"I want to go to school"

Seeing Thang enjoy studying and playing with his friends, you wouldn't know that he risked living a dependent life with disability.

Two years ago, a sharp branch pierced his right eye when Thang fell out of a tree.

Having no money and lacking appropriate knowledge, instead of taking him to the hospital his parents, who had never left their remote home village, invited a traditional healer into their home.

“The healer said there was a ghost that would not free my son. I did not know what to do but cry," recalls Thang’s father Lau A De.

Having heard about Thang’s incident, World Vision staff in Tuan Giao district visited his house to persuade his parents to hospitalize him as soon as possible. After several visits and persevering persuasion, Thang’s parents eventually sent him to Vietnam-Germany hospital in Hanoi with World Vision’s support.

During the operation, a 2-cm tree branch was taken from the left hemisphere of his brain. After a one-month treatment and rehabilitation, Thang returned to his village, with his one side of his body paralyzed by the accident.

Unable to move around by himself, Thang was left at home alone while his parents were working on farm.

Unable to move around by himself, Thang was left at home alone while his parents were working on farm. He was very happy whenever World Vision staff came over to visit him.

But one day he broke down crying, "I want to go to school. I want to walk normally to help my parents." The new school year had just started.

Thang’s parents used to ask the school to let him go back to class after his operation but their request was refused as the teachers didn’t have teaching skills for children with disabilities.

The teachers didn’t have teaching skills for children with disabilities.

At that time, World Vision started to facilitate workshops on integrated education for children with disabilities for teachers from local schools across Tuan Giao district.

At the same time, in addition to providing a wheelchair, World Vision staff also helped persuade the local government and his school’s teachers to help Thang join classes again. As for Thang, he practiced walking every day.

At the beginning of the new school year 2015, Thang went back to Pu Nhung school, following the 3nd class.

“I am very happy!” Thang was beaming when he spoke with World Vision staff about his return to school.

Vietnamese text and photos by Nguyen Thi Huong Giang, Tuan Giao ADP Manager