A model of filial piety

(Baonghean) -We visited the house of Le Van Chien, a 5A student at Ngoc Son Primary School, Thanh Chuong, one day at the end of September. At only 10 years old, he had to work hard. Every day after school, he had to go catch crabs and snails to earn money to support his grandmother and nurture his dream of going to school...

His parents separated and left the country when he was just born. Chien went to live with his grandmother, who is now nearly 90 years old. Every day, after school, he wandered around the village fields to find crabs and fish to sell for money so that the two of them could eat vegetables and porridge. The small house they lived in was built for them by the neighbors, and inside there was nothing valuable except a bicycle that he had collected himself after several seasons of catching snails. Talking to us, he only wished to have the health to work to support his grandmother and go to school like his friends...

Chien said, a few years ago, when his grandmother was still healthy, she sometimes went to pick pennywort and pick up spilled rice during harvest time. But now she is very old and weak, and can’t do much. Every day after school, he goes to catch crabs and snails, and sells them to get money to buy rice. Sharing about his dream, Chien said: “I just want to go to school to earn money to take care of my grandmother, I love her very much…”.

Le Van Chien did housework and studied at the same time.

Mrs. Le Thi Huong, Chien's grandmother, is now weak. Seeing her young grandson having to work hard to make a living and not being able to play like his friends makes her feel very sad. She said: "I'm only worried that when I die, he will have no one to rely on."

Despite his difficult circumstances, the good news is that Chien is very studious. For 4 consecutive years, Chien has always been an excellent student at school. This 5th grade year, Chien was selected to be part of the school's excellent student team to compete at the district level.

His neighbors recounted: “When he was little, every time he cried for milk, everyone felt sorry for him. When he started school, he seemed to be aware of his family situation, so in addition to helping his grandmother earn money to buy rice, Chien also learned to study on his own to improve himself. Everyone loved and respected him. Teachers and friends at school also helped him every year, some gave him notebooks, others made him clothes.”

Talking to us, Ms. Le Thi Hong Hanh - the school principal and Ms. Nguyen Thi Tung (Chien's homeroom teacher in grade 4) told us about his situation without holding back tears: After school, Chien did not go home to eat like other students, he went along the rice fields to catch more crabs and fish to improve his meals, and if he caught a lot, he would sell them to get money to buy rice. In his studies, Chien was very self-disciplined and intelligent.

According to Ms. Hanh, Chien has the most special circumstances in the school, so in addition to the mandatory contributions according to policy, the school exempts him from all of them, and the school also gives priority to him in support programs.

Nguyen Thi Quynh(Thanh Chuong District Youth Union)