National High School Graduation Exams ~ By CEF staff Dung

 Today has been a big day for many students throughout the country and CEF's Dung explains why (with the English explanation following the Vietnamese). The photos are of some of our students and what they hope their results will enable them to study.

Goal ~ General Medicine

                                                                Goal ~ Economic Law

                                                                Goal ~ Banking or Business Law

                                                                Goal ~ Banking or Business Law

                                                                       Goal ~ Chinese

Các em học sinh lớp 12 đã bắt đầu kì thi tốt nghiệp trung học phổ thông từ hôm quado Bộ Giáo Dục và Đào Tạo tổ chức. Các em phải hoàn thành tất cả năm môn thi, trong đó có ba môn bắt buộc là Toán, Ngữ Văn và ngoại ngữ. Hai môn còn lại học sinh sẽ tự chọn theo nguyện vọng khối xét tuyển vào đại học mong muốn, ví dụ: khối khoa học tự nhiên, các em sẽ thi lý, hóa và sinh học hoặc nếu khối khoa học xã hội, các em sẽ thi ba môn là sử, địa và giáo dục công dân. Riêng về ngoại ngữ, các em có thể chọn một trong những ngôn ngữ như Anh, Pháp, Đức, Trung Quốc, Nhật, Nga hay Hàn. Kết quả kỳ thi trung học phổ thông sẽ được dùng để xét điểm tuyển đầu vào của các trường đại học. Kỳ thi này rất khó khăn và đòi hỏi sự chuẩn bị kỹ lưỡng trong một khoảng thời gian dài rất quan trọng cho sự nghiệp tương lai của các em.

Chương trình học bổng dài hạn ở khu vực Đại Lộc mà tôi chịu trách nhiệm cũng có 3 học sinh tham gia kỳ thi này. Tất cả đều có kết quả tốt trong học kỳ hai và học rất chăm chỉ trong những tháng này cũng như không có đủ thời gian để làm bất cứ điều gì khác như năm ngoái. Họ phải học từ năm đến sáu giờ ở trường và tham gia một số lớp học thêm để mở rộng kiến thức. Tôi vẫn nhớ một sinh viên của tôi nói rằng họ cảm thấy rất căng thẳng và áp lực nhưng khi nghĩ về trường đại học mơ ước của mình, họ có thêm động lực để học tập.

Chúng tôi hy vọng rằng các em học sinh lớp 12 của CEF và tất cả học sinh lớp 12 tại Việt Nam sẽ đạt được kết quả tốt để có cơ hội lựa chọn một trường đại học mà mình mong muốn để sau này tốt nghiệp các em sẽ có công việc tốt và phù hợp với bản thân.

All grade 12 students take the high school graduation exams today which are administered by the Ministry of Education and Training. They have to do a total of five subjects which include three main subjects (mathematics, a foreign language, and literature) and the other two subjects, the students can choose which ones depending on what they need for their university entrance. For example, if they choose the natural science group, they have to take three subjects - physics, chemistry and biology, or in the social science group, they have to take three subjects - history, geography and civics. A foreign language exam can be one of the following, such as English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian or Korean. The exam results of the high school graduates will be used for their university entrance exams. These exams which are very challenging and significant for their future, requires careful preparation for a long period. 

I am responsible for the sponsorships in the Dai Loc area where there are 3 students taking this examination now. They all had good results in term two and studied super hard during these months and did not have enough time to do anything else. They must study five to six hours in school and attend extra tuition classes to broaden their knowledge. I still remember one of my students said that they felt very stressed and pressured but when they thought about the university of their dreams, they had more motivation to study. 

We hope that CEF’s grade 12 students and all grade 12 students in Vietnam will receive good results so they can have a chance to choose a suitable university that they want to study at to get a better job after graduating. 

Names have been changed

A Talented Student ~ By CEF staff Kim Chi

Kim Chi and I visited one of our newer CEF sponsorship students who is talented, a sweetheart and has a delightful family. Kim Chi shares more here.  The English follows the Vietnamese.

Yen là một cô gái thông minh sống ở một vùng miền núi của tỉnh Quảng Nam cùng với mẹ và anh em trai. Em hoàn thành chương trình lớp 10 với điểm số cao và tập trung vào khối toán, lý, hóa để nộp đơn vào đại học. Cô gái nhỏ gây ấn tượng với chúng tôi bằng khả năng tiếng anh mạch lạc dễ hiểu mà em tự học qua mạng bằng cách xem các video trên Youtube và nghe nhạc tiếng anh. Yen cũng có tài năng bẩm sinh như một họa sĩ và mong muốn theo đuổi ngành thiết kế đồ họa khi vào đại học. Em quyết tâm học tiếng anh tốt hơn và đỗ đại học để thay đổi cuộc sống. 

Thật đáng thương cho mẹ của em khi ba em qua đời vì bị sét đánh trong lúc đang làm việc ngoài đồng. Nhưng tôi tin chắc rằng mẹ của em đã rất tự hào vì có những đứa con ngoan và học giỏi.

Yen is an intelligent girl who lives in a mountainous area of Quang Nam province with her mother and two brothers. She has finished grade 10 with good scores and focuses on maths, physics and chemistry for her university application. She impressed us with her good coherent English, which she learned on her own by watching YouTube videos and listening to English music. Yen also has loads of natural talent as an artist and wants to pursue university to study graphic design. She looked determined to get better English and to get into university to change her life.

It would have been awful for her mother when her husband died from lightening when working on their farm. But I am sure she is pretty proud of her children because they are such sweet children, and are doing well at school. 

(Name changed)

A few photos from our interview trip in Phuoc Son district

 A few photos of homes, students and their families from our interview trip in the mountains of Phuoc Son this week. 

All have challenging situations, some have one parent, or no parents, an ill parent or two, and all families are without enough of an income to make ends meet, as well as keep the girls in school. 

We are in the process of discussing each girl and her situation, and how much help she will need. 

We have funding for some girls but not all. If interested in a scholarship please get in touch. They are US$300 a year, which covers all education and education related costs, that are not covered by the government, plus enough for uniforms and for monthly necessities.

                                                             Hien is supported by Hanh now

                                                                       Hien with her parents

Her parents are alcoholics, they don't care for her or support her in any way, leaving her to support herself. Now she has education support this will be a huge relief for her as she had to work hard whenever possible to earn the money needed to keep herself in school. 

Linh's small wooden home

                                                           Linh, her mother and two sisters

She hasn't had any extra tuition although it is needed at this stage in her education, and it's because she has had to work all year round when not in class. 

We've promised Linh a scholarship and this will enable her to work less and study more. 

Although mum never attended school and dad just a year, due to their poverty, they want Linh to be well educated.

CEF staff Kim Chi taking Nien's photo

Nien

                                                                  Nien, aunt and cousin

Nien has a scholarship thanks to Richard. She's an orphan and her aunt, and uncle who's had a stroke, took on the role of bringing her up and in return she helps them with housework, farming work and baby and child sitting. Although a little unrealistic, we were happy to hear she did have dreams of being a professional volley ball player, although she is very short, as it showed she dreams of a future and that she has a passion. She is realistic enough to know: "I can have a much better job if I finish high school".

ARTEA event

Our ARTEA event, auctioning off tea-oriented art work is over, but still there is artwork for sale. Do get in touch if interested as we still are raising funds for education scholarships for ethnic girls from Dong Giang, and all funds donated will be matched! Fundraising ends 30th July 2022.

Here are some photos of a most enjoyable and interesting evening at The Hill Station Hoi An.  Thank you to all who made this late afternoon - early evening event a success!

This is the fundraising site where all funds raised are matched: https://doterrahealinghands.org/.../educating-ethnic-girls

If interested in any of the unsold work mentioned here do get in touch, and there is a bit more too: cef.vn.usa@gmail.com

(A few photos Graeme took early on)

Early at the exhibition

Art work by a CEF student that was sold

Art work by a CEF student that was sold

Art work by a CEF student that was sold

Art work by a local professional photographer that was donated and sold

Art work by a CEF student that was not sold

Art work by a CEF student that was sold

    

                                                                     At the exhibition

Student are work from HAIS student, unsold

                                                       Art work by a HAIS student, unsold

Supporting more girls from ethnic communities

 Only yesterday CEF decided to help more ethnic girls receive scholarships at one of the schools we visited recently in Dong Giang, in the mountains of Quang Nam, a district with a large Co Tu ethnic community.

We are all thrilled that we can help more girls from the surrounding poor communities continue their high school education and hopefully go onto university.

When they are from families who are struggling to make ends meet, they are under a lot of pressure to drop out of school, whether that pressure is from parents or siblings, or self-induced.

We look forward to working with this high school and their Co Tu students.

Photos are by Graeme Burn 

Photos include the school building, school meeting hall, students, and home of one student

 

 

Home visits in Hiep Duc

 Here are a few photos from our CEF home visits in Nong Son district, one of the mountainous areas CEF work in. Due to Covid I had not been to the homes of these sponsorship students for two years, so it was a treat to see them!

This period of Covid and social restrictions has been a strange time for us at CEF, as normally we see our students four times a year and sometimes more. Having not seen them for so long, I missed the home visits and families, their sweetness, warmth and humor. 

Survey trip for new scholarship program

We at CEF are expanding our Scholarship Program to include more students from ethnic communities in Quang Nam to help them receive a full education. 

Students from ethnic communities are disadvantaged, resulting in a high drop out rate, early marriage, and the continuation of the poverty cycle of their families. 

Our first research trip was to Hiep Duc, a beautiful mountainous region where the ethnic communities are mainly Mnong and Xo-Dang.

These few photos are from this CEF research trip at the homes of girls we visited and in the surrounding countryside.