The COVID-19 pandemic hit like a hurricane in the midst of which many children were physically and mentally affected. Among them, the children who were living in the loving arms of their parents suddenly become orphans. The song about orphan life resounded somewhere in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life to leave people upheaved for those orphans.
Mr. Nguyen Hoang Thao, permanent Deputy Secretary of Binh Duong provincial Party Committee present gifts to COVID-19 orphans. Photo: Hong Thuan
The pain
Thuan An city, in the COVID-19 epidemic, was strongly influenced as 147 children, 3 of whom had both parents passed away, have lost their parents. Losing parents befell us to a great question pool of “How will they carry on? What could their lives be? How can they face the reality?”, all prompting us to find them.
We called the ***731 phone number asking to see two brothers of Phan Tuan Kiet (17 years old) and Phan Gia Lac (13 years old) whose parents died due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Mr. Nguyen Van Than, the youngest uncle-in-law of the two children with dark skin, opened the talk by his Southern accent in a worship room about 15 square meters at Quarter 2 of An Phu ward in Thuan An city. The set of sofas and chairs was in gray ebony color in front is an old altar with two jars of ashes and two photos of the deceased. The sound of reciting the Buddha's name "Namo Amitabha Buddha" emanating from the cassette player made the room even quieter in the mid-afternoon of a late February day.
“We have a sewing factory. Two of them died leaving two helpless children and a debt. The maternal and paternal families in Can Tho and as far as Dong Thap met up to Binh Duong to agree upon guardianship of the children. Uncle Than of Kiet and Lac said while pointing to the side of the house: "This workshop is about 3,000 square meters. They borrowed money from banks and family members to build this factory; when the COVID-19 epidemic struck, it was too late for them. Now that they are gone, and the factory is also deserted."
After saying that, he stepped out onto the porch and headed towards the factory, which was assembled with corrugated iron sheets that are still new. The sound of his footsteps on the cement floor resounded among the industrial sewing machines that had been covered with blankets of dust for a long time, as if it was breaking the long quiet space of the factory. “Compressed by grief, Aunt Ut restored the two of them to a sewing line to raise money for two school-age brothers, but unfortunately the amount of money owed by their older brother and sister was too large, up to VND 10 billion, so Ut could not make it up,", said Mr. Than propulsorily behind me. Then suddenly he was back to reality and called out to Lac for me to meet and he explained: "Loc does talk, but since his parents died, Kiet has been in confusion through day and night burying himself in his room. We thought he was autistic."
He, then, told us about the pain that the two parent-losing children have been suffering. Lac was on his side with tears rolling down from the swollen eyes entriqued by strong feelings. The pain of losing their parents was so great to them. We could see through the pain devasting the young heart. Despite the taken granted life, it is tremendous pain for children to lose their beloved ones. The only that people around could do for them in the days of great grief was the encouragement and sharing from their hearts.
Heart-warming
According to statistics from Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, within a few months since the 4th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic starting at the end of April 2021, it has claimed the lives of parents of 316 children. Out of 316 orphans who lost their parents due to COVID-19, 3 lost both parents, and 9 lost their source of nourishment in very pitiful circumstances, having lost both parents and living with sponsors, but now the sponsors have died because of COVID-19. The pain of losing parents and beloved ones for children is too great and cannot be compensated. Children in difficult circumstances would eventually suffer life of great difficulties that intensify on losing parental love.
Understanding the pain and disadvantage of orphans during the pandemic, social organizations, departments, agencies, mass organizations and localities have always accompanied, cared for and supported them. We feel the children's joy when the Vietnamese Children's Fund helped each child with VND 5,000,000. The provincial People's Committee has also implemented the program of "Long-term sponsorship" for each child at each grade level. Binh Duong Lottery One Member Limited Liability Company has also offered support for 20 orphans with the rate of VND 2 million a child. In addition, they are also entitled to regular support policies according to Resolution No. 11/2021/NQ-HDND of the provincial People's Council.
Having no parents by his side, Phan Gia Lac keeps on to learning and daily life
In order not to leave them unfinished in their studies, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs together with the Vietnamese Fatherland Front Committee of the province and other departments, agencies and mass organizations mobilized and called on organizations and benefactors to receive sponsors for their children until adulthood. The provincial Fatherland Front mobilized to support 220 children with a total amount of VND 330 million. The provincial Youth’s League cooperated with the Mobile World Shelter Fund to award 88 scholarships to 88 orphaned students for 10 months; it also cooperated with Thanh Nien newspaper to award 50 scholarships of VND 3 million each while cooperating with KUN Dairy Company to give support until the age of 18 to nearly 100 children. In addition, the provincial Women's Union coordinated with the Compassionate Fund under Vingroup to support 207 orphans for a period of 11 months.
While I was tracking the supporting information for the children, I received a phone call from Kiet and Lac's uncle Than. He excitedly said: “Ket and Lac's grandmother will be their guardian until they are mature enough. The amount of property left by their parents, after selling, could be paying off the debt and supporting the two of them. As for Kiet these days, he's sober and willing to talk to everyone." When the call ended, I suddenly remembered the words of writer Nguyen Khai in his work - Mua Lac: "Life arises from death, happiness manifests in sacrifices and hardships; in this life there is no the end, there are only boundaries, the key is to have the strength to cross those boundaries.”
Reported by Kim Ha – Translated by Vi Bao
