HUE SCHOLARSHIP

The children put on new jackets to take photo

Almost all children ate up rice and the pork sauces, saving the pork itself and the egg until the end of the meal.

Miss Little
I call Phuong Anh “Miss Little” because she is as tiny as Xi Trum, a funny folk, with a naïve smile always on her face. Her mother asks “What will you do when you grow up?”. She replies “a teacher, Mom, but even when I stand on the wooden platform, I do not know whether my pupils can see me. She makes a joke on herself because she knows that she is as small as a peppercorn. Phuong Anh is 15 years old now, living in Thuy Bieu village, Thuy Bang commune, Huong Thuy district, Thua Thien Hue province.

I do not feel as comfortable enough to ask who Phuong Anh’s father is; she is now living with her mother. After a serious illness, her Mother became paralysed, the muscles in her arms and legs have shrunk, therefore causing much difficulties in her movement. They live in a slum, of which the roof and the walls are made of rotten tole sheets. The door was made of nylon and thick paper. In the slum, there is only one decayed bed, and a tiny table, where Phuong Anh sits to study.

Since the day her mother became paralysed, Phuong Anh does all the housechords. Since 6am, she prepares food for both before going to school. After classes, Phuong Anh goes around to collect bottles and nylon bags. She packs them all in a big bag and cycled to as far as Phu Luong to sell and use the earning to buy rice. Every month she can earn about 50,000 VND (about US$ 3.5). Besides collecting junks, she goes to forest to pick up broom-grass. She let the grass dry in the heat of the sun and then asks her maternal grandma to bring to market. A big pack is sold for 3,000 VND (20 US cents).

The biggest concern for Phuong Anh and her mother is that the slum is not a safe place at all. Its door is made of only woven bamboo threads, which are easily breakable, thus making them very much vulnerable to ill-willed people at night. The place where they live are uninhabited and isolated hills. If any bad thing happens, it will be a terrible pity for Phuong Anh.

Phuong Anh is now receiving our scholarship to continue her schooling. But we still earnestly hope that we can provide them a compassion small house, worth about US$ 500, which can be strong enough to endure rain and sun as a safe shelter for them at night.

Ton Nu Dieu Lien

Summer 2006.

LETTER OF THANKS FROM STUDENTS IN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Hue 10 September 2006
To: Benefactor Nguyen The Ha
My name is Dong Thanh Phong, I am now studying in Chu Van An Secondary School, in grade 8/2.
My home address is 12/42 Nguyen Cong Tru

Dear benefactor:
My father is Duong Van Mui, he runs a tri-cycle to earn a living. Because he jumped into Huong River to save a pupil from being drowned, he was drowned instead.

My mother is named Nguyen Thi Mai. She sells sticky rice and porridge and has to raise us - 4 children and my old grandmother. My grandmother, crying too much over the death of her son, now has something like a tiny sac of liquid in one of her eyes, which requires surgery to be removed. Thanks to the help of ladies in the Compassion club, I was given 300,000 VND (three hundred thousand) from you. I was very happy to receive that generous present when my family is in bad plight. I am extremely grateful to you.

I promise that I will study well to live up to your generosity. Once again, I sincerely thank you.


Hue, 3 September 2007
To benefactor: Vo Nguyen Thi Tuyet
I am: Hoang Thi Tuyet Mai
I am 12 years old now.

I am now living in cluster 2, village Hien Sy, Commune Phong Son, Phong Dien District, Thua Thien Hue Province.

I am studying in grade 6, Phong An Secondary School.

Because my father had a work accident and broke a vertebra in his collar bone, he now cannot do anything because he is now bed-driven and cannot move himself. My mother cannot go out to work to care my father. My older brother and sister have to drop school and work for other people to earn a living for the whole family. Our family is poor and now in even more difficulties.

I am now beginning a new school-year...


Hue 10 September 2007
To benefactor: Madam Nguyen The Ha
My name is La The Quang
I study in grade 11, An Luong Dong High School, Phu Loc District, Thua Thien hue province.

My father is: La The Vinh. He died when I was only 2 years old.

My mother is: Huynh thi Phuoc Hien. She does not get remarried to anyone, just live on her own to bring me up. We are very poor. We live in a shelter leaning against the foot of a mountain, far away from roads. Every day, my mother goes to the mountain to chop down trees and tree branches and burn them into charcoal, which she brings to and sells at the market (about 5-6 kilometers away). I love my mother very much, therefore, besides my studying time, I join my mother and take the chopped trees and tree branches to the market and sell them for rice. My mother has an ill fate, she has breast cancer and since early 2004, she has to go the Hue Central hospital and undertakes radiotherapy. Thanks to the support from our neighbors and kind-hearted benefactors in the hospital, my mother and I can go along with treatment in the hospital for two years now. I myself also sell boiled drinking water….


Hue 10 September 2007
To benefactor Vu Van Ninh,
My name is Mai Thi Chuon, studying in Thuy An School, in grade 5E

I am now living in village Ngu Dong, Thuy An commune.

I am now living with my aunt. My life encounters many difficulties. My parents died at their early age, leaving their six children along. I am very glad to receive your 300,000 VND to pay school fees and buy books. It is now the beginning of a new school-year, I wish to take this occasion to express my thanks to you for facilitating my schooling. I would like to promise that I will try industriously to have good studying results, so as to live up to your kind heart.

I wish that Buddha will give you blessings so that you are always healthy.

Respectfully,
Mai Thi Chuon.


Hue 10 September 2006
To parent-benefactors

My name is Nguyen Huu Dong. I am studying in grade 10, Phan Dang Luu High School. My current address is My Lam village, Phu My Commune, Phu Vang district.
Dear benefactors,
I was born into and have grown up in a farming family, which, I believed, was very happy. But when I got 7 years old, my father acquired a mental illness and could do nothing. Life then became so much more difficult to our family. My mother is not healthy, and often gets sick, and yet she alone now has to work to feed three of us and afford our schooling.

Dear benefactors,
I feel very happy and encouraged to receive the amount of 300,000 VND from you. To me, this sum is like caring and loving words. With this sum, my study will be much easier.


Hue 10 September 2006
To benefactor Nguyen Cau Na
My name is Pham Thanh Hoang An, I am currently studying in grade 68, Thuy Van Secondary School. I am writing to express my thanks to you.
My parents died when I was still very small. I have 5 sisters and brothers but all of them are living in all different places. I myself am living with my uncle and aunt in Area III, Thuy Van commune, Huong Thuy district.

My uncle and aunt are very poor, with 4 children; therefore I also have to work very hard.

Every morning, my aunt goes out to sell Soya milk, I stay back home to look after the small children, while my uncle may go to do some supportive work in construction sites (but he often gets ill, therefore it’s hard to make a living).

Today I receive your scholarship, which helps me continue to go to school.
 

Dear benefactor, I receive 300,000 VN dong

Hue 10 September 2006
To benefactor Truong Linh
My name is Phan Ha Thi Vui, I am a pupil of grade 91, Nguyen Cu Trinh Secondary School. I am now living in Huong An commune, Huong Tra district.

At the very outset, I would like to extend to my esteemed benefactor my wishes for the best of health and success.

Everybody understands that parental care and love for their offspring is something holy and noble. Parents’ love is the very strength and motivation enabling their offspring to overcome every challenge in their life, and especially in their study. But during my 14 years in life by far, I have never known the love of a father. My mother alone works so hard and cares for us. Therefore I am keen to study well to ensure a good future, so that I can work and assist my mother in caring my sisters and brothers. All family burdens and their pressures are imposing on my mother while life becomes harder and harder. Every teacher at my school loves and sympathizes with me; however school fees keep increasing, such as those for construction, insurance, ect., making me more uneasy about my study. ...

11 September 2006

To esteemed benefactor Nguyen Roel Ni Ni

I am Tran Van Hung
studying in grade 7/4
at Thuy Bang Secondary School
now living in Bang Lang village, Thuy Bang commune, Huong Thuy district, Thua Thien Hue province.

Esteemed benefactor,

I am now living in profound sadness – my family is poor; my father and my mother have been living separately and lost their happiness; I am therefore living with and totally relying on my old grandparents. I meet many financial difficulties in studying.

Today, thanks to Buddha’s blessings, I am granted with the scholarship of 300,000 VND from you. This is such a great source of inspiration for me at this time.

I feel enormously grateful to you, my esteemed benefactor, for your immense compassion, which is as vast as the sea to me. I am resolved to try my best in studying so as not to fall short of your compassions.

I would like to with my esteemed benefactor and your family pure and happy body and heart.

Respectfully,
Tran Van Hung

Hue, 10 September 2006
Letter of thanks

To esteemed benefactor Vo Nguyen Thi Tuyet

My name is Nguyen Thi Hong Phan, I am now studying in grade 1, Nam Dong Elementary school. I live in Huong Giang commune, Nam Dong District, Thua Thien Hue province.

My family is very poor and meets so many difficulties. My shelter is too dilapidated to protect us from the rain and the sun. When the rainy season comes, we have to leave for my grandparents and stay there temporarily. My father has to find a job far away from home to make a living for the family; my mother suffers from illness all year round without any money to buy medicines. I have a small sister. I meet so many financial difficulties in my schooling. In such plight, I have received the assistance of 300,000 VND from you. I cannot say anything but my most sincere thanks to you, my esteemed benefactor. I would like to promise that I will try to study well. Finally, I would like to wish my esteemed benefactor health and serenity.

Respectfully,
Nguyen Thi Hong Phan.

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