GrowMax Scholarships Reach Coastal Students in Phu Yen, Providing Support for School and Motivation to Overcome Hardships on Their Educational Journey.
On the morning of October 31st, GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd., in coordination with Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper, traveled to Phu Yen to award 30 scholarships to 30 students who are children of fishermen in the coastal villages of Xuan Canh commune (Song Cau town) and An Ninh Dong commune (Tuy An district). Each scholarship, worth 1 million VND, was drawn from the GrowMax Scholarship Fund.
At Xuan Canh Primary School in Xuan Canh commune (Song Cau town), 15 scholarships were presented to 15 students from grades 1 to 5. All recipients are from difficult circumstances, with many facing challenges beyond the level of “especially difficult.”
Mr. Nguyen Van Dai, Regional Director of Region 2 (Central Vietnam) for GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd., delivers a speech at the ceremony. Photo: V.D.T.
According to Mr. Pham Van Phuc, Principal of Xuan Canh Primary School, among the 15 students selected by the school to receive scholarships from GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd. and Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper this time, are children from families classified as poor households. Among them, there are two cases of particularly difficult circumstances. For these children, every month, all staff and employees of Xuan Canh Primary School contribute 15,000 VND each from their salaries to support each child with 250,000 VND per month throughout the 9 months of the school year.
Watching Nguyen Thi My Hoa, a student in class 2C, step onto the stage to receive her scholarship, her face heavily scarred, we couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of compassion. Upon inquiring, we learned that her entire family was attacked one night by a man who threw gasoline and set a fire, burning all four members of the family.
Mr. Nguyen Van Dai, Regional Director of Region 2 (Central Vietnam) for GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd., presents scholarships to students of Xuan Canh Primary School. Photo: V.D.T.
Ms. Tran Thi My Linh (39 years old), Hoa’s mother in Hoa My hamlet (Xuan Canh commune), recalled: The disaster struck her family, leaving all four members injured in just one night. That night, around 2:30 AM on October 20, 2020, while Ms. Linh, her husband, and their two young children were sleeping, a man with a personal grudge against her husband came to their house, locked the door from the outside, poured gasoline inside, and set the house on fire. Ms. Linh herself suffered 2nd-degree burns. Her husband, struggling to break down the door to save his wife and two young children from the sea of flames, suffered more severe 3rd-degree burns, with 96% of his body injured.
“Back then, thanks to the support of benefactors, my husband, our two children, and I were saved and treated; we are alive today. The treatment cost for both me, my husband, and our two children reached 2.5 billion VND. Now, through sheer willpower, my husband manages to move around and work to provide for the family. Our two children now have raised scars all over their bodies, but Hoa isn’t let her condition hinder her schooling; she studies well and is not inferior to her friends. Now, my husband and I are trying our best to work and rely on the continued help from benefactors for further surgeries to reduce the scars for our children,” shared Ms. Linh.
Despite her heavily scarred face, Nguyen Thi My Hoa remains confident in attending school and is very studious. Photo: V.D.T.
Mr. Pham Van Phuc, Principal of Xuan Canh Primary School, shared further: Among the 15 students this time, there is also Nguyen Huy Hoang from Hoa My hamlet, a student in class 2A, whose mother fell from a tree, broke her spine, and is now bedridden. Her husband, though not formally divorced, returned to his hometown in Ca Mau and has not come back to Phu Yen. He told the mother and child to come to Ca Mau to live, but with a broken spine and being bedridden, how could she move? They are currently living temporarily at her parents’ house. This child’s circumstances are extremely difficult.
Then there is Nguyen Thi Truc Ly, also from Hoa My hamlet, a 4th-grade student. Her mother lost her eyesight after giving birth to their third child and now sits in one place. Their house is located deep in a remote mountainous area. The father works as a casual construction laborer with an unstable income. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hang from Hoa Loi hamlet has a mother with cancer and no father, so the family’s life is also very difficult.
“The scholarships from GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd. and Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper are a great encouragement for the children and their parents. The fact that all the parents were present at the scholarship award ceremony shows just how happy these families are,” shared Mr. Pham Van Phuc, Principal of Xuan Canh Primary School.
Ms. Tran Thi My Linh, mother of Nguyen Thi My Hoa, speaks with a reporter. Photo: V.D.T.
The 15 students who received the GrowMax scholarships on the afternoon of October 31st were no exception; all are children from families classified as poor or near-poor households.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Ngoc, Principal of Primary School No. 2 in An Ninh Dong, An Ninh Dong commune (Tuy An district, Phu Yen), among the 15 students receiving GrowMax scholarships this time, there are many cases of particularly difficult circumstances.
Mr. Ngoc cited a few typical examples, such as Le Thi Hong Nhung, a 4th-grade student in Phu Son hamlet (An Ninh Dong commune), who is fatherless and currently lives with her mother, Ms. Huynh Thi Hong. Ms. Hong does not have a stable job, so she lacks the means to adequately support her child’s education. Despite these hardships, Nhung has not turned her back on schooling and is very eager to learn. Therefore, in this round of scholarships from GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd. and Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper, Nhung was one of the 15 students selected by the school.
Mr. Tran Van Truong, representative of GrowMax in Phu Yen, speaks at the scholarship award ceremony for students of An Ninh Dong Primary School No. 2. Photo: V.D.T.
Another case is that of Huynh Tan Tai from Phu Luong hamlet (An Ninh Dong commune), a student in class 5B. Tai’s parents are divorced, and he currently lives with his mother, Ms. Tran Thi My Linh. This “motherless and fatherless child” situation means they rely solely on the meager income from Ms. Linh’s casual labor, so Tai’s education cannot be cared for as well as his peers. However, Tai is always a “shining example” in his class for his progressive spirit and eagerness to learn, making him well-liked by teachers and friends.
Another student from An Ninh Dong Primary School No. 2 who was commended by the school for their diligence in learning is Vo Duy Hung, a student in class 2C. Hung unfortunately had a traffic accident, broke his leg, and had to receive treatment at Cho Ray Hospital. As soon as he returned home, his mother had to carry him to school every day because his leg was still in a brace and he couldn’t walk on his own. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Ngoc, Principal of An Ninh Dong Primary School No. 2, Duy is a bright example of the school’s spirit of eagerness to learn.
Staff and employees from Region 2 (Central Vietnam) of GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd. and its local distributor in Phu Yen present scholarships to students of An Ninh Dong Primary School No. 2. Photo: V.D.T.
“Although Duy was not among the 15 students selected to receive a GrowMax scholarship today, the school presented him with financial support of 5.9 million VND, contributed by the teachers, staff, and students of the school. Previously, from contributions by teachers and students, the school had also supported Duy with 2 million VND. On behalf of the teachers and students of the school, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd. and Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper for the scholarships awarded to 15 of our students. This is a precious gift and a great source of encouragement for the children.”
