Young Le Thi Nguyet has the weight of her family on her shoulders.
Since her mother passed away after a long and serious fight with illness and her father died of a heroin addiction in prison, at only 18, Le Thi Nguyet is left to take care of her brother. Everything has become this little girl’s burden to bare as she has taken her mother’s position to raise her younger brother.
Nguyet doesn't have any money to repair leaks in her humble home
A woman showed us the way to Nguyet’s house and told us, “She is very poor. They lost both parents and their future will be very difficult."
An old and dilapidated house greets us. It has no assets other than an obsolete television that can operate like a radio and a bicycle resting in the corner.
Nguyet has an older sister and a younger brother. Her father, Le Van Minh, was a carpenter. He was often away for work when she was growing up, leaving her mother to do all the housework. Her father did not help the family and he often beat her mother ruthlessly when he came back home. He became a dangerous drug addict.
He sold all of the families assets such as the paddy, cows, buffalos, pots, frying-pans and more to feed his addiction.
“My father would often beat my mother and demand money. Once he tried to light the house on fire. Luckily, our neighbours put the flames out,” shared Nguyet.
Nguyet loved her mother very much and she left school in 9th grade to help around the house.
Nguyet’s mother worked very hard everyday to earn a living and try to meet her husband’s demands.
Now Nguyet is the sole breadwinner
Nguyet's mother's health became much weaker due to her husband’s ruthless thrashings and the families poor nutrition. After a long and serious battle with illness, she eventually passed away in November 2007, leaving behind her 3 children.
The death of her mother was a huge loss and a matter of inconsolable pain for Nguyet and her siblings. Nguyet had no choice but to stay strong. After their mother's death, the father found a young girl who started staying in the house with them. This girl was also addicted to heroin. Together they bought, sold and used drugs. They were finally caught and put into prison. The father was sentenced to 15 years in prison and shortly after, he died from cardiac problems.
Unfortunate circumstances have seemed to follow Nguyet’s family. Her older sister got married but her difficult economic condition doesn't enable her to help Nguyet and her little brother. Nguyet works very hard everyday to try to earn a living and support her younger brother. Nguyet often sends Duc (her brother) to her uncle’s house to work for Tay Nguyen during the coffee harvest season.
Sitting in her shoddy and leaking house, Nguyet was broken to tears while telling us, “I remember a storm in 2009. We had to run to the cow stable because we were afraid the house might collapse. When my parents were alive, my family was loaned VND18 million and now I am left with the debt. I don't know how I'll ever be able to pay it."
“I wish I could find a stable job. I can do anything, no matter how difficult, I just want to earn enough to take care of my brother and allow him to continue studying."
For information on how to contribute, please see below:
Charitable donations please send to: 1. Le Thi Nguyet: Hamlet 1, Nam Loc commune, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province. 2. Compassionate Hearts Charity Fund – Dan Tri Newspaper ( No. 2/48 Giang Vo Str., Dong Da Dist., * Account holder: Bao Khuyen hoc & Dan tri Account number: 10 201 0000 220 639 With Bank: Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade – Hoan Kiem Branch
Account holder: Bao Khuyen hoc & Dan tri Account number: 10 202 0000 004346 SWIFT Code: ICBVVNVX106 With Bank: Hanoi Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade 2. Representative Offices: Ha Tinh representative office: 46 Nguyen Cong Tru, Tan Giang Ward, Ha Tinh City. Tel: 039.3.857.122 Can Tho representative office: 53/13 Ly Tu Trong, Ninh Kieu Dist., Can Tho City. Tel: 071.3.733.269 |
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