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Todays a worthy read! I'm in the Saigon airport lounge, fighting back a flood of emotions and yes tears. This story makes me very happy! From the beginning of gibtk our dream was to help build Vietnam. I knew kids that went to other countries had better opportunities. Today's note is from the one exception!
I first met Trang for over 14 years ago. She was a quite shy girl. Other kids would swarm me to get and give their hugs. Trang always sorta stayed behind me. When the "ruckus" would die down she'd come up to me and quietly whisper "my dream is to go to the US to study. Special thank you to Jen and Lauren for introducing us to nan Robertson, Lauren mother. Please read of a dream fulfilled!!!
Hello everyone!
"Now let me introduce myself a little bit. My name is Tran Thi Ngoc Trang. I am 19 years old. I am a sophomore of Da Nang University of Foreign Language. My major is English interpreter and translator. It is hard to believe I have lived at GIBTK for 14 years. Yes, I came here when I started my school in grade 1. I have spent almost all of my time living here. Until now, perhaps this opportunity which my father gave me is the biggest luckiness I have in my life.
I was born in a poor family. My mother has a heart problem. She feels great pain when doing most things. My father who is handicapped in his legs, is the main source of income. My parents have to bring up three children (my older sister many of you have met or heard of my sister Diep), my younger brother and me, by that little income.
He decided to send me and my sister to Hai Chau home where I had lived for 12 years. The only thing I was upset about is that I did not live with my parents anymore. But the things the GIBTK's organization has brought back to us is bigger than that feeling.
This time is extremely meaningful to me. I have fully developed in all ways. I lived and ate in a warm home with my sisters and brothers who had circumstance like me. I was taken care of by our housemother. I can say I had no shortage of anything compared to my peers, and the best thing was I was going to school which made a huge change in my life.
I cannot image how my life would be if I still lived with my family and did not have this chance. I always tried to be a good student from primary school to secondary school. I also passed into the top high school in Da Nang city and became a student of foreign language studies at University. Those things are also what my lost father yearns for from me. I want him to proud of me and his decision to send me to Hai Chau home at all times.
I will tell you a story about my dream. I had a great big dream when I was a little girl, maybe I was 11 years old. I always cherished it in my heart and hoped it would become a reality. I was told that we need to have a dream which makes me feel scared. I was scared of that. I was scared that I cannot do it. I dreamed that I could study abroad and set my foot on America.
During that time, I searched for the information and asked my friends or anyone about how I can study abroad, what I needed to do. I tried to study hard at school. This idea followed me for a really long time and one day I felt it was so impossible, so I thought I cannot do it.
Gradually I chose to give up my dream and just continued with my studying. Luckily, Robert came to me. I did not know how he knew that I gave up my dream. He encouraged me, hugged me and I cried. I was so disappointed about myself. If that time I had given up, I would not be like I am now. Yes, definitely, I made it happen and I will go to America this May. Congratulations to me!
My sponsor - Nan Robertson- wanted to help me to achieve my dream. I am so thankful for that. I feel so excited about the adventure I will have in America. I will work harder to be successful in my life, change my destiny and become a role model of all the kids in my organization. I can do that so they can too.
Thank you so much for everything I have now. Thank you for all the support from everyone I have had in my life. A have a huge gratitude to Giving It Back To Kids organization. One thing I can say to my brothers and sisters is do not give up on your dream because you do not know the way it will come to you. This is my lesson that I will never forget. I am also having my next big dream and I believe I can do that too.
Thank you so much
Tran Thi Ngoc Trang
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