Related news Over 1,000 students participate in “Traffic safety for tomorrow smile” programme Programme to enhance traffic safety education for students

The misarable cases

The heavy rain made us much harder to move from the center of Thang town to Doan Bai 2 Primary School (Hiep Hoa district) because it was located deep inside the residential areas. After several times of asking for the road, we were able to reach the destination. Via the introduction from the Headmaster Ngo Van Son, we met sisters of Tran Thi Hong Quyen a student at class 4B and Tran Ngoc Diep at class 2A when they finished the morning lessons.

Teachers in Doan Bai 2 Primary School alway pay tender attention to encourage Ngoc Diep’s sisters (standing).

With the dark faces and thinny bodies, they look much older comparing to their friend at the same ages. After talking around several subjects of school study, classmates, we dared to mention about her mother. Then, Hong Quyen seemed to burst into tear and sadly shared: “My brother, sister and I (Quyen has a brother at sixth grade) became orphan since my youngest sister was only 6 months old. My father said she had to work for the living of the whole family because of my father’s poor health. It was the worst day when she was in a hurry to return home to feed the baby after finishing the work and killed in an accident.”

Since then, Quyen’s father must work for hire to earn a living for them and their grandparent. Due to the poor health and slowness, the pillar man in the family is hired to work irregularly, leading to more difficult life.

Taking us to their house in Sau Nua hamlet, the Headmaster told that the school is a place for studying and practising for the children in 6 hamlets in the Southwest of the commune. Because the local living has numerous difficulties which mostly bases on agriculture cultivation, 124 out of 518 students at the school belong to poor households. Particularly, Quyen’s brother and sister is the most misarable case when their mother passed away early and father has unstable job to care for them and weak old grandparent.

Stopping in front of the degraded bungalow with 3 rooms, we must fold the trouser leg to wade through the 20 cemtimeter flooded yard after the heavy rain to enter the house. Their grandfather Tran Van Thu (86 years old) was silently sitting on the terrace. Few years ago, the old couple had to share the fieldwork with their son to feed the whole family.

“The old must send off the young. Everyday, I see the kids hiding themselves behind the house to cry for missing their mother. So painful. I am worry that they will not able to go to school”, Thu shared.

Continue realizing the dream

Following the instruction of Tong Ngoc Canh, Permanent Officier of Traffic Safety Board in Viet Yen district, we went to Hong Thai Secondary School in late September. Many groups of student happily teased each other along the corridor after finishing the lesson while Than Thanh Binh, student at 7B class stayed still in a class corner to watch them.

She is an obmutescent student who is affraid of talking to the stranger. When we questioned about family, Binh bursted to tear. The little student can not forget the bad memory in early 2012 when she lost the beloved father forever.

Chokily Binh recalled the worst day: “At that time when my friends and I were playing in the yard, suddenly many people came. My father got accident and returned home in an ambulance car while my mother cried to faint besides hime. Later I knew my father died in an accident”. Since then, the small damaged house of three member family has lost the familiar voice of the father.

Now, Binh carefully prepares the dishes and supports her mother to care for the baby after school time. Gradually, she feels the grief of loosing her father. The deprived life raised the thinking of dropping out the school of the fifth grader.

Knowing about Binh’s intention, teachers and friends have come to encourage her to continue going to school. Teacher Duong Ngo Tuyen, Headmaster of Hong Thai Secondary School said: “With Binh’s case, every year, the school mobilizes a certain amount to support her in purchasing the books, notebooks and studying tool. Particurlarly, Binh is always the first priority to recieve the charity programme”.

To facilitate the students and children of the family with fatal accident victims, this year the National Traffic Safety Board has coordinated with the Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited and Charitable Social Fund of Vietnam Transport Union to present the scholarship program of “Humanitarian deed” in Bac Giang province.

Accordingly, 25 students whose father, mother or parent died in traffic accident as well as who live in difficult circumstances will be provided with the scholarship, each worth 4 million VND (172 USD) in this October. Though it is not a big amount, surely the scholarship will help them continue realizing the dream.

Sy Quyet