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Who wants to buy peanuts, sweets or cake?" one street child
cries out cheerfully as she advertises her wares to eager
customers. Like her, street children in the central province of Thanh Hoa now lead meaningful lives earning their own living every day and attending charity centres set up by good samaritans for disadvantaged children to learn and relax.
Ngoc Quy of No 13, Street 2 in Dong Son has been running a school for children from fishing villages and Quang Xuong, Nong Cong, Tinh Gia and Hau Loc districts for some time.
She had nurtured the dream of establishing a school for children with difficulties for years, ever since seeing a lot of children in fishing villages suffering from hunger and poverty.
She once started talking with Nhung, a street child, who told her: "I’m so sad because I don’t know how to write or read. I wish I could just ask somebody to teach me how to write my name."
Quy proposed the idea of starting classes for these children to the Dong Son and Thanh Hoa authorities. The city’s Education and Training Department assisted her to turn her dream into reality.
Quy bought land and built a small school. She herself, accompanied by two teachers, went to every family living on boats to encourage the children to go to school.
The centre started operating in September, 1995 with seven children from fishing villages and eight from other districts. A year later, the number had increased to 30. Besides getting assistance from organisations and agencies, Ngoc Quy also asked the Student Association of Hong Duc University to help teaching the children.
Nhu Ngoc Bich from Hoang Trinh Commune, Hoang Hoa District is responsible for teaching painting classes, while Le Thi Hoc and Do Thi Khieu are embroidery teachers.
The centre is not only a school for these children, but has also become a centre to train and create jobs for them.
Most of the children earn a living by becoming shoe-shiners or hawkers. They produce toothpicks or sell lottery tickets to agents at the school. After finishing the painting or embroidery course, some children find jobs in shops or factories to earn more money.
The centre has so far taught and trained 64 children with difficulties. They have grown up, some got married and are leading happy lives. Ngoc Quy has become like both a maternal and paternal grandmother to them.
With the same kindness as Ngoc Quy, Vu Thi Minh Thuy opened the Minh Thuy May Charity Co-operative as a home for 40 disabled children.
At the co-operative, children learn, work and enjoy their lives. Despite their disabilities, the children are happy because they make useful products that can improve their own lives, like chopsticks, clothes hangers or embroidery and paintings.
Le Thi Phuong is one of the good workers. Although she grew up on a rubbish dump, Phuong is interested in embroidery, which helps her to express the beauty of life that she herself can’t enjoy in full.
Living as part of a big family at the co-operative, Phuong still sometimes feels homesick and visits her family for a few days. Phuong’s mother is working as a maid in Ha Noi, trying to save as much money as possible to take her back home and look after her.
Trinh Thi Hai from Trieu Son District is paralysed in her legs but goes to the co-operative every day to learn and work.
Other centres include private institutions like the Thanh Huong and Disabled Children Assistance Centre of Thanh Hoa City. The Blind Association are gradually helping disadvantaged children in the region to steadily carve out meaningful lives for themselves.
Vietnamnews - (17/07/2006)
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