He sought out the benefactor who had connected him with the Tiep Suc Den Truong scholarship 5 years ago so that he could enter his dream university. Despite many difficulties, the engineer said he really wanted to help and share with friends who were in the same difficult situation as he was back then.

"If I had to go back, I would still choose to go to school"

The young engineer is Nguyen Tan Hieu, currently working as a specialist in equipment line design at the R&D Center of Thaco Chu Lai. Hieu went to the house of Mr. Nguyen Van Dau, who is the chairman of the parents' association of Nguyen Duy Hieu High School (Dien Ban town, Quang Nam province), who asked to "advance" a scholarship from Tuoi Tre newspaper to help Hieu enter university in 2019.

Hieu boasted that he had graduated, had a stable job, and wanted to help new students who were struggling like him. Mr. Dau did not think of himself as a benefactor, but hearing Hieu say that, he could not hide his emotion.

"That kind of kindness is very precious, but you are still in a difficult situation. Just take care of your family first and then think about sharing. If everyone knows how to strive to take care of themselves and their families, society will be better" - Mr. Dau patted Hieu on the shoulder.

Compared to the skinny figure we saw in that dilapidated house that day, Tan Hieu now looks completely different. He speaks more confidently and always smiles.

"If I could go back to this time, I would also choose to go to school, because only by going to school can I find meaning in my life. Although my achievements today are not as good as anyone else's, they are thanks to studying" - Hieu confided to Mr. Dau.

Visiting Hieu's house again, I was even happier to see that everything had changed. The village road leading to Hieu's house still had low roofs and many difficulties. However, Hieu's house was now spacious. Instead of holes in the plastic sheet covering the roof and unplastered brick walls, there were now painted walls and shiny ceramic tile floors. The kitchen corner had also been renovated and the house had its own room, with many new things bought.

10 million dong is a fortune

Mr. Nguyen Van Dau once contacted the program to ask for two new students with difficulties. Among them, Nguyen Tan Hieu was considered for a "hot" scholarship of 10 million VND in 2019 from the Quang Nam - Da Nang School Support Club. The award ceremony took place right at Nguyen Duy Hieu High School in the emotional atmosphere of Hieu and his teachers.

Hieu has parents and a younger brother. Hieu's father has had to undergo dialysis for many years. His younger brother was born deaf and mute and was sent to the SOS School in Da Nang. The burden of the family rests entirely on his mother's shoulders.

Hieu's house was simple at that time, with nothing but a few bags of rice stored in the attic to avoid flooding. Yet in that situation, Hieu studied hard and did very well, passing the entrance exam to the University of Technology (University of Danang).

But many people who know the story admire Hieu even more because not long before the university entrance exam, on the way home from school, Hieu picked up a bag of money. Without hesitation, his friend reported it to the school, the police, and then the person who lost the money came to claim it. The amount of money in it was up to 50 million VND, making the person who lost it admire him even more when witnessing the poor student's family situation.

Hieu's mother cried when she heard that her son had received a scholarship of 10 million VND, a fortune for her family. With that money and the help of a doctor, Hieu went to Da Nang to pay for his first semester's tuition.

After graduating, Hieu found enough part-time jobs. In his second year, he was hired by a garden owner to help out around the house with a salary of 2 million VND/month. This support helped Hieu cover his monthly expenses and save money to buy milk for his younger sibling and father who were in the hospital. As for tuition fees, Hieu borrowed from the Social Policy Bank.

Invite you to join the School Support Program

Tuoi Tre Newspaper's 2024 School Support Program launched on August 8, expected to award 1,100 scholarships with a total cost of more than 20 billion VND (15 million VND for new students with difficulties, 20 special scholarships worth 50 million VND/scholarship throughout 4 years of study and learning equipment, gifts...).

With the motto "No young person can go to school because of poverty", "New students encounter difficulties, there is Tuoi Tre " - as a commitment to support new students in the past 20 years of Tuoi Tre .

New students can register online to apply for the 2024 School Transfer Scholarship at: http://surl.li/fkfhms or scan the QR code.

The program received contributions and support from the "Accompanying Farmers" Fund - Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company, Vinacam Education Promotion Fund - Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company and the "Nghia Tinh Quang Tri", "Nghia Tinh Phu Yen" clubs; the "Supporting Schools" clubs of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam - Da Nang, Tien Giang - Ben Tre, Quang Ngai and the Tien Giang - Ben Tre Business Association in Ho Chi Minh City, the German - Vietnamese Mutual Aid and Cooperation Association (VSW), Nam Long Company, Nestlé Vietnam Co., Ltd.... along with businesses, philanthropists and a large number of Tuoi Tre newspaper readers.