For 20 years, SOS Children's Village Nha Trang has provided orphaned and abandoned children with a home and a family where they have grown up with parental care and love to gain confidence in life, thrive and develop fully...
For 20 years, SOS Children's Village Nha Trang has provided orphaned and abandoned children with a home and a family where they have grown up with parental care and love to gain confidence in life, thrive and develop fully.
Peaceful village
SOS Children's Village Nha Trang is spacious and shady with lines of graceful areca palm trees and Plumeria flowers in a peaceful environment. The morning is so beautiful with leaking sunlight touching colorful flowers, filled with the sounds of children singing, laughing and learning. In the afternoon, the village ground and behind houses are seen with boys playing football, girls playing badminton and others practicing riding bikes and their little friends clapping along. Inside the homes are mothers busy cooking for dinner. Tran Thi Huong Thao, a fifth-grader introduces her home numbered 5 named Red-whiskered Bulbul. Each home has a number and a name called after a bird such as Nightingale (No. 2), sparrow (No. 6), etc.
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Arriving at the house "The crested bird", we met Phan Thi Loan's mother hurrying Tran Quoc Dung (2nd grade) into taking a shower and have dinner. She proudly said 2 children in her family were eligible for scholarships and one was the top student in his 11th class.
The oldest sister, Lam Thi Yen Nhi, 25 years old, has got married. She remembered the time the whole family happily decorating home, preparing gifts, making dresses for the wedding. However, when the girl left home to join the groom’s family, she felt sad and missed the girl a lot. That was the special love of foster mothers for the less fortunate at SOS Children's Village Nha Trang.
Maternal love
20 years ago, when Phan Thi Loan first came here, she had 10 children to take care of. The oldest was in grade 3 and the youngest was around 18 months. That was the hard time for her, especially when the children were sick. She felt upset when her son became lazy and did not care much about schoolwork. She tried her best to communicate with him, patiently bringing the child onto the right track. Things got better day by day. For 20 years, she has taken care of 24 children. At present, she is bringing up 7 children.
Mother Le Thi Kim Hue received Cao Thi My Y and Cao Duong, both undernourished, 2 years ago. Cao Duong is 5 years old now but only 7kg. She still remembered their first day at the village. She gave them rice with braised pork and shrimp. They finished their meal quickly and asked for more. Then she prepared herbal baths for them and found Cao Duong’s ears filled with pus. Suffering from ruptured eardrum, he has difficulty in speaking. There came a day when he first called her. She was moved to tears. Cao Thi My Y said, “My natural mother drank a lot. I want to stay here with you.” Cao Duong did not say much but held the SOS mom tightly and asked for telling stories.
Huynh Anh Thu was brought to the village when she was only 23 days old. Mother Nguyen Anh Thu had to wake up many times at night to feed her with milk and change diapers. When the child got older, the mom installed a bike seat and took the child with her.
Minh Anh believed Nguyen Anh Thu was her mom. Later when knowing the truth, Minh Anh felt a little sad but became closer to the mother. Now, retired for 4 years now, Mother Nguyen Anh Thu often asks for permission to take the child out spending the New Year holiday with her. “I want to be with her, talk to her and feel she is growing up. I hope the child will grow up healthily and have a chance to find her natural parents again one day. It is complete happiness," the mother says.
Growing up, thriving and developing fully
Vo Binh Tan, Vice-Director of Khanh Hoa Department of Labor, War Invalids & Social Affairs says SOS Nha Trang is a member of SOS Vietnam. For over 20 years, in each home, orphaned or abandoned children have been cared by women dedicated their lives to being SOS mothers. Their love and care have given them family happiness, confidence and trust in life and facilitate their integration into the community. Theses are the accomplishments thanks to the child care and education of loving mothers, staff and teachers at the village for the past 20 years.
Attending the 20th foundation anniversary, Nurse Le Thi My Nga was moved to tears, recalling her first day at the village at the age of 10. Her mom died young and then a tragic traffic accident also took her dad away. Then she was living with an SOS mother Vo Thi Bach Mai in a home No.14 named “The white-eyes birds”. Vo Thi Bach Mai hoped the child would become a nurse when growing up. On her graduation day from Ho Chi Minh City Medicine & Pharmacy University, she got the news about her mom suffering from cancer. Vo Thi Bach Mai died soon afterwards. “I would like to thank all the village mother and staff who have given me a real loving home.”
According to Director of SOS Children's Village Nha Trang Le Hung Nghe, SOS Children's Village Nha Trang started operation on December 28, 1999. SOS Nha Trang Nursery School was been built within the village campus in 2000. For over 20 years, SOS Children's Village Nha Trang has taken care of 376 children, including 175 under management, 78 in care until maturity and community integration (39 are already married) and 123 getting family reunion. 100% of the children have finished high school education, and continued with higher education or vocational training. Many have been granted scholarships.
Besides academic education, the village has also opened art classes and held cultural and sports activities to help them to flourish and achieve all-round growth. Many have won national prizes in sports. At present, 25 children are taking vocational classes, 13 in a semi-self-sufficient program and 1 looking for a job. Mothers and staff of the village have continued making great effort to manage and take good care of the children.
Ngo Quang Nam, a graduate from Hue Academy of Music says, “The mothers have given us love, care and teaching. I am so grateful for the loving home of SOS Nha Trang and surely will become a good and responsible member of society.”
Tieu Mai – Thanh Truc
Translated by N.T
