Ignite the dreams
(Baonghean.vn) - The Viet Duc Children's House is even more joyful today as 102 children from all over the country gather here, filled with happiness at meeting, interacting, and receiving acts of kindness.
The get-together was scheduled for 8 PM, but from 7 PM onwards, the children were brought to the Vietnam-Germany Children's House auditorium by their supervisors. Their eager eyes, hesitant smiles, and initial awkwardness quickly dispelled any feelings of inferiority, bringing them closer together.
The casual questions were: "Where do you live? Do you still have parents?", "My father passed away a long time ago, and my mother is often ill." - "You're lucky to still have your mother; I've lost both my father and mother." It was heartbreaking to hear! 102 children, each with their own circumstances and suffering, but above all, their willpower, resilience, and determination helped them overcome their difficult situations.
Teacher Nguyen The Vinh and student Nguyen Van Ngoc interact with the children.
The exchange began with a moving speech by Mr. Duong Hoang Vu: “The 102 delegates honored today are exemplary children from impoverished backgrounds who have overcome difficulties from various districts, cities, and towns. Each child has a different situation: some are orphaned of one parent, some are orphaned of both parents, some have to overcome the pain of illness, some have been affected by Agent Orange, but all of them have overcome all difficulties in life, striving to achieve high results in their studies and training. They are exemplary and outstanding Young Pioneers, truly fragrant flowers in the garden of a thousand good deeds, worthy of being called good children of Uncle Ho.” The children from the Viet Duc Cultural Center lit up the atmosphere with lively performances. Everyone leaned up to watch, their innocent eyes admiring the children's singing, dancing, and beautiful clothes. Quynh Trang from Nghi Phu whispered, “I'm also a talented performer at school.”
The documentary footage from the organizing committee was shown, introducing: "This is Nguyen Thi Tram, a student in class 8A at Hung Yen Secondary School, Hung Nguyen district. Her father passed away in 2003, and her mother died of a serious illness in 2009, leaving her and her brother in a dilapidated house. Her older brother had to drop out of school to work and support Trang and her younger brother, who is now in second grade." The footage slowly played, with occasional tears falling as she watched the small girl, her back bent from working in the fields and preparing meals for her brother's late afternoon work. Yet, she still managed her time scientifically to excel in her studies and help her younger brother. She has an admirable academic record: eight consecutive years as an all-around excellent student, and three consecutive years as an outstanding student at the district level. With tears in her eyes, she said, "I don't want people to pity me. I want to overcome this situation and study hard. There are many students who are in worse situations than me, and they still excel in their studies."
The video then introduced the audience to another inspiring story: Vo Ngoc Quynh Trang, a 6th-grade student from Nghi Phu Secondary School in Vinh City. Her father died suddenly from an electric shock accident, and since then, her mother has been grieving and suffering from chronic illness. Trang herself is battling vasculitis, causing systemic and internal bleeding. Yet, on screen, Trang appears as a lively girl with a constant smile. She gives viewers the impression of maintaining an optimistic outlook on the difficult life she is facing. For six consecutive years, Trang has been an all-around excellent student, and last year she even won the city-level online English competition.
Nguyen Thi Tram (far right) is one of the three children whose birthday was celebrated.
The film also introduces viewers to Nguyen Van Ngoc, a 5th-grade student at Nghi Thai Primary School in Nghi Thai commune, Nghi Loc district. Ngoc is small and thin, but his eyes always shine brightly, reflecting the willpower and determination of someone from a particularly difficult background. Born into a family where his father suffers from mental illness, sometimes lucid, sometimes delusional, and his mother is constantly ill and unable to do heavy work, the three of them depend solely on his mother's weaving work. Despite such hardship, Ngoc always harbors a strong determination: to study hard so that he can become a doctor and cure his parents.
There are many more inspiring stories that aren't captured on camera, but simply reading these short lines on an A4 sheet of paper is enough to inspire admiration for the resilience and determination of these impoverished children from coastal areas to the high mountains.
The audience was surprised by the appearance of Mr. Nguyen The Vinh, a teacher with a missing right arm from the Hoa Huong Duong Center in Binh Phuoc, who possesses exceptional guitar skills. He is also an inspiring example of overcoming adversity and a teacher with boundless compassion, dedicating much of his time to recruiting orphaned children from all over the country. He recently participated in Nick Vujicic's visit to Vietnam. Today, his trip to Nghe An to invite orphaned students to study at the Center coincided perfectly with this event. He shared: "Children, overcome these difficulties to reach a brighter future! Let's not focus on the hardships, but on the things life has given us." He then conveyed his message through the song "Every Day I Choose a Joy" by Trinh Cong Son, which he played on the guitar with only his left arm.
Teacher Nguyen The Vinh played the piano accompaniment for the song "Every Day I Choose a Joy".
When it came time to present awards to the 102 students present today, their names were called out, along with touching and admirable biographical summaries. The 102 children received meaningful gifts from the organizers, which served as encouragement and motivation. As they stood on the stage, the organizers announced that eight children from particularly disadvantaged backgrounds would receive additional gifts. Their steps trembled with emotion, silently expressing their gratitude for the immense love and support from the community and generous sponsors.
As the artificial fireworks seemed to carry the dreams of the underprivileged students soaring into the air, a birthday cake with shimmering candles was wheeled out. The MC announced the names: Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram - 8th grade, Hung Yen Secondary School, Hung Nguyen; Hoang Thi Huong - 9th grade, Nam Trung Secondary School, Nam Dan; and Nong The Nam - 1st grade, Hoi Son Primary School, Anh Son. The children stepped forward to receive a surprise gift from the organizers. The flickering candlelight and the "Happy Birthday" song filled the air, evoking overwhelming emotion in the three children whose birthdays fell on May 25th.
The ceremony concluded with tears of happiness and gratitude. The road ahead may be bumpy and full of challenges, but these exemplary children of Uncle Ho will always know how to overcome all difficulties and obstacles to reach a brighter future.
Thanh Nga
