Learning of the plight of Phan Thanh Binh, a poor student of Vo Van Kiet High School, Phu Yen Province, through an article in the Tuoi Tre newspaper, Tony decided to help him.
The worries of the poor student
Reading the article written by a form teacher, many people were touched and sympathized with the difficult situation of Phan Thanh Binh. To earn money to treat his father’s kidney failure issue and buy books at the beginning of the new school year, he had to quit school to pluck cassava and work as a helper for his mother every week. While his friends focused on their final year of high school, he had to make money every day.
In the first return session of the year, when the teacher asked students to check their notebooks, Binh pulled out a stack of papers, looking embarrassed. Looking at the yellowed but still fresh pages, the teacher couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. The money he earned from his part-time job, Binh spent on treating his father’s illness. Books and clothes for studying were collected and reused to save money. After a tiring day of work, instead of resting to continue working in the afternoon, Binh repaired his old worn-out shirt to have something to wear to school. Although he dreamed of becoming a doctor to treat his father’s illness, at the beginning of the school year, he had to quit school to pluck tapioca to earn money to pay for the hospital fees.
Tony supports Binh to continue going to school
Touched by Binh’s filial piety and desire to go to school, Tony and Mr. Lim Chor Ghee came to Phu Yen to encourage and support him. During the visit, Tony met with Binh’s family and teachers. Although he could not meet Binh’s father because he had to go to the hospital, Tony had a friendly conversation with his mother. He also shared many thoughts about birth, aging, sickness, and death and the impermanence of life so that his family could calmly face difficulties.
As for Binh, Tony also donated VND 20 million to help him pay for his father’s treatment and continue his studies. He said, “After more than 11 years of hard studies, if I give up now, the whole future ahead will be dark. Without knowledge, without skills, how can I change the miserable life of my family?” Although the amount of support was not large, Tony believes that spending time to comfort and encourage Binh will give him more energy to strive and motivation not to drop out of school halfway.
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