The ceremony was organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper in coordination with An Giang Provincial Youth Union, An Giang Radio and Television Station and Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company.

Cherish every heart

Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre Newspaper Nguyen Khac Cuong said the scholarship amount is not much but will be the support and encouragement of benefactors and readers through Tuoi Tre Newspaper for new students. Mr. Cuong said he admires the journey of the students because after school hours they have to work to earn money to help their families and to be able to continue going to school.

“Although your circumstances are different, what you all have in common is your will to rise up. Life presents difficulties but also presents a gift of overcoming adversity, the will to not falter to realize your dreams. At the age of 18, you are strong physically, strong in dreams, and strong in spirit. Please use that youthful energy to realize your dreams,” Mr. Cuong advised.

Mr. Ngo Van Dong – General Director of Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company – was moved when watching the stories of the new students told at the award ceremony. For more than 20 years accompanying Tuoi Tre newspaper, the company has helped new students in difficulty with a total budget of nearly 100 billion VND.

“Not only me but many attendees were moved, urging us to do more good things for society. From a kind heart comes responsibility, creating a wave connecting millions of hearts to ease the pain. We want to help the children continue their education, reaching their dreams and future,” said Mr. Dong.

Sharing at the ceremony, Permanent Vice Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee Le Van Phuoc expressed his deep gratitude to Tuoi Tre newspaper and the sponsors of the Tiep suc den truong scholarship program.

“We cannot choose where we are born, but we can certainly choose how we will live. Each story about your life has inspired and given the community spiritual strength to continue the journey of nurturing the dreams of new students over the years,” said Mr. Phuoc.

In the depths of poverty and sadness there is still much hope.

The story of freshman Le Thi Lien (An Giang) was told as a touching story at the ceremony. Lien lives with her grandmother by the Vinh Te canal. Her daily meals consist of only rice, simple vegetable soup, and fish sauce… but that does not extinguish the female student’s will to go to school.

Growing up on her grandmother's fish and scrap metal bags, Lien used to write letters to the temple asking for money to go to school, relying on the school and even the loving scholarships from society. Today, that girl has become a freshman at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade. She sent a letter to the School Support Program with the belief that words will help change fate, and also to fulfill her dream of one day being able to help her foolish mother across the river.

Ha Tran Minh Tien - who was abandoned by his parents and left to be raised by his grandparents, is now a freshman in the journalism department at Can Tho University - said he is determined to study to change his life, so that his future will not have to take many turns like the Nga Bay River in his hometown of Hau Giang.

Listening to the story of her two friends, Bui Kim Thoa - a freshman at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University) - had red eyes and was speechless.

Doan Nguyen Minh Thu - a new student at the University of Information Technology (Ho Chi Minh City National University) - shared: "I am really touched and sympathetic because I am an orphan and have also encountered countless difficulties."

The new students receiving scholarships this time are from the following provinces: An Giang, Dong Thap, Long An, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Can Tho City.

The total cost of the program is over 1.5 billion VND (not including travel, accommodation and gifts from the program) sponsored by the Farmers' Companion Fund - Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company and Professor Phan Luong Cam - wife of the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet (10 scholarships, 150 million VND for new students of Vinh Long province).

This is the sixth awarding point in the 2024 “Tiep suc den truong” scholarship program for new students under the 595th “For tomorrow’s development” program of Tuoi Tre newspaper. The 2024 “Tiep suc den truong” scholarship program of Tuoi Tre newspaper is for more than 1,100 new students in difficult circumstances nationwide with a total budget of more than 20 billion VND.

The construction worker mother

The mother who works as a construction worker to raise three children appeared at the scholarship awarding ceremony yesterday afternoon. That was Mrs. To Minh Nguyet from Chi Lang commune, Tinh Bien town (An Giang province). She came to witness the moment her child - new student Phan Thi Ho Tinh (Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport) received the scholarship.

Sitting quietly at the back of the auditorium, Ms. Nguyet could not hold back her tears as she watched the story about the circumstances of the new students with special difficulties at the program. “The scholarship means a lot to my daughter’s education and my family. It was very difficult for me to raise three children to go to school alone. Many times I had nothing to do, so I had to work as a construction worker to support my children,” Ms. Nguyet said.