Wearing mourning clothes for 3 times in 9 months, female student works to support 2 siblings, still passes university entrance exam with second place in business administration

Her parents passed away and her grandfather also passed away. Mai Hoang Tuyet Kieu had to work to support her two younger siblings, living in the house in Tam Phu ward, Thu Duc city (HCMC) that her grandfather left her. She also just passed the entrance exam to Ho Chi Minh City Banking University.

3 vành tang mồ côi, Kiều phải học để còn lo cho hai em - Ảnh 1. — Mai Hoang Tuyet Kieu said she had to study to be able to support and take care of her two younger siblings - Photo: THANH HIEP

The intertwined mourning bands of three children

At the end of 2021, Tuyet Kieu's mother, after a long battle with cancer, passed away. The pain had just left its mark on the lives of her three orphaned children when, just 5 months later, her father also left her and her three sisters behind due to tuberculosis.

Tuyet Kieu was the eldest, after her there was a younger sister and a younger brother. There were no more tears left to cry after the two consecutive funerals of their father and mother. The loss was too great for the three orphans.

I thought the pain was over and there was still some comfort when the sisters were now with their grandfather. But just over 3 months after their father's funeral, the three grandchildren wore white mourning bands to send their grandfather off.

The warm house where Kieu's family once lived with her grandparents was now only three orphans. Tuyet Kieu, who was in 10th grade at the time, suddenly had to take on the responsibility of being both the older sister and taking care of her two younger siblings.

We can only try to study hard to be worthy of what we have received, and also to make our parents somewhere feel secure about us.

Mai Hoang Tuyet Kieu (freshman of Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City)

3 vành tang mồ côi, Kiều phải học để còn lo cho hai em - Ảnh 2. — The image of their parents is a reminder for the three orphaned sisters to rely on and support each other - Photo: THANH HIEP

Working to support her younger sibling, Tuyet Kieu still passed the university entrance exam with second place in her major.

Kieu said she was very sad but had to be strong to wipe away her tears. “I have to live well because of the promise I made to my parents’ souls and for the future of my siblings. I will definitely not let my education be interrupted,” Kieu confided.

No sooner said than done, the determined female student applied for a job as a waitress at a coffee shop near Tao Dan Park (District 1). Because she still had to go to school, the job was only part-time, so the salary was very modest. She worked until recently, when she quit to stabilize her studies in a new environment.

To support her two younger siblings, she cut down on her own expenses. Reference books were given to her by teachers and friends. Necessary study materials were found online.

Because she had to work part-time, she had very little time to study on her own. However, Tuyet Kieu still studied well and achieved impressive results. After those difficult days, there was nothing happier than when Tuyet Kieu became an excellent student in grade 12 and was admitted to the Business Administration program at the Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City with the second highest score.

The joy is even greater when the younger sister Mai Ngoc Tu Trinh, after a year of pausing to focus on treatment, is now in grade 11 at Binh Chieu High School. The youngest brother Mai Hoang Thien Phuoc, currently in grade 8A3 at Thai Van Lung Middle School, also has quite good results.

It is rare to see a female student with the will to overcome difficulties like Tuyet Kieu. We use her example to encourage the learning spirit of other students at school.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Anh (Kieu's 12th grade homeroom teacher at Hiep Binh High School)

Life still has bodhisattva hearts

Many times, when they were tired and wanted to give up, the three sisters encouraged each other to study and supported each other through difficult times. The second sister Tuyet Kieu was like a strong pillar in the house for the two younger siblings to lean on.

Tuyet Kieu has almost gotten used to “forgetting” breakfast to save the instant noodles for her two younger siblings to eat before going to school. Her two younger siblings understand, on days off from school they sleep in until 10am and then wake up to cook lunch, saving them breakfast.

The neighbors pitied the three orphans, sometimes giving them this, sometimes bringing them that. The same thing happened at school, the teachers knew about the sisters' circumstances so they reduced their tuition fees and even helped them with some extra money.

Since Kieu's father passed away, through the ward's connection, Mr. Nguyen Van Le Hung (52 years old, director of Le Hung Sao Mai Trading and Service Company Limited) headquartered in Tam Phu ward (Thu Duc city, Ho Chi Minh city) has volunteered to sponsor the three sisters. Every month, he regularly sends 3 million VND and said he will maintain this support until all three sisters finish university.

Kieu said that the hard life of the sisters is not lacking in kindness. “Uncle Hung loves the sisters very much. Luckily, thanks to Uncle Hung, I had a few dozen million to pay the tuition fee when I got into university, otherwise I wouldn’t have known where to get it,” Kieu said.

9 tháng 3 lần đeo tang, nữ sinh Thủ Đức đi làm nuôi 2 em, vẫn đậu đại học á khoa ngành - Ảnh 4. — Tuyet Kieu now acts as both an older sister and a parent to her two younger siblings - Photo: THANH HIEP

Work extra to go the distance

Ms. Tran Thi Tuyet Nhung - President of the Women's Union of Tam Phu Ward (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) - has accompanied the three Kieu sisters for the past few years and said that she always gives priority to the three sisters whenever the locality has any activities to care for the poor and disadvantaged students.

“I read the article about the new students of the Support to School program and found Kieu’s case very deserving. The scholarship is even more meaningful, like a “lifesaver” for those who do not give up on fate, helping their dreams of university come true,” Ms. Nhung shared.

Kieu is well aware that she is not only studying for herself but also for her two younger siblings. Because in two years, when her younger sister goes to university, it will be even more difficult. "I will find a part-time job after my studies are stable, only then can my sisters hope to go the long way," Kieu confided.

Invite you to join the School Support Program

Tuoi Tre Newspaper's 2024 School Support Program launched on August 8, expected to award 1,100 scholarships with a total cost of more than 20 billion VND (15 million VND for new students with difficulties, 20 special scholarships worth 50 million VND/scholarship throughout 4 years of study and learning equipment, gifts...).

With the motto "No young person can go to school because of poverty", "New students encounter difficulties, there is Tuoi Tre" - as a commitment to support new students in the past 20 years of Tuoi Tre .

The program received contributions and support from the "Accompanying Farmers" Fund - Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company, Vinacam Education Promotion Fund - Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company and the clubs "Nghia Tinh Quang Tri", "Nghia Tinh Phu Yen"; the clubs "Supporting School" Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam - Da Nang, Tien Giang - Ben Tre, Quang Ngai and the Tien Giang - Ben Tre Business Association in Ho Chi Minh City, the German - Vietnamese Mutual Aid and Cooperation Association (VSW), Nam Long Company, Nestlé Vietnam Co., Ltd. ... along with businesses, philanthropists and a large number of readers of Tuoi Tre newspaper.