2023 Updates

Last year, the Foundation started to sponsor a third family (Ms. Nguyen thi Thu-Huong and her son, Nguyen nhu Thuong). The school report card shows Thuong performed poorly in all subjects in the 2022-2023 school year, dropping his rank to the bottom of the class. We talked to both the mother and son in an attempt to figure out what happened. Ms. Huong works during the day and thus Thuong is mostly unsupervised after school; no other adult is around to help and encourage him to study. We decided to pause the scholarship this year, and instead get him some toys and promise more toys if his grades improve. Hopefully, the strategy will compel Ms. Huong to pay closer attention to Thuong, and motivate him to study more willingly.

Below are updates on the other students.

Updates on the Nguyen thi Thu Family

The oldest son, Thien, dropped out of school. He now helps an older cousin sell street foods a at night market. The future is uncertain, but at least for now, Thien brings an extra income to help his mother.

Ms. Nhai continues to perform very well in school. She was selected to represent the school's nine graders in a math competition at the district level, and this time she earned the 2nd place. Nhai set a goal to gain admission to Lê Hồng Phong High School for the Gifted, but She fell less than a point short on the entrance exam, which comprised of three subjects, math, literature, and English. This is quite an accomplishment, considering that she did not receive private tutoring like other students.

Baby Loc also continues to do well in school. Her mother complained that Loc does not eat much and is the smallest kid in her class. (Ms. Thu started working full time for a company making wood furniture a few years ago, so Nhai and Loc fix their own lunch, which may explain their malnutrition.) When Loc showed off her perfect score of 10 for math, reading, and writing earlier this year, we rewarded her with two bottles of milk powder, which hopefully help with her growth.

Updates on Mr. Duong Pham

Duong Pham's homeroom professor observed that He completed this sophomore year with higher grades in all subjects than the first year and that He was respectfully to professors and participated enthusiastically in all class' and department's activities. In addition to the regular course work, Duong volunteered to clean up Thống Nhất Park and neighborhood of Phúc Xá ward, and help make square sticky rice cakes to donate to poor families during the Tết festival. He also researched and learned from real cases at the District People's Court.

Updates on Ms. Chau Pham

Ms. Chau completed the 11th grade and will be entering the final year of high school in August 2023. Her grades, earning mostly 7 out of the 10 point scale (equivalent to B/B+), improved slightly compared to her grades in the 10th grade. The senior year is the most important year, as score from the high school graduation exam will also be used for admission to university. The higher the score, the better the chance for a student to get into a prestigious, public university.