Nhung: young scholar, big dreamer
Nhung’s family didn’t have enough money to send her to school. This August, she began a full scholarship to study International Business at British University Vietnam.
A DIM LIGHT BULB
As other kids her age went out, tried new things and learned about the world, nine-year-old Nhung spent her days confined to a small loft owned by her grandparents.
Paint was peeling off the walls. The only light came from a single, dim bulb hanging loosely from the ceiling.
Nhung hadn’t been to school in years. She had no dreams and no friends. She had barely left that dark room for the whole of her young life.
SHADE AND FRUIT
When Blue Dragon learned of Nhung’s situation, we first helped her family to turn the loft into a safe, child-friendly space. We also invited Nhung to the Blue Dragon centre.
After arriving, Nhung pointed to a coconut tree and asked a social worker: “What is this?” Nhung had seen trees before, but no one had ever explained to her what they were or how they grew so tall.
When the social worker explained to Nhung that trees grew from tiny seeds to provide shade and fruit, she smiled in amazement. When Blue Dragon asked her if she wanted to go back to school, she smiled even wider.
ALL BUSINESS
“School was great. I stayed home until I was nine, so it was a long time until I had the opportunity to learn. I just love the feeling when I learn something new.”
Nhung dedicated her free time to self-study, and her teachers were amazed at how quickly she adapted. Already showing a keen eye for business, Nhung would draw pictures of her favourite cartoon characters and sell them to other students.
Alongside her studies, Nhung took an active role in several community initiatives. She became a board member of Youth Dragon, a group of socially conscious young people who organise and conduct emotional workshops – often for Blue Dragon kids.
Nhung and her friends also revived a Blue Dragon initiative called Save Hanoi, which focuses on removing litter the streets of Hanoi while inspiring others to do the same.
BROADENING HORIZONS
During her time at Blue Dragon, Nhung participated in four trips to Singapore, funded by our partner United World College South East Asia.
Khoa, a social worker at Blue Dragon, noticed a marked growth in Nhung with each trip.
Nhung was quite shy on her first trip. But on her last trip, She was always starting meetings and bringing up really bright ideas, making sure that everybody’s opinion was heard. She even learnt sign language so that she could help a deaf child who came along.”
While Nhung was finding her feet as a leader, she became enamoured with the education style she experienced in Singapore.
“It felt more free to learn and to choose what we want to learn. That gave me the idea to try and study at an international university.”
A DREAM COME TRUE
With Blue Dragon’s support, Nhung began applying for scholarships at international universities in Hanoi. Soon the offer came in: a full scholarship to study International Business at British University Vietnam.
The scholarship is highly competitive, awarded based on academic performance, proven experience in community projects and leadership potential. It is also a dream come true for Nhung.
As always, Nhung is hard at work alongside her studies. Together with some friends from a National Leaders Fellowship, she is busy setting up a community initiative focused on providing art therapy to people recovering from trauma.
UNSTOPPABLE
Nhung is eager to keep learning. She has dreams for the future and more friends than she can count. She is living a bright, hopeful life in the big wide world.
“I want to tell my childhood self and all the other kids from a similar background not to give up. You will face so many challenges and pressures from everyone. They will tell you that you’re not good enough, that ‘you should just stop here.’
“You don’t have to listen to them. I know it’s hard. I know you’re facing so many difficulties. But I promise that when you overcome those challenges, your life will be so much better.”
