Supporting 19 Northern provinces to go to school: Lighting up hope to continue writing dreams

New students receive the 2024 Support to School scholarship – Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

The students who overcame adversity to rise up came from 19 provinces and cities: Ha Nam, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Ninh, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Lang Son, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Quang Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang and Vinh Phuc.

I was really surprised and happy to receive the scholarship from the program. Before entering school, my grandmother spent all her savings of a decade on me, and my foster mother also spent a month's salary on me. I will earn my own living expenses, rent, etc. to ease the burden on my mother.

NGUYEN LE HANG – new student of National Economics University

"I don't believe it!"

Nguyen Thi Hong Mai, a new student majoring in banking management at Thai Nguyen University of Economics and Business Administration, shared that before getting on the bus to Ha Nam to receive the Tiep Suc Den Truong scholarship, she “couldn’t believe it was true.”

Mai was also accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lan. Now 65 years old, Mrs. Lan suffers from back pain and has difficulty walking, but she is still determined to take three bus trips, traveling more than 200 kilometers to receive the scholarship with her daughter.

Mrs. Lan said she raised her daughter alone. The mother and daughter lived off a small vegetable stall at the commune's central market. Before Mai received the scholarship, she had to borrow money from nearly a dozen relatives and friends to have enough money for her daughter's tuition. Despite the difficulties, Mrs. Lan was still determined to raise her only daughter to fulfill her dream of going to university.

“I am so happy! The scholarship for my daughter has helped ease the hardship for my family and motivated her to continue going to school,” Ms. Lan shared.

The child’s mother could not take time off from work, so Mrs. Pham Thi Hue (61 years old, from Vinh Lap commune, Thanh Ha district, Hai Duong province) brought her grandchild to receive the scholarship. The ceremony was attended by many grandfathers, grandmothers, parents, and relatives of the new scholarship recipients – Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

Meanwhile, freshman Nguyen Thi Hong Mai could not help but be moved. Tears fell as she recounted the moment she received the news that she had received the Tiep Suc Den Truong scholarship.

“I texted my homeroom teacher to ask if it was true that I received the scholarship. The teacher said yes. I was anxious and asked someone to ask the organizers if it was true. My family also asked people to ask many places. It was true that I received the scholarship.”

Nguyen Le Hang, a freshman at the Hanoi National Economics University, lost her mother when she was young and her father remarried. When she was in 9th grade, her father died of cancer. Hang lived with her adoptive mother, who was also her stepmother. Since her father passed away, the whole family has struggled because all the money was spent on her father's treatment. Hang's adoptive mother works in a garment factory, her income is not worth much and she has to raise three children, both her stepchildren and her own.

Before going to university, Hang asked her cousin in Hanoi to find her a job. Hang was hired as a math teaching assistant at an educational center. Every day, after school at noon, Hang would run to work as a teaching assistant more than ten kilometers away from school. After the first period, at around 2 p.m., she would have a snack to continue teaching. The work was hard, but she was determined to both study and work because her family circumstances did not allow her to rest...

Bui Phuong Mai, a new student at Hanoi University of Culture, was moved when she saw her late mother's bicycle - Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

“Your will is our motivation”

Ms. Le Thi Hoai Thuong, senior foreign affairs manager of Nestle Vietnam Co., Ltd., also shared: “The determination of the new students is our motivation”. Ms. Hoai Thuong said that this is the 8th time Nestle has accompanied Tuoi Tre newspaper in the “Tiep suc den truong” program. In previous years, Nestle participated in awarding prizes in the southern clusters, this is the first time the company and Tuoi Tre newspaper have awarded scholarships to new students in the northern provinces. However, the company’s staff always follow the activities of “Tiep suc den truong”.

Ms. Thuong said that Nestle aims to take care of children's health, create livelihoods for people and work together for the community. Therefore, the "Support to School" program and its reputation and humane values ​​that have spread over the past 20 years have made Nestle always want to continue to accompany and support students in difficult circumstances.

“We were able to share their inspiring stories. Those stories touched us deeply and we felt motivated by them,” said Ms. Thuong.

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Sharing by Mr. Vu Hai Son - Deputy General Director of Vinacam Group, and Ms. Le Thi Hoai Thuong - Senior Foreign Affairs Manager of Nestle Vietnam Company Limited - Implemented by: NGUYEN BAO - NHA CHAN - MAI HUYEN

Mr. Vu Hai Son, Deputy General Director of Vinacam Group, said that Vinacam has been accompanying the “Support to School” program for 21 years. He assessed that among volunteer activities, “Support to School” is a very meaningful program.

The program has supported thousands of students in difficult circumstances to continue going to school, studying and contributing to the country. According to Mr. Hai Son, sponsoring students to overcome difficulties in studying is contributing to building the future.

“We really hope that you will try your best, focus on your studies, and achieve the best results. That is our wish and also the best way to repay us. We hope that we will see the spirit of the Vietnamese people who always share difficulties, always share and help those who overcome difficulties,” said Mr. Son.

Committed to continuing to support new students in difficulty

At the ceremony, journalist Tran Xuan Toan, deputy editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre newspaper, recalled the story of exactly one year ago, also in Phu Ly (Ha Nam), Tuoi Tre newspaper awarded 120 scholarships to new students. Today, also in this place, Tuoi Tre newspaper awarded 132 scholarships to other disadvantaged new students.

Journalist Tran Xuan Toan reiterated the commitment of Tuoi Tre newspaper and sponsors to continue supporting new students in difficult circumstances. On this occasion, journalist Tran Xuan Toan gave the new students three words of “love”: love yourself, love your family and love your homeland. Self-love is not selfish love but the skills to take care of yourself, to overcome difficulties and temptations to study.

Love your family to always remember your relatives, the people behind you so that you can go to school. The third word of love is to love your homeland and country. “When you love your homeland and country, you will have the will to try and contribute. You will be successful in the future, but after you succeed, you must share and contribute with the country. We do not need you to pay back or repay, but hope that you will contribute to the community. You will be the ones to create the era of the country's Rising”, said journalist Tran Xuan Toan.

Journalist Tran Xuan Toan introduces the book "Being Smart with Money" for new students - Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

Imbued with profound human values

At the ceremony, Ms. Dinh Thi Lua, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ha Nam Provincial Party Committee, shared that in recent years, the domestic economy has faced many difficulties and complex natural disasters. Recently, the Red River Delta region was severely affected by Typhoon Yagi, making people's lives more difficult. Many new students are at risk of not being able to go to school. "The presence of Tuoi Tre newspaper with the Tiep suc den truong scholarship lights up hope for students to overcome difficulties to continue their dreams, grow up and develop. Each new student is a story of perseverance to overcome difficulties and reach the pinnacle of knowledge," Ms. Lua said.

According to the leader of Ha Nam Provincial Party Committee, each scholarship is not only valuable in terms of material but also imbued with profound human values. More specifically, with the spirit of those who go before helping those who come after, over the past 20 years, many students who have received support from the scholarship have "returned" to contribute more to the scholarship fund, contributing to spreading the message For a Developing Tomorrow of Tuoi Tre newspaper.

Ms. Dinh Thi Lua commented that the new students present today may not feel that they are lucky, but they should be proud of themselves for not giving up on fate to continue to conquer their dreams. "I hope you will cherish this gift, continue to strive, constantly improve your knowledge, to create a better life, and contribute to building your homeland," she said.

The scholarship award ceremony for the "Tiep suc den truong" program in Ha Nam on November 2, 2024 was organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper in coordination with Ha Nam Provincial Youth Union and the Northern Provincial and Municipal Youth Unions.

The total cost of the program is over 2 billion VND sponsored by the Farmers' Companion Fund (Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company), Vinacam Education Promotion Fund (Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company) and readers of Tuoi Tre newspaper.

Each scholarship is worth 15 million VND in cash, including 2 special scholarships worth 50 million VND/4 years of study and 5 laptops for new students with special difficulties and lack of learning equipment.

2024 is the 21st year of the scholarship and the 9th awarding point in the Tuoi Tre Newspaper's 2024 Support to School scholarship program for more than 1,100 new students in difficult circumstances nationwide with a total cost of more than 20 billion VND.

In addition to new students with difficult circumstances from 19 provinces and cities in the Northern region, the program also organizes scholarships for students in the following regions: Central, Central Highlands, Southeast, Mekong Delta and provinces in the Northwest region...

The School Support Program is contributed and supported by the Farmers' Companion Fund (Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company), Vinacam Education Promotion Fund (Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company) and the Quang Tri and Phu Yen Affection Clubs; School Support Clubs of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam - Da Nang, Tien Giang - Ben Tre provinces and Tien Giang and Ben Tre Businessmen's Clubs in Ho Chi Minh City, Dai-ichi Life Vietnam Company; Mr. Duong Thai Son and his friends, businesses and a large number of Tuoi Tre newspaper readers...

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; Vietnam-USA Association English System sponsored 50 free foreign language scholarships worth 625 million VND.

North Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank sponsors 1,500 books on financial education, guiding financial management skills for new students.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tiep-suc-den-truong-19-tinh-phia-bac-thap-len-hy-vong-de-viet-tiep-uoc-mo-2024110222061362.htm