Education pulls Suong and her family from the cycle of poverty.
After Suong’s father passed away when she was in the ninth grade. She moved with her two younger siblings to live with their paternal grandmother. Her mother was not able to take care of the children on her own. She has a mental illness that only allows her to earn a living by helping her neighbors with household chores and breeding cows.
As the oldest, Suong worked with her mother on odd jobs while in high school to support the family.
Living in extreme poverty, Suong’s education would have taken a backseat if Children of Vietnam had not intervened. From 2012 to 2016, Suong received a scholarship that allowed her to study at the University of Da Nang. She graduated in 2016. Currently, she is a biology and technology teacher at Ngu Hanh Son High School in Da Nang, Vietnam.
Suong’s salary supports her mother’s living expenses and pays her younger brother and sister’s school fees. She also takes on extra tutoring work to save towards building a new house for her family.
Suong is the family breadwinner and has taken on her father’s role without any hesitation. In addition, she has instilled a love for education in her siblings. Her sister has recently graduated from Tourism Junior College, and her brother will complete vocational school next year.
Children of Vietnam empowered Suong through education to enable her to improve her family’s living conditions and provide a brighter future for her siblings.
Suong plans to get married and start her own family this year.
“Sister, set your mind at rest about getting married,” said Suong’s brother. “You take care of us so much. It’s time to find your own happiness.”
Suong, born in 1994, lives in Hoa Quy Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang, Vietnam. Suong graduated from university in 2016 and is now a biology and technology teacher at Ngu Hanh Son High School.
