Ninh Hoa Scholarship Fund helps brings dreams to life

Over the past 12 years, Ninh Hoa Scholarship Fund has benefited many disadvantaged students, helping them to overcome difficulties and continue their schooling. 

 

 

Huynh Thao Nhi, Pham Thai Hung and Vo Thi Kim Phung at the scholarship award ceremony.

All the recipients are from poor families and they all have the determination to continue their education in spite of great challenges. Vo Thi Kim Phung, Ninh Dong Commune, a second-year student at Khanh Hoa Medical College, is among special cases. Her mother died after having given birth to the second baby. Her little brother is paralyzed at birth. Her father, the only bread-winner, has just passed away, leaving the two children in a shanty. Since then, the two children have depended on their old grandparents, relatives and neighbors.

 

In spite of a difficult life, Vo Thi Kim Phung has tried her best in study with the hope that she could find a job to feed her younger brother. Touched by her piteous circumstance, many benefactors have donated to Ninh Hoa Scholarship Fund to help her with school expenses. One man has voluntarily given her a shelter near the school and the other has promised to help her to find a job after graduating.

 

Besides Vo Thi Kim Phung, many other disadvantaged students benefiting from the Ninh Hoa Scholarship Fund include Pham Thai Hung (Ninh An Commune), a fresher at Nha Trang University; Huynh Thao Nhi (Ninh Hiep Ward), a student at Hung Vuong Junior High School, etc. Pham Thai Hung is living with his grandmother in a dilapidated house after his parents’ divorce and his youngest sibling’s death in an accident. Huynh Thao Nhi’s father left her mother when she was in the first grade and her younger brother reached the age of 3. Her mother has just died of a cancer. Since then, she has taken a part-time job to cover their daily expenses.

 

Apart from  scholarships, Ninh Hoa Scholarship Fund has provided financial support for the construction of 3 houses worth VND120 million in total for the students namely Nguyen Thanh Duy, Ninh Binh Commune; Vo Thi Thu Thanh, Ninh Sim Commune; and Nguyen Thi Toai Nguyen, Ninh Loc Commune. Nguyen Thi Toai Nguyen also has a disabled mother to take care of. The support is such a great encouragement to the recipients.

 

Ninh Hoa Scholarship Fund, formerly known as Ninh Hoa Study Encouragement Fund, was founded in 2004 by Ninh Hoa residents living inside and outside Vietnam. According to Lien Khoi Thuc, Deputy Chief of the Foundation Board, the fund has developed thanks to the support of the local authority and Ninh Hoa residents. Nearly 1,200 scholarships worth over VND1.5 billion have been awarded for 12 years. 205 scholarships worth nearly VND300 million have been offered in 2015 alone.

 

Some successful people who had received support from the fund have returned to contribute to help younger generations. Besides the scholarship ceremony, musical shows and galas have been held to raise fund for the poor and honor donors. The list of donors and recipients can be viewed at the ninhhoatoday.net, Thuc says.

 

This year, Ninh Hoa Scholarship Fund plans to focus its support more on school students, especially those at junior high schools to partly cover their tuitions; freshers and severely disadvantaged cases. “We hope to receive more donations from individuals and organizations for the educational cause so that the fund would help students in need to overcome difficulties as well as promote talents  in Ninh Hoa,” says Le Lau, Chief of the Foundation Board.

 

H. Ngan

Translated by N.T