During the last university year 2018 -2019, the VESAF scholarship program supported 32 underprivileged students who obtained an outstanding academic record. The financial support for each student is 300 USD for one university year. Thanks to the Scholarships, students were able to not worry about the financial fees and be able to focus on their studies. This made a massive difference on the students, they had more time and energy to learn and therefore to develop their academic records.
Pham Ngoc Tai is a student of Hue Medicine University and is one of the clear proofs. Pham Ngoc Tai is now studying dentist major in his second year. Tai’s family lives in such a poverty household of Vinh Thai commune. His father, Pham Ngoc Chien, suffers from Spondylitis and continues to suffer. He has suffered 15 years which has caused so many different challenges for him to live independently. Currently he has a hunchback, as he was a construction worker and Spondylitis situation made him quit his job. His mother, Nguyen Thi Kieu, is able to work at a Garment Company which helps her to earn 3,500,000 dong per month. With this low income, she has to take care of a family of 9 people including elderly and young school-aged children, who are unable to make an income. The family is living in a makeshift house made from the temporary materials, which is seriously unstable or safe.
Tai mentioned to us that when he qualified in Hue Medicine University, all his family was overjoyed and so proud of him. However, the happiness couldn’t be maintained as the school fee for 6 years to complete his studies would be an enormous financial burden on his mother’s shoulders. At that point, he kept thinking of giving up his study to look for a job which can generate more income to support his big family. From deep down inside, he truly expected that the magic will happen to his life and his family.
Understanding the difficulty that he has faced; the VESAF has offered a scholarship of 300USD to finance his school years of 2018 – 2019 to help him to overcome this difficult situation. Words are certainly not enough to express how grateful he is for a VESAF Merit-based scholarship. Tai spent the scholarship money on paying for his school fees and buying new books for the new school course. Tai shared to us: “No matter how hard the study is, I promise to try my best to study and definitely become a good Dentist in the future. Thank you VESAF so much for enables me entering to the University Gate. The scholarship has brought about the motivation for me to keep studying and giving me more optimistic towards the life.” Ms Nguyen Thi Kieu, is a Tai’s mother told us “Tai has always been a HOPE of my family. Thank you VESAF for saving our HOPE”. Recently, the family cannot hide their pride as Tai has got an excellent academic record in the school years from 2018 – 2019. The VESAF Merit-Scholarship, not only a scholarship, but also a motivation for students to obtain a better achievement in studying. People dealing with such situations may make them contribute to society and help us to understand such situations.
Hearts for Hue.
