COVID-19: A Child Struggles in Vietnam

Paddy grows as far as the eye can see in Dong Duc village in Vietnam where 12-year-old Linh lives with her father and 75-year-old grandfather. This three-member household of two men and one little girl is an oddity in the largely rural area; most smallholder farmers live tucked away from the large rich and mechanized farms that occupy this coastal stretch with emerald fields.

Linh’s family is among the poorest in the area because they are landless. Neighbours sympathize with the vulnerable family, especially after Linh’s mother abandoned her as a baby, when her father lost his leg in a road accident.

Linh does not remember her mother, and there is not a single photo of her in the house. Linh’s bedside walls are covered with posters of girls in cherry blossom fields; alongside are her photos when she was younger which she chose and put up herself.

The COVID-19 crisis struck at the beginning of 2020 affecting everyday life in Vietnam. For Linh’s family, life has become more difficult as their little income from seasonal farming has dried up completely. In normal times, they survived with help from kind neighbours. While Linh’s family does not go hungry because they live on a farm, and could always forage food, their living situation remains extremely desperate.

Linh no longer goes to school as her secondary school closed due to the pandemic. She now realizes how long a day can be without the familiar rhythm of attending school. Her dad’s special cycle, improvised to operate with one leg, took her to school.

No one in her family owns a smartphone so she can’t keep track of her lessons online. She now spends more time helping her father with farm work. Linh longs to return to school not just for lessons but also for companionship. School is the only place where she can dream of a different life. In class, she loved learning English.

Linh’s family has received support from the SOS Children’s Village Family Strengthening Program, Danang, since July 2014 to raise a bull that helps the family to make a living. The program also supports Linh’s with her schooling and tuition fees. This year the outreach program provided masks and disinfectants to vulnerable families to keep themselves safe.

As for Linh’s schooling and future, her family strengthening outreach co-worker, Hai, who has been in touch with her family since 2014, says he worries about which way the coin will fall. A tough patch such as COVID-19 can forever destroy the momentum children like Linh have developed before the pandemic, of making a better future for themselves.

Canadians wishing to help vulnerable children are encouraged to sponsor a child, sponsor a Village or make a Donation today to our COVID-19 response.