercises. Events like this have great spiritual significance for the children, and also create opportunities for them to overcome shyness, become more open, and share more,” confided Ms. Dinh Thi Huyen, a teacher at Nghi Huong Kindergarten.
Also in 2023, the Cua Lo Town Labor Union implemented the "Godmother" program at its grassroots labor unions. To date, 12 units have registered to sponsor 12 children, spreading the sense of responsibility of labor unions at all levels to the community.union members, workers,Officials and workers in the town area.