When “Hoa” was younger, her family struggled to get by. Since she was in Grade 5, Blue Dragon supported Hoa by providing everything she needed to stay in school: school fees, uniform, textbooks and stationery.
Hoa loved school, but when she graduated she felt that she should not go on to tertiary studies because she needed to start earning money for her family. It was only after encouragement from Blue Dragon social worker that Hoa decided to do what she really wanted, and she enrolled at university. Monthly support from her tertiary education sponsor meant that she didn’t have to worry about how to pay for her course, and she could focus on her studies.
Hoa thrived at university, and even took on a year-long internship at Blue Dragon where she learnt many valuable skills to prepare her for the workforce. And after successfully graduating from university with a degree in Chinese language, Hoa straight away found a job abroad and has been working as a translator for the past year.
Each month Hoa put away 5% of her salary so that this year, when Hoa went back to her hometown to spend Tet (Lunar New Year) with her family, she could give back to her community. With her savings, she bought Tet gifts for some students and their families who are in a similar situation to she once was.
Hoa explained: “I was supported by Blue Dragon when I was in a difficult situation. But now I have the job that I love and I want to help out others who are facing challenging situations so they feel as if the burden can be shared. Especially at a time like Tet.”
