The Embrace of the “Foster Mothers

Fragile Childhoods

Late in the afternoon, at the end of a winding alley in Thang Hiep neighborhood, 78-year-old Doan Thi Chien sits on her porch, her silver hair glowing under the dim light, eyes fixed on the dirt road. “They’ll be home soon,” she whispers, her gaze still searching for the three little grandchildren.

Her back is bent, her hands frail, but she remains the only support for three young children — the eldest in fifth grade, the middle in third, the youngest just in kindergarten. Her daughter drifted away long ago, leaving the children in their grandmother’s care.

“I just do what I can while I still have strength,” she says, her voice trembling.

Mrs Chien takes any job she can find — washing dishes, plucking ducks, working by the hour. Some nights, she pedals her bicycle to work from 11 p.m. until dawn, earning 200,000 VND. When work is scarce, they survive on rice and fish sauce.

Knowing her situation, members of the Thang Hiep Women’s Union visit often, bringing gifts and monthly support of 500,000 VND for each child under the “Foster Mother” program. “It’s not much, but it helps them feel cared for — and eases part of her burden,” says Luong Thi Ngoc Anh, head of the neighborhood Women’s Union.

In Kim Ngoc neighborhood, the story of Vo Truong Hai, a 7th grader at Ham Thang Secondary School, also moves many hearts. Orphaned since birth, he has been raised by his grandparents, both now over 70. “When his mother passed, he was just three months old. I cared for my sick daughter and the baby — I thought I wouldn’t make it,” recalls Dang Thi Chot, his grandmother.

Now, her husband is ill, and they live on small allowances and the kindness of neighbors. Thankfully, Hai receives monthly support and food from the Women’s Union, enough to stay in school. “I always tell him to study hard so our struggles aren’t in vain. He listens — he’s always been a good student,” she says, pride and worry blending in her eyes.

“Behind every gift is the love of silent mothers — retirees saving from their pensions, others visiting homes to encourage the children. They just want these little ones to feel less lonely.” — Pham Thi Ngoc Yen, Chairwoman of Ham Thang Women’s Union.

Quiet Acts of Compassion

Through the “Foster Mother” initiative, women in Ham Thang have quietly spread kindness. Each month, they share what little they have — a bag of rice, a set of clothes, a notebook, a bicycle — to support children deprived of parental love.

Currently, 12 children in the ward are receiving sponsorship, with monthly support from 100,000 to 500,000 VND, along with other essential gifts worth nearly 80 million VND in total. The National Women’s Union has also donated 10 gift sets worth 13 million VND and a 10-million-VND savings book to the most disadvantaged children.

Among these women, Ha Thi Thu Thuy, a retired official from neighborhood 1, is especially admired. In 2024, upon learning about Le Min Tin, an orphaned boy living with his bedridden grandmother while his mother worked far from home, she quietly became his sponsor.

Every quarter, she sent 500,000 VND and later gifted him a 50cc motorbike worth 5 million VND so he could go to school and work. Tin has since graduated high school, enrolled in vocational training, and dreams of becoming a teacher. “When he told me he’d found a job, I was overjoyed — it felt like a weight lifted,” she recalls.

She and the Women’s Union also helped Nguyen Thanh Tuan and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thao, two primary students at Xuan An School who were at risk of dropping out due to unpaid tuition. She donated 16.1 million VND, along with milk, rice, and 100 notebooks for other underprivileged students. “I just hope more people will join in, so these children can stay in school,” she says.

Mrs Thuy has been honored by the provincial Women’s Union, but perhaps her greatest reward is the pure smiles and bright eyes of the children she has helped.

In Ham Thang, the embrace of these “foster mothers” continues to warm fragile childhoods — nurturing them with the quiet power of love. And there, amid the simplicity of everyday life, compassion keeps blooming — like a flame that never fades.

Bao Nguyen