This morning began with breakfast and tea alongside the Director and a colleague before we set out for a full day of visits. Accompanied by the Director, I met several families supported by Thien Chi.
The First Family
The first family we met consisted of an elderly couple, aged 64 and 60. They once raised six children, all now married and living elsewhere, unable to support their parents financially. The husband recently developed severe pain that makes it difficult for him to move, and he is scheduled to travel to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment. With a government health insurance covering 50% of his expenses, medical care remains a challenge.
Their livelihood depends on 200 m² of rice fields for personal consumption and another 200 m² of land for their house, garden, and animals, chickens, ducks, cow, cashew trees, corn, and even pigeons. They previously benefited from Thien Chi’s pig bank model but had to pause due to a local epidemic.
Currently, they participate in Thien Chi’s closed-loop agricultural model, which promotes sustainable farming through the reuse of natural resources. In this system, cow manure feeds earthworms, which are then used as protein-rich food for chickens. The model, implemented in 24 households. The Center covers the initial costs, allowing families to adopt the practice without repayment. The couple have been following this method for seven months now, managing small-scale farming suited to their age and abilities.
The Second Family
The second visit was to a 70-year-old father and his daughter. The mother passed away two years ago, and the father is now battling kidney disease and cancer. Despite his condition, he continues to support his daughter, who is in high school and dreams of attending university in Phan Thiết. She receives a monthly scholarship of 300,000 VND from Thien Chi and cares for her father daily.
The father carries a medical drainage bag and used to travel to Ho Chi Minh City twice a month for treatment, fully covered by state health insurance. Before falling ill, he sold lottery tickets (a common form of informal employment among the elderly and vulnerable in Vietnam), earning barely 7,000 VND (around 22 cents) a day. Today, he hopes to resume when the dry season begins.
With additional support from Thien Chi, he received chickens and help to build a coop. Now, he raises about 30 chickens, five of which were provided by the Center. His story was shared on the Give Asia fundraising platform, but donations were limited, showing how older men often receive less sympathy from donors compared to women or younger beneficiaries.
Fortunately, he also receives monthly support from two donors: 300,000 VND from one and 500,000 VND from a Vietnamese donor living in the U.S. The local government is currently considering adding a monthly subsidy of 500,000 VND. For this family, true financial stability will only come once the daughter completes her education.
The Third Family
The last family of the day included a mother, a blind father, and two children. The mother works as a seamstress making gloves, earning around 1 million VND per month. The father, who lost his sight twenty years ago in an accident, receives 1.5 million VND per month from government support. Their daughter, now in university, studies and works part-time to cover her expenses, even sending money home when she can. Their son, still in primary school, benefits from a Thien Chi scholarship, just as his sister once did.
The family owns 200 m² of rice fields and 100 m² of house and garden. They also received a 4-million-VND microloan from Thien Chi to invest in seeds and fertilizer. Eleven years ago, they built their house with combined support from the government, private donors, relatives, and Thien Chi, which contributed 10 million VND. They’ve been part of Thien Chi’s programs for more than a decade, slowly improving their stability through long-term partnership.
School Visit and Return to the Office
Between family visits, we stopped by a secondary school (grades 6–9) where Thien Chi helped build an outdoor library two years ago. With 400 students, the school struggles to buy new books, but Thien Chi provides support whenever possible. My visit drew quite a bit of attention, lots of photos, greetings, and even autograph requests! The school director’s son, who speaks English well, kindly translated and chatted with me about his dream of studying and his love for Real Madrid.
Leticia