Single mother in Hoang Dieu commune (Gia Loc) is very difficult

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong (born in 1971) is a single mother. Her two children are Nguyen Minh The (born in 2005) and Nguyen Thi Cham (born in 2010). All three of them are mentally retarded, so their lives depend heavily on the help of their siblings and neighbors.

Mr. Nguyen Van Doi, Ms. Huong's half-brother, said that the family has 4 siblings, but 3 of them have abnormal intellectual development. Among them, Ms. Huong is the most seriously ill, so she cannot start a family. Previously, when her parents were still alive, her grandparents took care of Ms. Huong and her children, but since her parents passed away, the mother and children have had to fend for themselves. "Mother and child are not agile, so they need someone to guide them in everything they do. My family and the children in the family take the opportunity to help with farming, cleaning the house, and cooking for the mother and children. Every time they get sick, the siblings take turns taking them to the hospital and looking after them," said Mr. Doi.

To sustain her daily life, Ms. Huong currently cultivates 2 sao of rice fields. The local authorities have created conditions for her to join the village’s waste collection team with an income of nearly 1 million VND/month. This money is used for daily expenses and tuition for her 9th grader, Cham.

Sympathizing with the difficult situation of Huong and her son, a leather shoe factory in the commune hired Nguyen Minh The to work with a salary of 40 million VND/year. Because he and his mother could not manage their daily expenses, this money was paid at the end of the year and given to a family member to keep for them.

The house where Huong and her mother used to live was left by her grandparents. It was built a long time ago, so it was cramped, had peeling walls, a broken tiled roof, and no toilet. In response to the movement to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses for poor households, Huong's family received 100 million VND in support to build a new house. In addition to this amount of money, along with the money her son earned from working and help from relatives, Huong still lacked a lot. "When the villagers found out that Huong was building a house, some gave her doors, some gave her bathroom equipment, and the construction workers also charged a lower wage. Relatives took turns taking care of everything, but Huong and her mother did not know what to do," added Mr. Doi.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Son, Head of Phong Lam Village, shared that this is the most difficult family in the village as the mother and her three children are not very active. When there are support programs and gift-giving on holidays and Tet, the local authorities always prioritize Ms. Huong's family. Branches and associations in the village also care about her family by helping and supporting them in their daily activities.

Huong and her children are in dire need of help. For any assistance from organizations or individuals for Huong and her children, please contact Mr. Nguyen Van Doi, Phong Lam village, Hoang Dieu commune (Gia Loc, Hai Duong), phone number 0901.523.985.