The race to get Chi to school on time
The only home Chi knows is the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, and the only friend she has is her beloved grandmother. If we act quickly, we can make sure she moves into a proper home and starts school at the same time as other kids her age.
Age old questions
Chi is probably five years old. There’s no record of her birth, her father isn’t around, and her mother has a mental illness that affects her ability to communicate.
After Chi was born, her mother carried her around the streets as she begged for food, often wandering off for weeks without contacting relatives. They once went missing for so long that Chi’s grandmother, Bao, put out Missing Persons ads to try and find them.
After Bao eventually tracked them down, Chi’s mother returned to her hometown to receive psychological treatment. Bao then stepped in to look after Chi, caring for her as she walked the streets of Ho Chi Minh City selling lottery tickets and collecting scrap to sell at recycling centres.
This is the only life Chi knows, but with Blue Dragon’s support, she will be able to make it a distant memory.
Recyclable scrap tied to Bao’s bicycle. She sells it to recycling centres for a small profit.
A friend to play with
Blue Dragon co-CEO Vi often joins social workers to support homeless children on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Late one evening, he spotted Chi and Bao sitting on a busy corner and pulled over to chat with them.
“Chi was quietly playing with a piece of cardboard while her grandmother waited, hoping that someone passing by might offer a little food,” shares Vi.
“I walked over, sat down on the ground and spoke with them. Chi was so happy to have someone to play with, and it really touched me. I promised Bao that I would come back. And if she wanted to, I would help Chi go to school.”
Since she was born, the only people Chi has been able to play and socialise with are her mother and grandmother. At school, she would finally have the chance to meet other children, learn about the world and begin the long, hard road to lifting her family into a bright future.
But helping people to transform their lives is rarely straightforward. Like many people living on the streets, Chi and Bao constantly moved around, making it difficult for Blue Dragon to find them again. As time passed, it looked like the chance to get Chi into school at the same time as other kids her age would come and go.
Vi playing with Chi.
Vi chatting to Bao while Chi plays.
Breakthrough
After Blue Dragon met Chi and Bao in different areas around the city, they finally decided to base themselves in a specific spot where we could find them easily. Vi continued visiting them whenever he went to Ho Chi Minh City, bringing food, catching up and reminding Bao that as soon as she gave her blessing, Blue Dragon would begin the process of getting Chi into school.
Over time, both Chi and Bao began to open up more as their trust in Blue Dragon grew.
“Chi soon became so playful and relaxed. She always smiled when I was there, she just needed a friend to play with. Bao always watched her with so much love and care.”
Finally, Bao accepted Blue Dragon’s offer of support. First, we made sure she and Chi had food, enough money for rent and all the household supplies they needed to get by.
Vi, Chi and Bao on the busy street corner where they beg for food.
Possibilities
While Chi now has safe accommodation to sleep in and nutritious food to eat, her journey to a better life is just beginning. Soon, she will begin kindergarten, finally giving her the chance to learn and play with other children.
Getting Chi into school, though, is going to require a lot more work. First, she will need a birth certificate before she can enrol in the education system. Since no one even knows her exact age, this will be a complicated and expensive process involving tracking down friends, relatives and neighbours to give statements relating to her birth. After that, we can focus on finding her a suitable school.
“My main wish is for Chi to go to school so our situation becomes more stable and we can live a good, safe life together,” shares Bao.
With the support of Blue Dragon’s incredible global community, we can make Bao’s wish come true.
Chi smiling brightly.
