An elderly couple in one of the poorest village in Thua Thien Hue Province are struggling to make ends meet.

 96-year-old Tran Huu So takes care of his wife

They are 96-year-old Tran Huu So and 91-year-old Le Thi Con from Nam Village of Loc An Commune are unable to fix their leaking roof.

So and Con has three children but their eldest son died in a traffic accident and left behind a three-month-old child. After that, his wife went away with the child to find a better life. "It's over a decade now but they've never returned," So said.

Hanh, the youngest daughter graduated from university and was able to find a job near home. But the happiness did not last long since it was found out that Hanh had cancer. Hanh also divorced though she had had a daughter who was just two year old.

Hanh decided to live with the daughter at her work instead of going home because she did not want to reveal her illness and cause more grief to her parents. When she returned home she was already in the final stage of cancer and could not be cured. The helplessness overshadowed the old parents who could just watch their daughter live in pain.

 So beside his youngest daughter's altar

Hanh died in March. So had to go to the neighbours door-to-door to ask for a little rice for Hanh's funeral. "She spent all of her hard-earned money on her daughter and us but we couldn't prepare a proper funeral for her," So said.

Tran Thi Hao, So and Con's second child left and moved to Binh Phuoc Province. She married but still poor and desperately work as many jobs as possible. She said, "I love my parents but I can't stay because I still have my own family to take care of."

Currently, So and Con live on the VND360,000 a month pension. They have to depend on their neighbour for food and to make matters worse, Con has a pelvic fracture from a fall so she is unable to move.

 The old couple live in a dilapidated house

Though So's health as well as his hearing has weakened, he still tries to sell vegetables and fruits for a little money to buy medicine. He said, "We are old, we don't mind hardship or even death but our grandchild is still small. I'm worried, who will take care of her if we are gone?"

Tran Van Luat, head of Nam Village said, "So's situation is desperate. They requested help from the village and communal authorities many times but there is only so much we can do from our limited budget."

If you can help them, please make donation through:

1. Tran Huu So in Nam Village, Loc An Commune, Phu Loc District, Thua Thien-Hue Province

Tel: 0169-319-5217

2. Compassionate Hearts Charity Fund – Dan tri Newspaper (Hanoi)
No. 2/48 Giang Vo Str., Dong Da Dist., Hanoi (beside Kim Ma petrol station)
Tel: 04. 3. 7366.491/ Fax: 04. 3. 7366.490
Email:quynhanai@dantri.com.vn
 
* Vietnam Dong Account information at Vietcombank:
Account holder: Bao Khuyen hoc & Dan tri
Account number: 045 100 194 4487
With Bank: THE BANK FOR FOREIGN TRADE OF VIETNAM  – Thanh Cong Branch
 
* US Dollar Account information at Vietcombank:
Account holder: Bao Khuyen hoc & Dan tri
Account number: 045 137 195 6482
SWIFT Code: BFTVVNVX
With Bank:  THE BANK FOR FOREIGN TRADE OF VIETNAM
 
* Vietnam Dong Account information at Vietinbank:
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
 
* US Dollar Account information at MB Bank:
Account holder: Bao Khuyen hoc & Dan tri
Account number: 0721100357002
SWIFT Code: MSCBVNVX
With Bank: MILITARY COMMERCIAL JOINT STOCK BANK - MCSB ( No.3, Lieu Giai str., Ba Dinh Dist., Hanoi, Vietnam)
 
3 Ha Tinh representative office: 46 Nguyen Cong Tru, Tan Giang Ward, Ha Tinh City. Tel: 039.3857.112
Da Nang representative office: 25 Nguyen TriPhuong, Thanh Khe Dist., Da Nang City. Tel: 0511.3653.725
Ho Chi MinhCity representative office: 39L Street 11, Ward 3, Binh Thanh Dist, Hochiminh City. Tel: 08. 66786. 885
Can Tho representative office:53/13 Ly Tu Trong, Ninh Kieu Dist., Can Tho City. Tel: 071.3.733.269