Male student passed Can Tho University's journalism exam with 27 points: Secretly wished his father or mother would raise him

A makeshift wooden bridge leading to the house, Minh Tien's bicycle was given as a means of transportation to school over the years - Photo: LAN NGOC

Many years passed and I only saw my parents a few times.

Over the past 12 years, I have only met my parents a few times. "Perhaps my parents see me as a guest who asks a few questions and then leaves, and doesn't think much about their own child...". That was the innocent thought of Ha Tran Minh Tien when he was a child - the sentiments he wrote to send to the Tuoi Tre newspaper's Support to School program .

Grandparents work hard to raise their grandchildren.

Old planks were patched together to make a temporary bridge leading to the house of Mr. Ha Van Phuoc (64 years old, Tien's grandfather). Mr. Phuoc said that 6 years ago, the local people and a Vietnamese American in the neighborhood felt sorry for his lonely family, so they donated to build a charity house so that the family could have a place to shelter from the sun and rain.

Ha Tran Minh Tien goes to school and helps his grandparents with housework every day - Performed by: LAN NGOC - NHA CHAN - MAI HUYEN - BICH NGAN

After school, Minh Tien peels coconut leaves to use for his grandmother's wood stove - Photo: LAN NGOC

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Bach Phuong (62 years old, Tien's grandmother) continued, at that time when she and her husband got married, because both families were poor, after getting married they had no land, no money, and had to do whatever they were hired to do.

Hearing that Minh Tien passed the university entrance exam, the whole village was both happy and worried for him because the cost of university education is quite high - Photo: LAN NGOC

There was a time when the whole family lived on a boat, traveling here and there to make a living, then going ashore. When someone hired them to pick fruit or weed, Mrs. Phuong anchored the boat ashore to do the work, while Mr. Phuoc spread nets to catch and sell freshwater fish.

"Up to the time of Tien's father, three generations of my family lived on other people's land. Perhaps poverty was the last straw that forced Tien's parents to divorce. They both ran away, leaving Tien behind when he was only 6 years old," Mrs. Phuong said in a low voice.

Even the third daughter of Mrs. Phuong and her husband left, leaving her 3-month-old granddaughter to be raised by her grandparents. The two elderly people in their 60s have shouldered the burden of taking care of Tien and little Ha Tran Kim Nhi (14 years old) to this day.

In the neighborhood, whenever someone hires Ms. Phuong to weed, she works by the day, sometimes not, and is paid 150,000 - 200,000 VND/day. Sometimes she goes to pick mulberry trees for hire and is paid 12,000 - 14,000 VND/hour.

On days when his grandparents weren't weeding or setting up nets, Minh Tien helped him chop firewood, boil water with a wood stove, grow bananas, and cut sweet potato leaves to sell - Photo: LAN NGOC

Mr. Phuoc wakes up at 3am to set nets to catch fish to sell. After setting nets, he rushes home to work as a motorbike taxi driver, but his work is sometimes uneven.

Then the kind relative let Mr. and Mrs. Phuoc grow bananas, sweet potato leaves, and squash in their garden. In return, Mr. and Mrs. Tien kept the garden, weeded, and took care of the grapefruit and mangosteen trees in the garden for the owner. The money from selling bananas, sweet potato leaves, weeding for hire, and driving motorbike taxis was not enough, and the debt of 20 million VND was still unpaid.

"Hearing that he passed the entrance exam to Can Tho University, my husband and I were so happy" - the grandmother could not hide her pride.

Average score for literature is 9.25, admission score for journalism at Can Tho University is 27

Sweet potato leaves are sold for 5,000 VND/bunch, Tien saves every penny just to have money to go to school - Photo: LAN NGOC

Minh Tien was admitted to the journalism department of Can Tho University. The door to a future through letters opened, but he was also worried about tuition fees.

Since 6th grade, every day after school, Minh Tien quickly changed into his uniform, rolled up his sleeves and followed his grandmother to help with weeding and picking mulberries. Then he turned to help his grandfather spread nets to catch fish to sell.

"My grandparents loved me very much. Even though they were old and often aching, they worked hard to raise me and never let me go hungry or thirsty. Whenever I didn't have school, I helped them to ease their burden. I got used to not having my parents. My friends knew I was an "orphan" so they didn't ask about my family. They were probably afraid that I would be sad," Minh Tien said.

No desk, no study lamp, Minh Tien used his grandfather's Styrofoam fish box as a desk, using light from the light bulb on the ceiling to study.

Minh Tien uses an old styrofoam box as a study table to nurture his dream of going to university - Photo: LAN NGOC

"Sometimes I study until late at night and get so hungry that I cook instant noodles, then put all my books in the styrofoam box, and put the bowl of noodles on the lid of the box to eat...", Minh Tien smiled and showed us the "magical uses" of the old styrofoam box.

At school, Minh Tien excels in literature. His highest score in literature is 9.25.

"In class, when I study or take an exam on a subject about family, I am considered to be "literately handicapped", because since I was little, I have lacked family happiness. The feeling of excitement when my parents take me to the park or buy me new things or toys is just a dream, and the reality is just a few words of greeting during the few visits.

Maybe life was too suffocating because of deprivation, parents no longer had any fate with each other so they left, but I think all parents love their children and cannot bear to abandon their own flesh and blood...", Minh Tien said in a tearful voice.

Freshman Ha Tran Minh Tien

Deep down, I want to be the red thread that binds my parents, but it is too fragile. In return, I feel the love of my grandparents, they have never let me go hungry for a day. In the future, I want to focus on studying really well, graduating with honors to find a stable job to repay my grandparents.

Leaving his hometown to go to Can Tho to study, Minh Tien brought with him the determination to face difficulties to conquer a bachelor's degree in journalism from Can Tho University - Photo: LAN NGOC

Half a day studying, half a day helping his grandparents, knowing that his family was poor, Tien never asked his grandparents for money to go out or buy clothes. For the past few years, Minh Tien and his younger sister Kim Nhi have been wearing clothes given to them by others. Minh Tien said that being clean and tidy is all that is needed, more importantly, is to accumulate knowledge in the head.

Now that tuition and living expenses are quite high when he goes to Can Tho to study, Minh Tien said he wants to work as a waitress at a coffee shop when he doesn't have classes.

Minh Tien also spends time tutoring his sister who is about to enter 9th grade - Photo: LAN NGOC

Ms. Bui Dang An Khuong - Minh Tien's homeroom teacher - said that Minh Tien is a good student, hard-working, and needs help to go to school. Despite his lonely circumstances, Tien is determined to study hard and pass the university entrance exam.

The school also understands the situation, so when there are support gifts, they will give them to her. We hope that many benefactors will support her more so that her path to university will be less bumpy.

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", "If 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 "Quang Tri Affection" Club, Phu Yen; " Supporting School " Club of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam - Da Nang, Tien Giang - Ben Tre and Tien Giang, Ben Tre Business Club 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 :

113000006100 VietinBank, Branch 3, Ho Chi Minh City.

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

Readers and businesses abroad can transfer money to Tuoi Tre newspaper:

USD account 007.137.0195.845 Ho Chi Minh City Foreign Trade Bank;

EUR account 007.114.0373.054 Foreign Trade Bank, Ho Chi Minh City

with Swift code BFTVVNVX007.

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

In addition to sponsoring scholarships, readers can support learning equipment, accommodation, jobs... for new students.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nam-sinh-dau-bao-chi-dh-can-tho-27-diem-tung-tham-mong-cha-hay-me-hay-nuoi-minh-20241015213647001.htm