Being children of fishermen whose lives are already fraught with hardship; some orphaned, some ill, yet these students remain eager to learn, hoping that one day ‘their lives will be transformed’ through education…

Joy Reaches Impoverished Students

On the morning of October 24th, GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd., in coordination with Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper, traveled to Binh Dinh to award 30 scholarships to students who are children of fishermen in coastal villages of Hoai Nhon town and Phu My district. Each scholarship, worth 1 million VND, was drawn from the GrowMax Scholarship Fund.

Staff of GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd. – Region 2 (Central Vietnam) present scholarships to 15 students at Primary School No. 2 in Tam Quan Nam (Hoai Nhon Town, Binh Dinh). Photo: V.D.T.

In Hoai Nhon town, Primary School No. 2 in Tam Quan Nam was the location chosen by GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd. and Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper to award 15 scholarships to students from grades 1 to 5. These students come from particularly difficult circumstances but refuse to yield to fate, overcoming their challenges through a strong desire to learn, hoping that education will one day change their lives.

One cannot help but be moved by the extraordinary spirit of Gia Thi Xuan Yen (born 2014) from Cuu Loi Tay quarter (Tam Quan Nam ward), a student in class 3A3. Yen herself has a disability, and her sibling, who also attends Primary School No. 2 in Tam Quan Nam, is also disabled. Their father sells lottery tickets daily, and their mother works as a laborer, making the family’s situation extremely difficult. Yet, Yen overcomes the stigma of her disability, determined to stay in school and keep up with her friends to achieve good academic results. In her free time, Yen even “guides” her younger sibling, teaching them at home to help them overcome a similar fate.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dai, Director of Region 2 (Central Vietnam) for GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd., delivers a speech at the ceremony. Photo: V.D.T.

Another example is Nguyen Ngoc Ai My (born 2015) from Cuu Loi Nam quarter (Tam Quan Nam ward), a 1st-grade student in class 1A4. My is battling a serious illness, and her family’s circumstances are very difficult. Yet, My is determined not to abandon her studies. Notably, her academic performance is on par with her peers, despite her health being constantly plagued by illness.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam, Vice Principal of Primary School No. 2 in Tam Quan Nam, in the past, people in coastal areas paid little attention to their children’s education. However, nowadays, every parent wants their child to be properly educated to keep up with friends, hoping that literacy will help their children escape the extremely arduous livelihood of “relying on the waves, speaking to the wind” (a traditional fishing life). The school deeply values students who, despite coming from very difficult family situations, being orphans living with grandparents, or those with disabilities or serious illnesses, still possess a strong eagerness to learn.

GrowMax distributors in Tam Quan Nam ward (Hoai Nhon Town, Binh Dinh) participate in awarding scholarships to students of Primary School No. 2 in Tam Quan Nam. Photo: V.D.T.

“Compared to the general standard of the entire town, the learning conditions for students at Primary School No. 2 in Tam Quan Nam are the most difficult. The people here mainly rely on fishing for their livelihood, so some students have lost their fathers at sea, leaving only their mothers struggling with casual labor jobs.”

“Particularly this year, some students have young parents who divorced, leaving the children with their grandparents to raise while they moved away to work and seek new happiness. Despite having living parents, these children have suddenly become orphans. The school always pays special attention to these students, especially providing emotional support so they remain engaged with their studies. Receiving scholarships from GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd. and Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper is a great joy for them,” shared Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam.

A Great Source of Encouragement

On the afternoon of October 24th, GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd. and Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper continued their journey to Phu My district to award 15 scholarships to 15 students at Primary School No. 2 in My Thanh (My Thanh commune). Most of these children come from “difficult families,” are orphans, belong to poor households, and many have congenital disabilities.

GrowMax Aquafeed Co., Ltd. – Region 2 (Central Vietnam) together with the Board of Management of My Thanh 2 Primary School (Phu My District, Binh Dinh) during the scholarship award ceremony for students. Photo: V.D.T.

Take, for example, Nguyen Thi Thuy Hong, a 4th-grade student in class 4C at Primary School No. 2 in My Thanh. Her parents are divorced, so at a young age, Hong is effectively an orphan, being raised by her paternal grandparents. Her grandparents are elderly; her grandmother makes banh xeo (sizzling pancakes) and banh beo (steamed rice cakes) each morning to sell to neighbors, so their income is meager.

Vo Duong Thi Yen Quynh, a student in class 5B, faces a similar plight. Her parents are divorced, and she currently lives with her grandparents. Quynh’s grandparents are old and cannot earn enough money to support her schooling. Another student, Dinh Hong Kim Ngoc in class 4A, just lost her father to epilepsy. Her mother is left alone to raise two children through casual labor, with an income insufficient to support them. The family is classified as a poor household.

Huynh Gia Huy, a student in class 5A, has a congenital disability and comes from a poor family. Despite this, he is very eager to learn and is always a well-behaved student at the school.

According to Mr. Le Dinh Nhan, Principal of Primary School No. 2 in My Thanh, like other coastal villages, the parents of these students very much want their children to be properly educated but have no time to tutor them at home. Moreover, even if they wanted to, the parents lack the knowledge to teach their children. This is because, in the past, the fathers went to work on fishing boats from a young age, and the mothers started peddling goods early to help their families. Therefore, the children primarily receive their education at school from their teachers.

Mr. Nhan also stated that My Thanh commune is a coastal locality in Phu My district. Most men and young men here have worked on local fishing boats since childhood, spending more time at sea than at home. In recent years, income from fishing has been very unstable. If a fishing trip is successful, they might bring home 3-5 million VND to support their children. But if a trip yields no catch, they return with nothing. Consequently, almost every family faces hardship. A significant number of students at the school have lost their fathers due to accidents at sea or boats being sunk in storms during their work.