No money to go to university, female student chooses college: Wants to 'earn enough to feed her parents'

Poor learning conditions but that did not stop Hong Nu from going to university - Photo: LAN NGOC

New student Phan Hong Nu (grade 12A3 student at Truong Long Tay High School, Chau Thanh A district, Hau Giang) hesitated for a long time before deciding to register for college because she did not have money to study at university.

Rice farming all season, surplus… 3 million VND

When it rains, the rickety house, temporarily covered with rubber sheets instead of the old, empty walls of leaves, is the home of Phan Hong Nu's family - a new student majoring in tour guiding at Can Tho College of Tourism for more than ten years.

The more uneven the road to the house, the stronger Phan Hong Nu's will to overcome difficulties - Photo: LAN NGOC

On the uneven ground, Mrs. Vo Thi Cam Hong (58 years old, Hong Nu’s mother) walked with each limp step to welcome the guests because her left leg had a painful knee. Seeing the guests coming to the house, Hong Nu’s mother chopped a fresh coconut to serve them and invited us to sit right on the bed, because the house did not have any decent tables or chairs.

Ms. Hong said that while one illness had not yet gone away, another one came along at the same time. Four years ago, she discovered that she had diabetes. Every month, she went to the district hospital to get medicine. Then, in recent years, her left leg became swollen and painful, and it kept coming back, so she could no longer work.

“Before, I was doing manual cashew shelling. If I worked without stopping, I could produce about 2-3kg/day. After peeling the finished cashew shells, I would deliver them to the warehouse owner and get paid 9,000 VND/kg. On days when there was no product to produce, my husband and I would grow rice, catch crabs and snails to sell on the side…”, Ms. Hong said.

Hong Nu is always dutiful, taking care of and helping her mother when she is not at school – Photo: LAN NGOC

Stopping to bait some eel traps, Mr. Phan Van Cho (62 years old, Hong Nu's father) continued to talk about his family situation. For the past 12 years, his family has lived in a thatched house built on land that his uncle Chin let him stay in for free. At that time, he and his wife were poor and had no valuable assets when they moved out.

Later, he and his wife rented 6 hectares of rice fields. The land rent was 18 million VND/year. After the last harvest, after deducting all the costs of fertilizer, pesticides, hiring rice harvesters and carrying rice to the canal bank to sell to traders, his family made a profit of about 3 million VND.

On days when he is not in the fields, Mr. Cho goes out to set traps to catch eels to sell. Early in the morning, he carries more than 20 baited eel traps and wanders around looking for people's garden ditches to ask to set them up.

After school, Hong Nu helps her father set up traps to catch eels - Photo: LAN NGOC

“There are garden owners who see that I am poor, so they let me in to put down a trap, but there are also some gardens that are nearing the fruit harvest season, but the garden owners do not let me in. If this place does not allow it, I will go a little further to find another place to ask, sometimes more than 10km to find it. Putting down a trap for eels depends on the day, sometimes it is a good day, sometimes it is a bad day, with the amount of money from selling eels being around 100,000 - 200,000 VND/day. My family tries to save a lot but it is not enough because we are burdened with a debt of 50 million VND,” Mr. Cho said with a sigh.

“My husband and I are very ignorant and illiterate. What we wish most now is for our youngest daughter to continue her education and not be as ignorant as us…”, Ms. Hong confided.

"Knowing her place", Woman chooses to go to college to save money

The day she went to Can Tho to enroll in school, Hong Nu brought along a few kilos of rice and pumpkin that her mother had prepared for a week of food. Hong Nu shared that she rented a room to share with another friend to save on rent. With rice and pumpkin, she only bought a little meat to cook, as long as she had a full stomach for school.

Hong Nu is also resourceful, doing housework for her parents - Photo: LAN NGOC

In a house that was so poor that there was only the flickering light of a light bulb hanging in front of the house. Hong Nu was given an old study table, so she placed it right in front of the house to have light to study. The old table helped the poor girl have a place to sit and study, read books, and nurture her dream of going to school.

Hong Nu said: “One day, while I was studying, a heavy rain started to pour down. I quickly grabbed all my books and put them away. Then I helped my father stretch out some rubber sheets to prevent the rain from leaking into the house. When the rain stopped, I took out my books and continued studying, or sometimes stayed up late, which was quiet and easier to study. Putting aside difficulties, I tried to study so that I could have a brighter tomorrow.”

The freshman from Hau Giang often helps her father in the fields – Photo: LAN NGOC

“When I was in 10th grade, I planned to quit school to work, save money and then go back to school. But my parents and older brother advised me, and my dad said that even if I had to borrow money, I would try so that I could study,” Hong Nu said in a low voice about her intention.

Aware of her family's circumstances, Hong Nu decided to enroll in college instead of university to save money and shorten her graduation time. Hong Nu shared that she wants to become a good tour guide in the future, making money from intellectual work.

New student PHAN HONG NU

My parents suffered so much to let me go to school. After graduating, I was determined to earn money with my knowledge and ability so that my parents could at least have a full meal, a roof over their heads, and not have to suffer from a leaky house and rickety pillars anymore.

Hong Nu decided to use words so that her roof would no longer leak and the pillars would no longer lean – Photo: LAN NGOC

Mr. Le Van Thinh - Hong Nu's homeroom teacher - said that her family is near-poor. When the school learned about her family situation, they also supported her in exempting her from tuition fees. Hong Nu is a student with good academic ability, very obedient and polite to teachers. "Despite her difficult circumstances, she has the will to strive to escape poverty and really needs help to go to school."

From the age of 10 already know how to take care of grandmother

Every evening, Hong Nu runs to her grandmother's house to take care of her grandmother with simple, small tasks of a 10-year-old child, such as bringing her water, fruit, or cake to eat.

“Now that I’m older, I help my grandmother boil water, take her medicine on time, talk to her, and listen to her stories. She’s over 80 years old and doesn’t make any money, but she often gives me some money to go to school, but I don’t take it. Last year, the day my grandmother passed away, I cried a lot because I would no longer be able to listen to her stories and confide in me…”, Hong Nu said with a choked voice.

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 “Nghia Tinh Quang Tri” and Phu Yen Clubs; “Giving Support to School” Clubs of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam – Da Nang, Tien Giang – Ben Tre and Tien Giang and Ben Tre Entrepreneurs Clubs in Ho Chi Minh City, Dai-ichi Life Vietnam Company, Mr. Duong Thai Son and friends with businesses and a large number of readers of Tuoi Tre newspaper…

In addition, Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company also sponsored 50 laptops for new students with special difficulties and lack of learning equipment worth about 600 million VND, Nestlé Vietnam Company Limited sponsored 1,500 backpacks worth about 250 million VND.

The Vietnam-USA Society English Language System sponsored 50 free foreign language scholarships worth 625 million VND. Through the State Bank, Bac A Commercial Joint Stock Bank sponsored 1,500 books on financial education, instructing financial management skills for new students...

Businesses and readers can support scholarships for new students by transferring to Tuoi Tre newspaper account:

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Content: Support "Support to school" for new students or specify the province/city that you want to support.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khong-tien-vo-dai-hoc-nu-sinh-chon-cao-dang-muon-kiem-cho-cha-me-bua-com-canh-day-du-20241014180732692.htm