Through the introduction of Mr. Le Van Dieu, a person came to my house in Hue, He is Hoang Xuan Cam, born in 1986, from Quang Tri. He is a student of Da Nang College of Economics and Planning.

Just when Cam finished his 12th grade, his mother was discovered to have bone cancer at last period, with myasthenia and tympanites. His father is a retired worker, without working capacity. In such a dire straight, Cam had to drop school because the family cannot afford it, and also because his Mom needs him by her side. His mother has been longing for her death for two years now in a hope to remove the burden for her husband and child, but she is still alive, with worse illness. In such situation, his Mom has tried her best to advise Cam to leave her behind with Dad and continue his study. She even said that if Cam could finish with his study, she would still be satisfied in the other world.

Obeying his Mom, Cam took the university competition. When he received the approval from the university, the family atmosphere sank into confusion over what to do next with his future. Being introduced by the Charity Board of the Buddhist’s Association of Quang Tri Province, he managed to find the way to my house in Hue. Cam took the train to Hue and rode to my house on a terribly worn-out bike. Tied in the port-baggage were a small tin saucepan, just as big as three fists, and little spice taken from the kitchen of his family in Quang Tri. Cam took out a pack of peppercorn, saying “my mother would like to give you…”

I encouraged Cam to focus on his study. As an encouragement, on behalf of nun Phuc Hai, I gave him a scholarship for the new school-year. I told Cam many things to help him feel determined at studying.  Cam lowered his head, held his forehead in the arms and tried to hold back his tears. Thinking that he was getting ill, I asked “how are you? What’s the pain?” Cam replied “I am OK, Miss. Never before did anyone tell me such things as you do, therefore I am so moved and just cannot hold back my tears”.

Since then I have considered Cam as my “spiritual” son. Whenever his Mom was in critical situation, Cam would quit classes and hurry home from Da Nang, dropping by my home in Hue for help. Two of us would ride on my time-worn motorbike brand Wave@ to different treatment centers so that I could ask for help for Cam and his mother. Finally Cam’s mother passed away. To please her as she had advised, Cam devoted his best efforts to studying. He went through his academic years with his university’s scholarship for excellent students and regular funding from relatives of nun Phuc Hai.

Last year, Cam was struck with a serious illness. He came to an internet café and called me through yahoo messenger: “Miss Dieu Lien, I am ill, I worry so much..” After “chatting” with him to understand his situtation, I asked one of my sisters who used to work for Da Nang Hospital to help find a doctor for him. Being a polite, patient and kind-hearted person, Cam has won the heart of my sisters, who then shared the cost for Cam’s treatment. Besides, Miss Dieu Luong is also ready to contribute to his treatment cost. Now Cam has had a broad family with compassions from those he has never met.

There is something in Cam that makes it hard for me to forget. Cam is a strongly-built youth, with strength and swiftness of a son; and at the same time, I find in him traits of a daughter lingering around her Mom to care for family affairs.

During the time I stay in Vietnam, he usually phones and shares with me his happiness and sadness and ask for my advice. Whenever we have a chance to meet, he weeps and says “I am so happy to meet you…”

I understand that it has been exhausting for my parents to help me go through high school education, given my family plight Thanks to the assistance of my neighbors and my persuasion, even begging, my parents finally allowed me to take university competition.

But it was such a pity that I could not get to universities, but only vocational college of Museology. Being the second daughter, I am forced by my parents to use my high-school graduate diploma to seek a job so as to earn a living for the family and afford schooling for my younger sisters and brothers.

I desire to go to school without having to take the poor, meager meals from my grandmother and my sisters and brothers and loading my parents with more burdens.

I earnestly hope that kind-hearted people will give me a chance to continue my study without too much sacrifice. I long for the fulfillment of my dream for studying.

Whatever happens, I will always keep my hope, and I would like to thank the generous people in advance. Such positive thoughts and hopes have inspired me to be strong and self-confident enough to try to overcome immediate challenges. I hope that I will always be able to keep striving for self-perfection.

I sincerely thank you,

Hoang Thi Thuy

Sinh Thai, Vinh Hoa Village, Trieu Van Commune, Trieu Phong District.

Esteemed benefactor Luu Nhan

My name is Ho Thi Chi

I was born on 9 August 1997.

I am studying in grade 4B, Vinh Giang Elementary School

I am deeply moved to receive the funding from you. To me, it is a tremendous source of affection and encouragement, because since the time I was born, I have been greatly disadvantaged compared to other children at my age. My family faces tremendous difficulties and shortages. My father is a person with disability; my mother, being a nice but physically weak person, works exhaustedly to afford food and other basic necessities every day, but we still cannot escape poverty.

A Vietnamese proverb goes as - a mouthful of food to a hungry stomach is worth a big bowl to a full one.

The sum of 350,000 VND from you reached me right in the very beginning of my new school-year. This is perhaps the first school-year in my life that I have ever received the most sufficient investment for my schooling.

I am profoundly grateful to you for the care and the humane affection that you grant to me, which I will forever bear in my heart and will never forget.

Once again, I would like to respectfully extend to my benefactor the best wishes for health and my deepest gratitude.

• 9 September 2006

Letter of gratitude

Quang Tri, 14 August 2006

To: Benefactors NGUYEN THE PHONG

TRAN DAO

My name is: Le Duy Hai

Birthplace: Nai Cuu village, Trieu Dong commune, Trieu Phong district, Quang Tri province

Currently I am studying in grade 4C, Trieu Dong Elementary School. Recently I was extremely happy to receive the sum of 350,000 VND (three hundred and fifty thousand VND) from benefactors NGUYEN THE PHONG and TRAN DAO. I will use the money to buy some rice and salt to help my foster mother; and spend the rest for some school equipments, textbooks, notebooks and a sweater.

Esteemed benefactors,

I am a parentless child; I was born and brought up without knowing either my father or my mother. I am frequently ill because I suffer from heart disease and knee rheumatism, which I could do nothing to improve. My family lives upon the monthly allowance of 56,000 VND by the communal authority. Live is so hard. Therefore when I received the assistance from the esteemed benefactors, I was too happy and deeply touched to say anything except to wish you the best of health and good lucks. I promise that I will be economical with this money and try to study well.

Le Duy Hai.

LETTER OF GRATITUDE

Quang Tri, 10 August 2006

To: Benefactor KIM TRINH

I am: Le Thi Minh Trang

Birth date: 6 January, 1986

Birth place: Nai Cuu village, Trieu Dong commune, Trieu Phong district, Quang Tri Province

I am now studying in class 05KX2 in Economics of Project Planning and Management, Da Nang University of Polytechnic.

Recently I was very glad to receive the monetary aid of 500,000 (five hundred thousand VND) from you, my esteemed benefactor. This is extremely meaningful to me, especially when it came at the beginning of my new school-year.

Esteemed benefactor,

At present, my family faces numerous difficulties. Both my parents are farmers, but they are now old and weak. My father has a spiral disease that causes him a lot of difficulties in moving. My mother is old and weak now, but she still has to try to work hard to earn enough for our food and schooling. I have three siblings, one of whom is in high school; the other two in secondary school. Since my family is too poor, we cannot afford enough studying equipments, books or notebooks, and we therefore have to borrow them from our friends.

As for me, besides my study, I also work as a private tutor to earn for my daily necessities, because I understand that my parents can no longer afford that expenditure. Everyday I cycle over 10 kilometers to my tutee’s house. The payment is not much; however, without it I could not know what else I can do to manage these difficult times. To a poor student living away from home, hunger to me is expectably frequent.

Esteemed benefactor,

I am profoundly grateful to you for your caring and enabling assistance, which helps me partly overcome the immediate challenges and shortages. It will give me and my siblings notebooks, textbooks and other studying equipment for our new school-year. It is such a great joy to us.

I would like to promise you that I will try to study well and become a useful person, so as to live up to the expectations of my family as well as your caring assistance.

I wish my esteemed benefactor great health, happiness and inexhaustible efforts in helping people in difficulties like me.

Respectfully,

Le Thi Minh Trang

Quang Tri, 9 August (lunar calendar), 2006

Letter of gratitude,

To: Benefactor ALAN BUI

Mr. ALAN BUI

I am Nguyen Thi Thu Ha,

Grade 71, THANH CO Secondary School

I am currently living in Phuong Ngan, Trieu Long, Trieu Phong, Quang Tri.
I am writing to you to express my gratitude to you and your family.

Mr, I am now 12 years old. I am now still going to school and studying with my classmates. It rains heavily today, 9 August in the lunar calendar. I happen to feel too bad for myself – why do I have to suffer a lot while I am no different from my other classmates?!

Mr! allow me to open my heart to you and share some thoughts that I have never been able to tell until I know Mr. Dieu in the Charity Board, who has helped so many people in need like my family.

Mr, I would like to share with you some of my concerns – my family is in dire strait now. My father has no job at all; my mother works as a baby-sitter; she strives very hard to make a living for me and my siblings. My family always faces shortages, the house is very dilapidated and leaks terribly– it is full of water under the rain. I am still going to school but have no money to pay as required, let alone money to buy notebooks and textbooks for me and my siblings. In such conditions, must I leave school? If not, I beg you to help me…

Mr! I just write a few lines to wish you and your children always be in good health and happiness.

Mr, I will never forget your help. I would like to promise you that if I am still allowed to go to school, I will try to study well to live up to your expectations.

I sincerely thank you.
PS: I have received from Mr. Dieu 350,000 VND

Quang Tri, 9 August (lunar calendar), 2006

(signed)

Nguyen Thi Thu Ha

Letter of Gratitude

Quang Tri 10 August 2006

To: benefactor LUU NHAN

My name is: Le Duy Tan

Born on 22 February, 1984,

Birth place: Trieu Dong, Trieu Phong, Quang Tri.

I am now studying in Class C2DT1, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Da Nang University of Polytechnic.

Esteemed benefactor LUU NHAN, I am so happy to receive your care and aid of 500,000 VND (five hundred thousand Vietnamese dongs). This sum of money will buy me textbooks and studying equipments in the new school-year.

Esteemed benefactor!

My family is now in severe financial constraints. Living in the rural area, we have to work very hard; and yet, still endure a lot of shortages. My father, who is 60 years old, is weak and could not work. Being the bread-winner of the family, my mother works laboriously to afford all necessities and schooling for three of us. My two younger sisters are studying in high school. My family is categorized and hungry and poor household.

As for me, besides studying in the university, I work in a coffee shop to earn for my living, because my family cannot bear any additional burden. There were months when I was too busy with my study and did not have time to work, I was then very hungry!

Esteemed benefactor! “a mouthful of food to a hungry stomach is worth a big bowl to a full one” – I wish to express my deep gratitude to you for helping me, thus easing the hardship and shortages of the life of a poor student.

I promise that I will study well so that I can do good things for the society after graduating university.

I wish my esteemed benefactor always be in good health and continue to help people in need like me.

Respectfully,

Le Duy Tan.

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