Taking a long, one-hour walk to school each day or studying at a makeshift desk in a fragile, wall-less house are just a couple of the many heartfelt stories we had the chance to hear from disadvantaged children during our recent home visits in Phụng Hiệp District, Hậu Giang Province in this early September.
Conducting home visits is a mandatory activity for Saigon Children to carefully assess students and their families’ needs through a comprehensive and impartial process and offer appropriate support. This time, we visited students studying at Phương Ninh Primary and Secondary School, a local school that was built over 30 years ago and has gradually deteriorated over time. The school is now receiving support for upgrading through saigonchildren’s School Building and Learning Environment Improvement Programme.
Each child has a different story, all of which resonate deeply with those of us doing social work. It is only by experiencing these living conditions firsthand that we can truly understand the efforts these children make to stay on the path of education.
From wide asphalt roads, we ventured down narrower alleys leading to routes where cars could no longer go, and sometimes all that was left were dirt tracks. During our home visits, it rained heavily, making the streets with tall trees and bushes slippery due to the moss. The teachers accompanying us on motorbikes could only drive slowly, and when we encountered bridges with steep slopes, we had to dismount and walk.
In this region, tap water is not widely available. Approximately 70% of the households we visited use rainwater or river water for domestic consumption. Moreover, due to the region’s unique geography, the school and many residential areas are often flooded from September to November each year.
Meet Đạt
Đạt is an innocent and adorable third-grader who now lives with his grandmother. His father has gone to another region to find work and occasionally sends money to support them. Đạt has dreamt of becoming a police officer since he was three, and he is currently most interested in art at school.
When we heard about this, we were curious to see his paintings and asked, “Do you usually draw at home? Can you show us your paintings now?”. He replied, “No, Miss. I don’t have my own coloured pencils, so I can’t draw anything (smiling). At school, my friends will lend me theirs.”
Meet Linh
We visited Linh, a little boy who had just started Year 1 a few days earlier. As his Mum has had health issues for years, his father is the sole breadwinner for the family, caring for three children, one of whom has a disability. Linh’s home is about 4km from Phương Ninh School. In the morning, Linh and his sister are dropped off at school. In the afternoon, when their father is busy with work, they walk home together. After leaving the main road, they must walk a further kilometre along a small gravel path to reach home, a journey that takes them about an hour.
Meet Hân
At first glance, Hân’s house seemed like a decent shelter with tiled flooring and an iron roof. However, upon closer inspection, we realised it had no walls! Only one wall was made of iron, while the others were covered by tarpaulins around thin wooden columns. In this house, Hân’s mother’s love and hope for her daughter’s education were evident. Her designated study area featured a beautiful pink desk, the most vibrant spot in the fragile house.
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We continued visiting other families. Although the weather has been gloomy on those days, at every home we visited, we still found rays of sunshine waiting for us. These were the children’s bright eyes and innocent smiles, which lit up when we asked, “Do you like going to school?” The answer was always, “Yes, Miss!”
EMPOWER STUDENTS LIKE ĐẠT, LINH, HÂN TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION