"The written word, can it create a story?"
Today, despite the stormy weather, we still decided to visit the families of children who had received support due to learning difficulties. It has been nearly 10 years since we last visited these families.
Tăng Hùng An, born in 2003, and his twin brother Tăng Hùng Nam, also born in 2003, reside in Thôn 1B, Trà Tân Commune, Đức Linh District, Bình Thuận Province. Both brothers faced difficulties with language and learning. An's mother used to worry that her son would remain slow-witted, which caused her great concern. With the desire to help her children develop, she sought assistance from the Thiện Chí Center. In 2014, Thiện Chí visited the family, assessed the situation, and intervened to support both brothers. The initial phase was extremely challenging. Due to short-term memory issues, An would forget what he had learned quickly, but with perseverance from both Thiện Chí and the children, progress was made, one letter at a time. An studied from grade 3 until grade 6, at which point he stopped. By grade 6, An could read, write, and do math proficiently, and Thiện Chí evaluated that he had reached the necessary educational level to graduate from the program.
Throughout this intervention, An’s mother worked tirelessly to support her four children after their father passed away. She consistently reminded An to complete the weekly assignments given by Thiện Chí and often reached out to project staff whenever there were difficulties. This was a testament to the family's commitment to An's learning journey, working alongside Thiện Chí to help him integrate into the community.
Additionally, Thiện Chí provided a loan to An's mother to help her expand her income. In June 2015, she borrowed funds to invest in rice, corn, and scrap collecting. Initially, the family’s income was 454,000 VND per person per month. During the loan period, she used the funds wisely and always repaid on time, gradually increasing the family’s income. She actively participated in various training sessions, including health, gender equality, and workshops for children. Thiện Chí also supported the children with health insurance at school. As their economic situation improved, Thiện Chí evaluated her progress and concluded the program. For her, attending these training sessions was not just about gaining knowledge but also about taking responsibility to share what she learned with others and introducing children with learning difficulties to the center for timely intervention.
Looking back, the intervention for the children has proven to be sustainable and impactful. When we visited An's home, we found him at home. Now 21 years old, An is working as a factory worker in Long Khánh. His brother Nam is working in Đắk Lắk. When discussing his life with Thiện Chí, An happily shared many stories related to literacy.
He said:
“Thanks to the teaching, I can now do math and fill out job application forms for company jobs. At the company, I also help with tracking the quantity of goods in the management books. They want to promote me to a management position, but I’m shy. I just want to be a worker, too shy for anything else.”
“Because I can read, I manage the books for the church’s youth group. I record all income and expenses in the ledger.”
“I also use Facebook and Zalo now, reading news on there.”
“When I get paid, I keep some money and give the rest to my mom.”
“I’m so thankful to the Center for helping me learn how to read and do math.”
Thanks to literacy and numeracy, An is now quick in communication and confident in working without hesitation. The worries his mother once had are now gone, replaced with smiles throughout the family.
An’s family life has also changed significantly. His eldest brother works in rice farming, repairs motorcycles, and drives a cargo tricycle. An’s sister is married with children. His mother, Ngân, still trades scrap, but now runs a large scrap collection business, sells soft drinks, sugarcane juice, and raises pigs. An’s twin brother works far away, and An works as a factory worker in Ông Đồn (previously earning 6.2 million VND/month), now working at a leather factory in Long Khánh (earning 5.3 million VND/month). With all these sources of income, the average household income is now 2,364,000 VND for the four members. Their home has also improved greatly. The family has built a new back house, paved the floors, installed arches, and bought a motorbike, with investments totaling over 200 million VND.
An’s story is a testament to the power of timely and appropriate interventions. The persistence and efforts of Thiện Chí, the family, and An himself over 10 years have created lasting and meaningful change. Indeed, the written word has crafted a powerful story!
