The stories of orphans living in Suoi Tre commune

The three children are named Danh Thi Xuan Dao, Danh Van Minh and Danh Le Ha Vu and they lives with paternal grandparents in Duong Duong hamlet, Suoi Tre commune of Long Khanh townlet in Dong Nai province. In 2006, their father died due to overwork. Nearly a year later, their mother also died. She had suffered heart and kidney diseases but she had buoyed the family income by doing housework for families and doing anywork for pay. Once day, neighbours found her in a dead faint on the floor. She died one week later.

Their paternal grandparents are over 80 and they are often sick. The grandparents are trying to rear their orphaned grandchildren. Although getting subsidies worth VND 170,000 a month for each grandchild and having income of VND 503,000 per month from retirement pension, they are facing many difficulties to feed their grandchildren.

Danh Thi Xuan Dao is now a sixth-grade student at the Xuan An High School, Danh Van Minh is a fourth grade student at Le Hong Phong Primary School in Thong Nhat district and Danh Le Ha Vu is in the first-grade class at Xuan An Primary School.

Danh Thi Xuan Dao, Danh Van Minh and Danh Le Ha Vu sit with their paternal grandparents

Xuan Dao said she hoped her paternal grandparents could try make grandchildren go to school. However, her paternal grandfather said both he and his wife are old and they will cannot afford school fees for their grandchildren.

Another story is about three children namely Luu Thi Thanh Thuy, Luu Thi Thanh Thao and Luu Thiet Thuan who lives with their paternal grandmother in Suoi Tre hamlet because their father died and their mother left home ten years ago. Their paternal grandmother is over 70 and she has bad hearing. She has difficulties to feed her three grandchildren. Luu Thi Thanh Thuy is now a nineth-grade student, Luu Thi Thanh Thao, a seenth grade student at the Xuan An Junior Secondary School and Luu Thiet Thuan, a fifth grade student at the Xuan An Primary School.

Luu Thi Thanh Thao and Luu Thiet Thuan sit with their paternal grandmother

In each new school year, the paternal grandmother bears the heavy financial burden of school fees and other related expenditure for her three grandchidren. She said her eldest grandchild will has to quit school to earn money for the family. The local authority is considering to give subsidy for her grandchildren to reduce her burden.

Reported by Bui Trang