Nutrition Support Project for 80 Disadvantaged and Orphaned Students at Ho Chi Minh City Center for Social Work, Education and Vocational Training for Adolescents
The project aims to provide nutritional supplements for students, helping them maintain health and stay motivated to concentrate on studies while developing vocational skills.
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The story
At the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Social Work, Education and Vocational Training for Adolescents, each resident carries a childhood marked by turbulence – homelessness, begging... Behind his gentle appearance and soft-spoken manner, few would guess that 14-year-old Phan Văn T. endured 5 years as a street child, surviving by begging from foreign tourists in the city center. T. left home at age 9, unable to bear his mother’s gambling addiction and a father who spent all money on alcohol while abusing his children. He shares: 'If I hadn’t been brought to this Center, I’d likely have been forced to sell drugs by now.'
The circumstances of sisters Võ Thị Ánh M. and Võ Thị Ánh L. (aged 12 and 13) are equally heartbreaking: their mother was imprisoned for drug trafficking, while their father brought them to Phạm Ngũ Lão Backpacker Area to sell cigarettes and beg from passersby. Children like Hoa, Mỹ, and Tâm – born into families for whom begging is a generational livelihood – are often taken to beg by their own parents from early childhood. As they grow older, they're 'instructed' to fend for themselves on the streets.
The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Social Work, Education and Vocational Training for Adolescents is currently nurturing approximately 80 children aged 7 to 16
Currently, the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Social Work, Education and Vocational Training for Adolescents is caring for approximately 80 children aged 7 to 16 who previously lived as street children or beggars. Upon initial admission, most struggled to adapt to the new environment, with some attempting to run away or clinging to hopes of family retrieval to return to their former lives. To help them stabilize and rebuild trust, the Center's teachers implement dedicated efforts through collective activities and educational engagement.
Maintaining adequate nutrition for 80 children at the Center for Social Work presents a significant challenge. At their critical developmental age, these children require nutrient-rich meals for physical and cognitive growth. However, state funding only permits the center to provide simple, modest meals. With a budget of approximately 20,000 VND (~$0.80 USD) per child per meal, ensuring sufficient nutritional value remains an ongoing challenge requiring urgent external support.
