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Gotta say this journal emotional hit me more than any I remember! Another huge success story from Dorothea's Project Legacy. Bit longer then I usual so I'll cut my words. Email words or encouragement and I will forward.
"Ms. Thuong, what should I write if I do not have a mother?" said a student completing a form for Life Skills class.
The question, which was from a 7th grade little girl with a chubby face, wide eyes and a bright smile looking at me on the first day, haunted me for weeks. There was no sorrow or inferiority complex showing on her face, as if living without her mother had become usual and obvious because "I am used to living without my mother's presence."
Remembering those first days when I had to travel from Da Nang to Que Son, I shuddered every time I saw the bus coming. A distance of more than 70 kilometers gave me a sick feeling, but it only happened when I was on the bus. There were times I sought for help from different types of medicine, but little did I know that the best remedy came from my little angels. The picture of those boys and girls rushing out cheerfully and talking non-stop is still etched on my mind "Hey, there comes our teacher." "Let me help you carry your bag, teacher." Since then, I need no drugs to keep me away from getting carsick.
Sitting on the bus while looking at those tiny houses and endless green paddy fields outside of the window, the picture of my students kept showing up in my mind. I questioned myself about what I was supposed to do in order to help them.
Gradually, my love for them is getting bigger and bigger day by day. They were all eyes when they saw my teaching equipment and tools with hundreds of questions "What is this, Ms. Thuong? May I borrow this? Could I have this, Ms. Thuong?"Can you guess what made them so happy? I'm sure that you would never think it was simply a magnet. Or like Quyen - a little girl, she approached me stealthily when she saw several bottles of water left after the meeting and asked me if she could have these bottles. "For what my dear?" I wondered. "I just want to make them my toys."
The picture of that tiny girl with a forced smile and her bare feet rubbing on the floor until I held her in my arms, touched me deeply. I could feel that something was stuck in my chest. Those children, they have never asked for expensive things. What they wish for are far too simple since they are aware of their poverty.
I can tell exactly the colors and patterns of a boy's clothes whose name is Thao because that's all he has. At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but it wasn't. Thao's mother, a poor and skinny woman, has to earn a living by herself to raise four children. So it is impossible for her to buy her kids new clothes! It's lucky to have food for themselves day by day.
The day I visited My's house, one of my 9th grade students with six siblings, was pouring with rain. I turned around and tried to hide the tears streaming down my face as I saw a house which could be easily blown away at any time. I looked around the house and the garden but I couldn't find anything of value. So it was the reason why the door was open even when no one was home. But more precisely, the door was not even there! My's mother passed away when she was a little girl, her father remarried and left his children for My's grandparents who were almost 60 years old. However, it was not the end of their misfortune. My's grandmother was diagnosed with a mental disorder. Therefore, all the burden of caring for the family has fallen on her poor grandfather.
Whenever I mentioned to My about her studying, she seemed to cry: "Ms. Thuong, I'll have to go to Hoi An city to work next summer because I'm not able to pay for my tuition. Why is this happening to me?" Then she burst into tears. Despite her young age, My is aware of her circumstances. She is afraid that if she keeps going to school, it will only be more difficult for her siblings to have a better life. They are too young. Thus, she's chosen to sacrifice herself for her brothers and sisters. And, her dream of becoming a Math teacher in the future seems never to come true.
Watching my angels growing up day by day is all I ask for. Remember they were so reserved and shy kids who did not dare to look straight at me. But after three months of being a part of Life skills as well as Emotional health classes, they have made a remarkable change. And that change includes working in teams in a very comfortable way, presenting one's ideas confidently in front of the class or dancing flash mod, or cooking in the extra-curricular activities. Not only students in Dorothea's Project Legacy 2, but I also have an opportunity to work with students from six different schools in Que Son province in the Life skills training for primary and secondary school program. I did not think that I could achieve such a wonderful accomplishment while teaching hundreds of students about life skills. I am grateful to GIBTK for giving me this precious chance.
Looking back, four months passed by since the moment I became a member of beloved GIBTK as a teacher of Life skills and Emotional health at Dorothea's Project Legacy 2. I have a feeling that I'm writing a new chapter of my life full of hopes, passion and love. I'm aware of what I'm working on is not only transferring knowledge to students, but it's more than that. I'm so happy and grateful to know that I have the power to change someone's life. Furthermore, I'm proud of my angels. I would love to thank GIBTK for giving me this chance to work not only with wonderful colleges but also with adorable and special children though they are not as lucky as others.
Thank you!
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