In the afternoon, I joined the team for another round of home visits. Each family had a very different story, but all faced difficult circumstances that shape their daily lives.
The first family has four members: a couple and two sons. Six years ago, the father became paralyzed following a heart attack, and he has been unable to work since. The mother stays at home to care for him and the children but her health is also fragile, so any heavy work is impossible. The family relies heavily on support from relatives, neighbors, and friends. Without agricultural land, they still manage to grow vegetables behind their house, earning around 600 000 VND (20€) per month. Thien Chi has supported them with a monthly scholarship for five years and with a 6 million VND grant to develop their small vegetable garden. A few months ago, one of the boys broke his arm, and the mother had to pause the garden work for three months to take care of him, but things have now resumed. The government provides 1.5 million VND per month, and the local church gives 10 kg of rice every three months.
The second family also faces strong health challenges. They are six in total, and when we arrived, we sat on the floor because there were no chairs. The mother has a serious brain condition, weak eyesight, and cannot afford medical consultations or medication. She tried working in a factory but had to quit after only three days because she couldn’t see well enough to continue. Thien Chi provides two monthly scholarships to the twin daughters in grade 7. In the past, the family used microcredit loans, but not anymore since they no longer need them. The father and their eldest son (16 years old), who stopped school early, work together tapping rubber trees. When the son turns 18, he will likely join a clothing factory. With the help of Thien Chi, they received three piglets and were able to earn a profit of 4.5 million VND after selling them. The family has no agricultural land and depends on daily labor.
The third visit was to a single mother raising six children. She is divorced and receives no support from her ex-husband. Two of the children left school this year to join the military service for two years. Previously, she relied on small loans from Thien Chi for rice, but she stopped once she found work in a beauty salon, washing hair and doing nails, earning 3 to 4 million VND per month. Two of her daughters, twins in grade 11, receive monthly scholarships. The other children are in grade 7, 6, and 2. The family rents their home and doesn’t own agricultural land but grows a few vegetables in the yard for household use. Because they are extremely poor, the government provides 750 000 VND per month (150 000 per child), free schooling, and health insurance for all family members. One of the sons wishes to study at university, but for now, the family simply doesn’t have the financial means. During the visit, the mother had tears in her eyes, her situation is heavy, and she is carrying everything alone.
Leticia