A day in Nam Son –Soc Son – Ha Noi

Autumn comes slowly to Hanoi — with gentle winds and a warm yet dry sunshine that feels good on your skin. It is good time to enjoy the weather and leave the city noises behind by going to visit the families in the country supported by HSCV.

I would like to tell you the story of one family I just visited yesterday.

The family lives in Nam Son Hamlet – Soc Son District. It is in the north, about 40 km (24 miles) from Ha Noi, the capital. However, the house is only 300m (300 yards) from a garbage dump. When we first arrived at the house, we were overwhelmed by the terrible smell of hundreds of dirty plastic bags and thousands of flies that were all over the yard. A small boy with a big smile met us at the door. He recognized us immediately and seemed to be very happy at our arrival. There are 6 people in this family. There is nothing in the house of value, except an old bed. Three of the family members have to sleep on the floor. This single, 43-year old mother is an extremely hard-working woman. She toils daily in the rice fields. When she returns home after a hard day’s work, she has her hands full with 5 children. At 10 p.m. she goes to the garbage dump and picks up trash. There is never a time when she can take a breather. Her income fluctuates, based on the rice crop. The maximum she earns is about $2 per day. Three of her children have dropped out of school. The youngest – Ngo Thi Hanh is now four years old and is very malnourished. When she was three years old, she couldn’t even stand up or speak. When she was born in 2005, her father was sick and over the next few years, his condition worsened. He just died recently.

Even though we had made an appointment to come for a visit, we didn’t see the mother during our visit. The children were left to look after each other. They told me that the family had run out of rice, and that the mother left them to try and earn some money. That day we visited, the children did not have lunch.

While I was there, I told boy who first met us at the door that I would like to take his picture. He was excited about this! He took a few minutes to look for a yellow cap that was donated by a sponsor. He posed for the photos with a calf, and with a dog. I love that moment and love the innocent smile of a small boy, but I feel very sorry for him and his family’s situation.

Vietnam is still a poor country. Poor families like this one receive a subsidy of only $13 per month. But it’s not enough money for all of them to eat. In 2006, the local People’s Committee helped to build them a Compassion Home. Moreover, HSCV’s sponsors have helped them with one scholarship and a rice donation since 2007. But their living condition is still very sad.

Any help you can spare would be a blessing to them. If you are interested in sponsoring this family or another, please contact the HSCV office in Hanoi or in the USA for more information. Thank you very much!

To learn more about our Scholarship Program or Rice Distribution Program visit our website at: http://www.hscv.org/scholarships_program.htm or http://www.hscv.org/rice_program.htm

Blogged by Tran N. Lien