On the morning of 11 October, as the sun had yet to rise fully, the hall of the Hieu Phung Commune People’s Committee (Vung Liem District, Vinh Long Province) was already buzzing with footsteps and soft murmurs from nearly 250 11th and 12th-graders and teachers from Hieu Phung High School. In the front rows sat parents whose faces bore the traces of hard labor and weather. They had not just dropped off their children and left—they chose to stay, to listen, their eyes filled with worry and hope, as if yearning to understand their children better and to be understood in return.
At the end of the program, a profoundly special moment brought stillness to the entire room, touching our hearts: A 12th-grade student named Anh Duong stepped onto the stage. She is an orphan who is petite and physically different from her peers. Her small hands trembled as they held the microphone. Her eyes tinged with red, yet her words were clear, thoughtful, and powerful: “When you compare yourself to others, you may feel lacking; but remember, someone else is dreaming of having your life. What I want to tell everyone is that sometimes when we feel inadequate, not smart enough, or in our dark times, just keep living, as things will get better. We are already more fortunate than so many others.”
That moment was no longer a normal speech but gave everybody a fresh heart. In the audience, parents blinked away tears, some turning away to quietly wipe their eyes. The teachers, usually composed and solemn, could not hide their emotions when their student dared to face her struggles and spoke from the heart. Even members of the Foundation, having traveled far and met many students, also found themselves tearful and choked with emotion as they watched that small figure speak to hundreds.
It is often believed that beauty must be visible, radiant, and prominent to shine. However, there is a kind of beauty that cannot be measured by appearance. The beauty of someone can be seen by the way they choose to believe in kindness, even when life is unkind. As Roald Dahl once said, “A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly.” Anh Duong’s beauty cannot be measured by her figure or features but in her wholeness of mind, in choosing not to complain, not to give up, but to share the light she carries.
Be Better Foundation sincerely thanks the Board of Management and the teachers of Hieu Phung High School for your warm welcome and for giving us the opportunity to connect and share with your students. We are grateful to the parents who stayed and listened attentively until noon. And finally, thank you to nearly 250 students from Hieu Phung High School who joined us in creating such a morning full of emotion and hope!
