More to the story
When Blue Dragon social worker Thanh met Truc and Linh begging beside the road, he had a feeling there was more to their story than they let on.
Thanh could see that the girls were kind, clever and resourceful. He set up games for them to play, brought them food and listened to their story. But the more he visited, the more inconsistencies he began to notice in what they told him.
One of the siblings told him that they were orphans who lived alone. One of their friends mentioned that the girls lived with their grandmother. Another made a comment about their father as if he were still alive.
Having worked with street children for over six years, Thanh had seen this kind of behaviour before. Whether through fear, shame or distrust, kids living on the streets are often reluctant to open up about their background right away.
Thanh knew that if he kept coming back, showing Truc and Linh again and again that he was committed to helping them, they would eventually tell him the whole story.
Truc and Linh often sat on the same street for hours.
Day after day, Thanh spent time earning their trust.
A place to play
Every week, Thanh made sure to meet up with Truc and Linh in the same spot. Sometimes they played games on the pavement, and other times he treated them to their favourite drinks beneath the fairy lights of a nearby cafe garden.
The girls love playing cards, and it seems like every time someone teaches them a new game, they master it within minutes.
“Almost every social worker who plays games with them finds that the girls beat them every time,” shares Kin, a Blue Dragon social worker. “They’re so good at learning the rules of new games and working out how to win.”
The more Truc and Linh relaxed, the more they opened up. Linh, the older of the two, is very hardworking and responsible, taking care of Truc and teaching her how to behave in social situations. While Truc is a bit shy, she’s very creative and always comes up with interesting ideas for games and activities.
As they played and chatted with Thanh one day, the girls said that they were finally ready to share their story.
Linh playing a game with Kin, a Blue Dragon social worker.
Playing cards in their favourite spot.
Thanh listening to Truc as they play games.
No room to breathe
Truc and Linh led Thanh to a nearby street, where they introduced him to their father, Tinh. Visibly ill, Tinh was sitting beside the road drinking water as the girls played.
Tinh attended school until Grade 3 – just enough time for him to learn basic literacy. Without a full education, he has never been able to find steady work – a problem that has intensified due to the onset of chronic health issues affecting his eyes and lungs.
Their makeshift home is so narrow that even Truc, the youngest of the two sisters, can’t stretch her legs in bed at night. Tinh sleeps in a small, poorly ventilated room at the back of the home, putting extra strain on his lungs.
Even as his illness worsened, Tinh tried to keep working odd jobs as a motorbike taxi driver and selling lottery tickets, but it soon became untenable. When he finally accepted that he could no longer provide for his children, Truc and Linh began begging in the spot where Thanh found them.
Truc and Linh’s home.
Fearless
It was clear how much Truc and Linh loved their father. They talked about how they wanted to be at home and take care of him all the time, which is why Truc was a bit reluctant when Thanh asked if she’d like to go to school.
“I wanted to look after my father,” she shares. “And I was afraid that my friends would laugh at me because I was older than everyone else in my grade.”
While Thanh and Kin understood Truc’s concerns, they knew that getting all the siblings to finish their education was the best way of lifting their family out of poverty for good. When they assured Truc that Blue Dragon would make sure her father got all the care he needed, and that it would help her to provide a better life for him in the future, she soon came around to the idea.
“If you help me go to school, I will do everything I can to study hard,” shared Truc at the time. “I know that if I finish school and get a job, I can help my father to be safe and have a good life.”
Truc soon settled in, making new friends and studying through the evenings on a new desk provided by Blue Dragon. She’s so eager to be a good, responsible student that she carefully washes her uniform every afternoon, hanging it out right away so that it’s clean and dry for another day of learning.
Linh helping a child with their studies.
Linh at the Blue Dragon centre.
Kin took Truc and Linh shopping to choose their own school supplies.
Now the girls have Blue Dragon’s support, they spend their evenings studying at home.
Even more to the story
With the Blue Dragon community beside them, Truc and Linh no longer have to beg on the street. Instead, they finish school and hurry home to do their homework and eat a hot dinner with their beloved father.
The girls love coming to the Blue Dragon centre. In the last few months, they have joined a mid autumn festival, a Christmas crafts workshop and several study sessions with Thanh and Kin. They have made lots of new friends like Minh, Cong and Ha; kids who come from similar backgrounds to them, and who share their desire to break their families free from generations of poverty.
Truc and Linh have a long road ahead of them before they can reach the life they hope for. They still live in the same cramped, makeshift home and they still occasionally sell cakes at a nearby temple. But now they can begin to dream of a day when they break their family free and make sure future generations grow up in a safe home full of joy.
Truc is determined to finish her education and get a steady job that allows her to care for her father, and Linh dreams of going to university. As for what Truc’s job might be or what Linh might study, they have plenty of time and resources to discover new passions.
“Thank you for helping my daughters go to school,” shares Tinh. “Thank you to everyone who has helped our family.”
The girls were excited to join the opening ceremony for the Blue Dragon centre in Ho Chi Minh City.
The centre is a great place to study and play.
Linh (far left) and Truc (third from left) have made lots of new friends.
