Projecten > East Meets West Foundation

Nguyen Thi Ha
I am Ha and born in 1996, and I am an orphan. My mother died at my birth on which my father left us and married another woman. I am raised by the parents of my mother. My grandparents are 70 years and too old to work. They have a small rice paddy, but they do not earn enough to pay my school fees. My grandparents even have to lend rice from the neighbours frequently in order to have enough food. I had to lend my school books from my older girlfriends and after school I had to help in the fields and in the household. I had to study very hard to be able to pass, because my grandparents could not afford to pay tutoring classes for me. But I love going to school, because I want to get a good job as a doctor. I was very frightened that my grandparents could not pay for me going to school. We were very happy when I was selected for SPELL in 2004. Now we get financial aid and can I to tutoring classes. I am in grade 7 and get average results (average student).

Lam Quang Phi
I am Phi and born in 1996. I live with my father, grandmother and older sister. My mother died in a traffic accident shortly after my birth. My father had to earn enough money to take care of the whole family. Sometimes my father is sick and then he cannot go to work. Then our family must live of ours rice plantation of which my grandmother takes care of. This was all just enough to live of, but we had nothing left over to pay our tuition fees for me and my sister. My family had to borrow money very often. I frequently went to school feeling ashamed, because we had a delay in paying the tuition fees. Since 2005, SPELL has helped us with paying tuition fees and school books. I have even got a bicycle because we live far from my school. I want continue to go to school and study hard to become a policeman. I have improved my study results in the last year and from being an average student I now have good results (good student). My father now also has enough money to pay the school fees of my older sister. She no longer needs to be frightened that she has to leave before graduation.

Dinh Van Phuong
I am Phuong and born in 1996. My family belongs to an ethnic minority in Vietnam. We are one of the poorest family in the village. The harvest of our rice paddy only gives us for 6 months of food a year. To earn some extra money, my parents often search for wood to sell on the market. My older brother dropped out of school when he was in 6th grade, because my parents could no longer pay the school fees. I always had to borrow school books and wear old uniforms to school. Because my school fees are now paid by SPELL, my sisters can continue to go to school as well. I have good school results (good student) and will even try to get better results next year. I want become a civil servant.