72 years old woman works for hire to support her grandchildren's education

Phu Yen Raising H'Ngoc Lan since she was one year old, now Mrs. H'Chac (72 years old) is facing the situation of not being able to work to take care of her granddaughter due to prolonged leg pain.

On the first day of May, Ms. Vo Thi Nguyet Thu, principal of Son Nguyen Kindergarten (Son Hoa District), as usual, prepared a box of instant noodles and some food to bring to H'Ngoc Lan (4 years old) in Nguyen Xuan village. Hearing the teacher's call, Lan and her grandmother ran out, happily received the gift and did not forget to say thank you.

In 2019, when Lan was over a year old, her parents had a conflict and divorced. Lan's mother, because her family life was too difficult at that time, could not bear the pressure and left, and has been "missing" to this day. Her father was immersed in alcohol all day and could not take care of Lan. Out of pity for her grandchild, Mrs. H'Chac took her in to raise her until now.

The house is about 17 square meters wide and is home to a grandmother and grandchild. Photo: Bui Toan

Despite her hard life and frequent illnesses, Mrs. H'Chac still works as a weeder and sugarcane cutter to earn extra income. When she is in need, she says, "I do whatever anyone asks me to do." She says that on days when she works as a hired hand, she can earn 20,000-30,000 VND, and when people are kind to her, she can earn 50,000 VND. That amount of money is enough for the two of them to buy some rice and eggs to get through the day.

Last year, her legs started to ache, making it difficult for her to walk. She could no longer work like before. There were months when she had to rely entirely on the help of her neighbors. Her life depended on the vegetables in the backyard. Occasionally, benefactors and volunteers came to help, so sometimes she was able to save a little money each month, which she used for her granddaughter's education.

"I'm also trying to save money so that Lan can study properly. I don't know if I can take care of her until she grows up," Mrs. Chac said worriedly. Up to now, the local government has also created conditions for Lan to go to preschool. Many teachers have also supported her in paying tuition fees so that she can go to school.

Mrs. H'Chac and baby H'Ngoc Lan. Photo: Bui Toan

For many years, Mrs. Lan and her grandchild lived in a makeshift house made of old wooden planks, about 17 square meters wide, with many places rotten. Inside the house there was only a small, roughly arranged kitchen. The most valuable items in Mrs. Chac’s house were a light bulb and an iron bed given to them by a neighbor a few months ago. On rainy days, the two of them often went to their neighbor’s house to take shelter because it was leaking and had many places badly damaged.

Since Mrs. H'Chac's leg hurt, she can no longer take her grandchild to school. Lan has to go to school by riding a neighbor's bike every day. She said that luckily, the distance from home to school is about 5 km, so getting to school is somewhat less difficult for her grandchild.

"Lan is considered by her teachers to be obedient and well-behaved. Even though she lives with her grandmother, she has never cried for her parents, so I feel very secure," said Ms. H'Chac.

Mr. Ma Nghia, Chairman of Nguyen Xuan village, Son Nguyen commune, said that the village is one of the most disadvantaged areas in the locality. There are 217 households in the village, ethnic minorities account for more than 50%, most of whom are engaged in agriculture such as growing sugarcane and cassava.

"Mrs. H'Chac's family is one of the most difficult households in the village. Although she has children, she has lived alone for a long time and her children cannot rely on her. Now she is getting older and weaker and cannot work much. Her only wish is that her granddaughter will have books to study in the future," said Mr. Nghia.

Bui Toan

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/ba-72-tuoi-di-lam-thue-nuoi-chau-an-hoc-4604208.html