The determination of two new students of Hue University is stronger than their unfortunate fate.

An unfortunately has a limp due to polio and Duong, an orphan, had to work extra since grade 10 to help his mother, but like beautiful names, they reach for the sun, both are freshmen at Hue University.

Nghị lực của hai tân sinh viên ĐH Huế còn mạnh hơn số phận không may — Freshman Ho Dac An (right) with paralyzed legs due to the effects of Agent Orange. To be able to go to school or anywhere, An has to rely on his friends to help him walk with a limp – Photo: CONG NGO

Disabled legs do not make it difficult for An to go to school.

Born and raised in the poor countryside of Phu Mon village, Loc An commune, Phu Loc district, Thua Thien Hue province, at the age of 6, Ho Dac An (a freshman in information technology, University of Science, Hue University) suffered from a viral fever that paralyzed his legs. The miracle came after a process of hard training, An was still able to take his first steps instead of lying in one place.

Since then, An's every step became heavy and limping, every day going to school was a difficult journey.

An’s family is also a victim of Agent Orange. An’s mother, Le Thi Van, cannot walk normally. An’s two younger brothers also have congenital leg tendon contractures, making it difficult for them to walk, have slow intellectual development, and had to drop out of school in the 6th grade.

All household expenses depend on the part-time job of An's father, Ho Dac Thanh, as a bricklayer.

Fate is cruel, family is difficult but An does not give up.

Unable to go to school by himself, An asked a friend to pick him up every day. Sometimes An felt self-conscious and had an inferiority complex because some people teased him for walking with one foot high and one low.

An was also sad and thought about quitting school. But looking back and seeing the hardships of his parents, An was even more determined to overcome adversity.

“Thanks to my father’s sacrifice, my mother’s love and my affection for my siblings, I have been motivated. I always tell myself to study hard so that I can have a stable job and take care of my parents and two siblings,” An said with determination.

Now, as a student of information technology at the University of Science, Hue University, An confided, “I always want to be successful so that one day if my parents pass away, I can still take care of my two younger siblings who also suffer from Agent Orange,” An said.

Talking about her student Ho Dac An, teacher Le Thi Thuy (An's homeroom teacher at An Luong Dong High School, Phu Loc District, Thua Thien Hue) praised: "An always had a strong desire to go to school. Throughout grade 12, An never missed a single day.

However, her family situation is very difficult. I really hope that benefactors will help her so that her path to study and future will be brighter."

Support to School 2024: More than 20 billion VND to help new students overcome difficulties

Sunshine turns toward the sun, even though orphaned and miserable

Freshman Nguyen Ngoc Anh Duong (logistics and supply chain student, University of Economics, Hue University), has a family of three sisters and she is the eldest. When Duong was just 12 years old, her father unfortunately passed away after a stroke.

Since her husband passed away, Mrs. Muoi has had to take care of everything in the house. The poor mother became the sole breadwinner.

Mrs. Muoi's day begins at 1am selling eggs at Bai Dau wholesale market, about 10km from her home.

Working hard until 6am, Mrs. Muoi continued to return home to process agarwood cones until late at night with a salary of only 20,000 VND for each kilo of finished agarwood cones.

Feeling sorry for her mother's hard work, since grade 10 Anh Duong asked for a part-time job to help her mother pay the bills.

“The girl kept asking to work extra to help her mother suffer less. I was determined not to let her go, but she kept insisting. So I said that if she became an excellent student, I would let her work extra. Who would have thought that she was determined to become an excellent student so that she could work extra to help her mother,” Mrs. Muoi said.

Every day after school, Anh Duong often cooks for her siblings, then goes back to help her mother process agarwood. Taking advantage of her days off, Duong works as a waiter and cleaner at a coffee shop near her home.

Although she worked part-time, throughout 12 years of studying, she was always an excellent student and she considered that a precious gift for her mother.

The day she heard her daughter had passed the university entrance exam, Mrs. Muoi was both happy and worried. She searched her pockets and found that she only had a few million dong left in the house, not enough for Duong to pay the tuition fees for the first school year.

“I was planning to tell Duong to take a year off school and go work as a factory worker to earn money. Before I could say anything, Duong told me that he would work part-time to earn money to go to school and would never drop out. Hearing him say that made my heart ache,” Mrs. Muoi said with tears in her eyes.

No sooner said than done, after receiving the acceptance letter, Anh Duong wandered around Hue city looking for a part-time job. Thanks to her “experience” working part-time at a coffee shop since she was a schoolgirl, Duong was accepted by the shop owner and trained to make drinks at a coffee shop.

“I really like my own name. Anh Duong is the sun's ray, bringing life and hope. So I will try my best like a flower that always yearns towards the sun to bloom the most beautiful flowers for life. I believe that as long as I try my best, the opportunity to change my life will come,” Anh Duong said.

Teacher Le Thai Hoa (Anh Duong's homeroom teacher at Hai Ba Trung High School, Hue City), said that Duong comes from a difficult family situation but is full of confidence.

“She is a small and fragile girl, but inside she has an admirable will to overcome difficulties and study well.

Unlike his peers, after school Duong never thinks about milk tea or watching movies, but instead goes home to help his mother with housework and even works part-time. Despite working and studying like that, Duong still studies very well and is always at the top of his class," said Mr. Hoa.

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.

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 of 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 funding scholarships, readers can support learning equipment, accommodation, jobs, etc. for new students.