Hieu (grade 2) is the second son of a two-child family living in poverty in Ba Vi. His parents got divorced and he now lives with his mother who does not have a permanent job. She gets by with temporary jobs she does at home such as cleaning wigs and making bamboo products. She’s had many ups and downs and struggled with depression. Not having their own home, they live with nine family members in Hieu’s great grandparents’ one room house.
Living space for 9 people including Hieu’s mother, brother and great-grandmother as well as his uncle’s family
Their tight living conditions cause a lot of stress and Hieu’s mother desires to have a home and a permanent job in order to bring up Hieu and his brother in a stable environment. YWAM Mercy/SSCD is partnering with local leaders to build a home for Hieu and his mother.
After receiving much support from local businesses to help her care for her children, she has become more and more positive and now sees that her situation can change for the better. Receiving Education Assistance so Hieu can stay in school has been a huge encouragement. Showing he readiness to take on a full-time job, she said, “Each person must stand on her own feet.” Hieu and his brother are his mother’s biggest motivation to takes steps towards positive changes. Staying busy with work helps her both earn a living and avoid negative thoughts.
Hieu helps his mother do housework each day after completing his homework. He is really interested in going to extra classes and reading books to learn as much as possible. He shared that he would like to own many interesting books and be an “excellent”-level student in the future.
At the ceremony where Hieu received his school supplies, he also received a bilingual children’s book called “I Can Fly” and a school bag. Surely these gifts will serve as a strong motivator for Hieu to study well in the new school year and work towards achieving his dreams in the future.