Supporting underprivileged students to continue their education.

Points of support ahead of the new school year.

The small, dilapidated house of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuong (born in 1957) is located at the end of an alley in Hong Son 2 block, Truong Vinh ward. This is where Mrs. Phuong and her two grandchildren, Nguyen Thi Thao Quyen (born in 2017) and Nguyen Thi Thao My (born in 2019), live.

Quyen and My are in a very difficult situation. Their father died in an accident more than two years ago, and their mother is serving a prison sentence for drug trafficking. They rely on their grandmother for support. However, their grandmother, Phuong, is old and frail, unemployed, and has no stable income, making the lives of the three of them extremely precarious.

Every day, Mrs. Phuong has to carefully budget every small amount to provide meals and meet the family's essential needs. Her two grandchildren are of school age, with many expenses arising at the beginning of the school year, such as clothing, school supplies, and other living expenses.

Sympathizing with the difficult circumstances of Thao Quyen and Thao My, the Women's Association of Hong Son 2 block connected with and mobilized philanthropists to join hands in supporting and helping the two children have better conditions for studying and living.

Through this initiative, Ms. Cao Thi Ha, residing in Truong Vinh ward, has sponsored Thao Quyen, and the Youth Union of the Provincial Party Committee's Internal Affairs Department has sponsored Thao My. This act of sharing not only eases the burden on Ms. Phuong but also provides further motivation for the two sisters to confidently attend school.

Ms. Phuong said: "A few days ago, the two children received 6 million VND to prepare for the new school year. For my grandchildren and me, this money is very precious because it can buy more books, clothes, and other necessary supplies so that the children can feel truly confident going to school."

According to her, the care and help from everyone not only provided material support but also served as a great source of encouragement, helping her to feel more secure in taking care of her two grandchildren.

Not far from Mrs. Phuong's house, Ms. Phan Thi Tien and her daughter also live in a cramped house. Her husband passed away four years ago, and Ms. Tien is raising her daughter, Pham Hong Dieu Linh (born in 2019), alone. All the family burdens fall on her shoulders. Without a stable job and with an uncertain income, Ms. Tien has to scrimp and save every penny to provide for her daughter's life and education.

For Ms. Tien, providing enough meals every day is already difficult, so every time her children start a new school year, the expenses for books, clothes, and school supplies become a significant worry.

Fortunately, Diệu Linh was sponsored by a pharmacy, which recently provided her with financial support for the last six months of the year. Thanks to this, Ms. Tiến has extra funds to buy books, stationery, and clothes for her daughter before the new school year begins.

Also on this occasion, many orphaned children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Truong Vinh ward, such as Nguyen Hoai Nam, Ngo Thu Hiep (Hong Son 2 block), Dinh Thuy Nhi, Dinh Ha Giang (Hung Hoa 3 block)... received help and support from the "Godmother - Giving Love - Sowing Hope" program launched by the Provincial Women's Union.

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For orphaned and disadvantaged children, any support, big or small, is invaluable. We hope to continue connecting with more compassionate hearts so that more children can receive sponsorship, have better learning opportunities, and confidently enter the new school year.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao - President of the Women's Union of Truong Vinh Ward

Don't let circumstances stand in the way of going to school.

Like other underprivileged students in Truong Vinh ward, Vi Van Tiep (born in 2015), an orphan whose mother passed away and whose father is deaf and mute, comes from a family in extremely difficult circumstances in Tan Hop village, Son Lam commune. He recently received 5 million VND in support along with many meaningful gifts from a company. This money has helped Tiep have enough books, clothes, and supplies to start the new school year.

From specific cases like those of the sisters Thao Quyen and Thao My, or Dieu Linh and Vi Van Tiep, it's clear that behind every gift and every support package lies the connection of organizations, groups, and benevolent hearts. In particular, socio-political organizations are increasingly playing a bridging role, bringing sharing to students who truly need help.

With their extensive network of grassroots organizations, close to the people, these groups have many advantages in reviewing and understanding the circumstances of disadvantaged children and students. From the cases identified, the branches and sub-branches proactively connect with higher-level organizations, businesses, agencies, units, and individuals to mobilize resources.

As a result, many students not only receive support at the beginning of the school year but also benefit from long-term companionship throughout their studies.

One example is the "Godmother Fulfilling Dreams" program of the Party Branch of Mau Thach Commune's Party Agencies. Through this program, the branch has sponsored three children from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing each child with 500,000 VND per month.

To help the children confidently enter the new school year, representatives from the Party branch visited their homes to present gifts and provide each child with 6 million VND per year, totaling 18 million VND. This is a practical activity aimed at caring for and encouraging children from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them to have better conditions for learning, living, and development.

The Tan Ky Commune Farmers' Association recently organized the "Preparing for School - Giving Love, Continuing the Journey to School" program to encourage and support disadvantaged students before the start of the new school year. The association raised funds and awarded 14 gifts (each worth 400,000 VND) to disadvantaged students with good academic achievements.

Although the gifts may not be of great material value, they are a practical source of encouragement, helping to instill confidence and motivation in the children as they continue their education.

Meanwhile, the "Thanh Vinh Loving Porridge" group donated gifts and money to buy books and notebooks for orphaned children at a center in Nghi Loc commune…

In addition, many organizations and groups have planned to support disadvantaged students ahead of the new school year, focusing on essential needs such as textbooks, uniforms, school supplies, bicycles, and scholarships.

Through reviewing each individual's circumstances, organizations proactively connect with and mobilize members, businesses, and philanthropists to join hands in contributing to reducing the financial burden at the beginning of the school year for families.

It is commendable that many organizations have shifted from individual support to long-term partnership. Students with special circumstances are tracked and connected with individuals and organizations that provide sponsorship. These gifts at the beginning of the school year not only address immediate difficulties but also provide additional support for them to continue attending school.

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The Associations for the Promotion of Learning at all levels will proactively coordinate with Party committees, authorities, departments, mass organizations, and schools to review students with difficult circumstances in order to mobilize and connect resources for timely support. The Provincial Association for the Promotion of Learning will pay attention to and mobilize resources to support particularly disadvantaged areas, creating conditions for poor students to confidently attend school, ensuring that their circumstances do not become a barrier on their educational journey.”

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hien - Chairman of the Nghe An Provincial Association for the Promotion of Learning