School shoes for poor children
After taking volunteer trips to the Mekong Delta, I had supposed there were not many muddy roads like that, but the recent trip to Kontum made me deeply sad. Many children stood in line before me to receive the support money from Be Better Foundation. Their footwear in different “styles”. When we asked the Kon Plong District Office of Education, they said there were about 5,000 students in the whole district and probably half of them needed shoes to go to school.
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Type of scholarship: |
On the way to school, I used to walk through a 1-kilometer section of dirt road before reaching the paved road. After walking, I spent about 20 minutes riding my bike to school. It was not difficult to walk in the dry season when I could pull my bike along or carry it on my shoulder. However, crossing the muddy section in the rainy season was extremely miserable. I had to hold my bike on my shoulder with one hand and cling to the fence on one side of the road with the other hand while walking step by step, and it was a common occurrence for us, students, to fall into the river with our school bags getting wet.
After taking volunteer trips to the Mekong Delta, I had supposed there were not many muddy roads like that, but the recent trip to Kontum made me deeply sad. I had thought the hardship I used to experience 30 years ago no longer exists nowadays. The truth is that there are still many people in much more difficult circumstances.
Many children stood in line before me to receive the support money from Be Better Foundation. Their footwear in different “styles” made me recall my childhood. I saw myself in their naive black faces. At the end of the scholarship-giving ceremony, the vice-principal was giving a thank-you speech when his eyes suddenly filled with tears and he slowly said: “By the way, I would like to call for the Be Better Foundation to consider, if possible, giving students shoes for them to go to school. It is heart-rending to see them walk ten kilometers through fields and forests without shoes”.
When we asked the Kon Plong District Office of Education, they said there were about 5,000 students in the whole district and probably half of them needed shoes to go to school. Immediately, a thought came to my mind: “So how many of them need clothes or books?”. The more I pondered about it, the more uneasy and painful I felt.
We alone cannot give shoes to all those children. Therefore, we would like to call for more donations from benefactors and philanthropists to help us fulfill this wish.
Others
The situation of Le Nguyen Thanh Tam
Sponsorship completed. In January 2024, Thanh Tam completed the study program ahead of schedule and got an official job at Samsung.
The situation of Vo Thi Minh Thuy
Sponsorship completed. By September 2023, Minh Thuy completed the study program ahead of schedule and got a job as a Marketing Executive.
The situation of Ngo Thanh Phuong Thi
The sponsorship for Thi has been completed. She graduated in Nov. 2023 and got a job as an English teacher.
The situation of Vo Thi Yen Linh
The sponsorship for Linh has been completed. After her first year of study, Yến Linh quickly adapted to the dynamic environment in Ho Chi Minh City and managed to earn money to cover her tuition fees. She voluntarily withdrew from her scholarship to give the opportunity to another student who was in greater need.
The situation of Nguyen Thi Mong An Binh
An Binh’s family situation is complex. Her parents divorced when she was six, and then she lived with her mother and grandmother. However, her mother remarried 4 yeas ago and left her town to live with her new family. Since then, her grandmother, who is a scrap collector with a very low amount of money earned per day, has had to struggle to cover their living expenses.
The situation of two siblings Nguyen Ngoc Quynh Nhi
The sponsorship for Nhi has been completed. She graduated in March 2023 and got a job as a receptionist.
The situation of Bui Thi Bich Thuy
Bich Thuy's childhood is an extremely unfortunate story as she is an orphan, having lost both her father and mother. She still has an older brother, but due to their extremely difficult family circumstances, he had to give up his studies and work tirelessly as a construction worker in Dong Nai to support himself and his younger sister.
The situation of Tran Thi Kieu Oanh
The sponsorship has been completed. Currently, Kiều Oanh is balancing both work and study, becoming independent to earn money to cover living expenses and pursue her education.
Family situation of Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram
Stop funding the scholarship because Ngoc Tram decided not to pursue her studies after graduating high school.
