Happy and confident as a sponsored child

The happiness is shared in Huong’s family, where there used to be sadness when the girl lost the love of both her parents. 

Her father left the family when Huong was only 10 months old. The Muong ethnic minority girl lived with her mother and grandparents in a mountainous village in Thanh Hoa province, northern Vietnam.

“He abandoned Huong’s mother and got married to another woman. Huong stayed with grandparents because her mother didn’t have anything, neither money nor land, nor even a simple house”, recalled Huong’s grandmother. 

Huong’s mother also had to work as a hired laborer for anyone to get some rice for her daughter.

“When Huong was 11 years old, her mother got married to a new husband. Huong lost almost all of the loving care from her parents, and grew up living with her grandparents”, shared the  grandmother Mrs. Truong Thi Lan. 

Despite the financial difficulties, both grandparents tried their best to afford her school. They wanted for their beloved child nothing but a bright future.

And that future opened up when Huong became one of the children in her hamlet recruited in World Vision’s sponsorship program in Lang Chanh ADP. 

Huong and her studying corner

“During the past years, World Vision has helped finance my grandchild’s education with clothes, books, notebooks and learning equipment”, said the grandmother.

Since preschool, Huong’s had no difficulties in studying. She is happy and confident. She enjoys the new methodology approach and teaching skills of the teachers, new indoor/outdoor school toys.

Huong enjoys her learning at school

The girl is also active in many community activities such as birthday parties for local children, swimming class, International Children’s Day, Luna New Year, and a lot of other raising awareness sessions on child-related issues facilitated by World Vision, including the prevention of children from injury, accident and drowning.

“I have participated in many activities that World Vision supports. At the schools I can access to libraries, which help broaden my knowledge and improve my life skills. At secondary school, I became a member of the core group of children’s club, where my friends and I can openly express our opinions and join discussions. After my teachers were trained on active learning techniques, there remained no more passive listening in the classes”, Huong seemed to be able to talk tirelessly about what she loves.

Huong is active in many community activities

Off-school time of the girl is not less exciting. Back home, Huong helps her grandmother breeding chickens, cooking or working in the field.

“It is so helpful to have chickens to breed, for I can get both meat and eggs for her nutrition”, added Huong’s grandmother happily.

Leaving the past behind, Huong is now poised to a bright future with good education. Her dream is to become a policewoman to take care and protect the children in her community.

The sponsorship program is a fundamental part of the work of World Vision Vietnam’s Lang Chanh ADP. Starting in 2002, the ADP has implemented 5 projects in 7 targeted communes in Lang Chanh district, benefiting more than 34,508 people, including 7,840 children. The ADP is now in transition and will phase out in 2018.

Nguyen Van Sung – Lang Chanh ADP Manager