A Samaritan's Purse program helps students attend school and get the tools they need to escape the cycle of poverty
Ma Thi Ay’s family was poor. Due to failing crops, there were many times when the only thing they had to eat were sweet potatoes and boiled corn.
Her eldest brother dropped out of school in the ninth grade to stay home and help her parents manage the household and younger siblings who were still attending school.
Give the Gift of EducationWhen her mother fell ill and her family was struggling to afford her medications while providing for the rest of her family, Ma Thi Ay was torn between the desire to further her education or stay home to take care of her parent.However, her older brother had an entirely different idea. He wanted Ma Thi Ay to forget school entirely for the sole purpose of getting married and starting her own family so she would no longer be a burden on theirs.
Her mother realized the importance of an education, and wanted her to attend school. So she decided to go to Hoa Sua School to study. But she had nothing to take with her—not even the encouragement of her older brother and his wife.
Thankfully, the school was one supported by Samaritan’s Purse as part of a program to support students who are members of historically underprivileged ethnic minorities in the highlands of Vietnam.
Ma Thi Ay received a monthly scholarship that paid for school fees and supplies. Our staff members also taught her life skills, like how to communicate, how to control emotions, and how to set goals.
She was elated and relieved to finally have the support she needed to pursue her education. She now has hope that she can secure a better future for herself and her family.
“What I desire the most is that I will study hard and have good results so that I can get a good job to help provide for my parents—especially for my mother to get medicine to help her recover from diseases,” she said. “I do not need to worry anymore about anything. I will try my best to make my dreams come true. I am very grateful to Samaritan’s Purse for giving me the help to go to school.”
Literacy is essential for those who yearn to escape poverty. Yet all too often, poverty-stricken children are never given the opportunity of an education because they cannot afford to attend school. Donations through the Samaritan’s Purse Gift Catalog can provide supplies or a month’s tuition for a child just like Ma Thi Ay.
