Exhaustion
Minh and Cong couldn’t walk any further. They had been begging for days on end and had no energy left to give.
With their parents beside them, the brothers lay down next to a busy road and closed their eyes. It didn’t matter that the Ho Chi Minh City traffic roared past, nor that the bright lights flooded through their eyelids or that their stomachs ached with hunger.
As soon as their heads touched the ground, they fell asleep.
The whole family slept beside busy streets in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City.
Trapped
Minh and Cong’s parents lost their courier jobs in the COVID-19 pandemic. Their father, Bao, tried to keep the family afloat by working as a motorbike taxi driver, but customers were scarce and the family slipped deeper into debt each day.
Hope emerged when Bao found work as a hotel receptionist. He enjoyed speaking to the guests, and the steady income meant that he and his family could begin to dream of a better life.
Just four months after starting work, though, Bao began to suffer from an old illness that he thought he had overcome. The treatment caused him to lose his voice, meaning he couldn’t continue his job.
The family had no choice but to leave their home and beg on the streets – often walking themselves into a state of such exhaustion that they fell asleep beside the road. This lifestyle took a huge emotional toll on Minh and Cong. They became more restless and prone to outbursts as their hope of a better life faded along with their energy.
Adding to their sense of hopelessness was the fact that Minh and Cong didn’t have birth certificates. Even if somehow their parents found enough money to pay for school fees, the boys wouldn’t be able to enroll in the education system.
With no home, no money and no chance of Minh and Cong getting an education, the family were trapped.
“I really thought life would just go on that way forever.” – Bao
Blue Dragon found the family while they were begging.
Right away
One evening, a Blue Dragon social worker named Quyet was out looking for children to support when he saw Minh and Cong’s family across the street. Quyet remembers the moment vividly.
“I see so many families begging every day, but Minh and Cong really caught my eye. They just looked so tired, but at the same time the boys had wide, mischievous smiles.”
Minh and Cong’s mother told Quyet their story – how they had lost their jobs, how they spent each day begging until they couldn’t stay awake any longer, and how all they wanted was a chance to give their children a better life.
“Right away, both parents expressed their wish for their sons to go to school so that they wouldn’t have to spend their lives on the streets,” shares Quyet.
From then on, Blue Dragon began providing Minh and Cong’s family with food, daily necessities and safe accommodation. With a roof above their heads and real bedding to sleep on, they could finally focus on turning their lives around.
Quyet visiting Minh and Cong in their new home. The walls are insulated with advertised signs they have collected from the street.
Their new home is much comfier than the street!
The boys love playing.
Filled with excitement
The next challenge was getting Minh and Cong into school. To do this, Quyet accompanied the family to their hometown to apply for the boys’ birth certificates.
After a long and complicated legal process, all of Minh and Cong’s paperwork was finally ready. They enrolled in the education system, found a suitable school and waited for the big day to arrive.
The week before Minh and Cong started school, Blue Dragon co-CEO Vi popped round to see them at home. Having lived on the streets as a child before turning his life around with Blue Dragon’s support, Vi knows just how life-changing school can be for kids like Minh and Cong.
“I could see how much it meant to them. The whole family has such a strong will to live a good life, and this is a huge step toward achieving that. For a poor family living on the streets, simply getting their children into school is an enormous challenge. Seeing them take this step filled me with excitement and hope for their future.”
It wasn’t just Vi who was excited, as the boys were eager to show him some new words they’d been learning in preparation for class. Looking around at the signs padding the walls of his home, Cong smiled shyly and shared: “I’m excited to learn how to spell so that I can read all these words.”
“You can see that Minh and Cong really care for each other.” – Quyet
The boys showing new words they’ve been learning.
They couldn’t contain their excitement!
Dreaming big
Then came the big day: Minh and Cong started school for the first time in their lives.
The boys were excited and anxious as they stepped into the classroom for the first time. There was so much to learn; new schedules, new social situations and a whole new way of looking at the world.
While they were shy for the first couple of weeks, they now feel comfortable enough to let their energetic personalities shine through. They are busy learning, making friends and dreaming of a bright future like their Blue Dragon heroes.
“I like going to school because I get to play with my friends. I want to keep studying so that when I grow up I can be like Quyet, take care of my parents and have a job like him.”
– Cong
Minh and Cong were a little nervous during their first two weeks of school.
Cong loves studying.
Minh knows he has a lot to learn!
Eyes full of joy
Soon after Minh and Cong started school, there was more great news for them to celebrate as their mother found a job as a house cleaner. Blue Dragon is now working with Bao to find a job suited to his health condition.
The family’s dream is to achieve financial independence so that one day they will be ready to thrive without our support. Until that time comes, the Blue Dragon community is right beside them every step of the way.
“You can see the joy in their eyes now,” shares Quyet. “Watching how carefully the boys carry their backpacks, take care of their notebooks and do their homework, you can really feel how much happier they are as a family.”
