My story: an excerpt from a University Scholarship application

Written by Truong Thi Dieu Huong
Translated by Dang Vu

I was born to a poor farming family in the sun drenched and windswept province of Quảng B�nh. The phenomena of sickness and poverty have haunted me deeply ever since I was little. My parents work in the field year-round�life has never been kind to them. Sickness follows sickness and poverty begets poverty in my family. My mother performs backbreaking labor despite being painfully afflicted.

My family fell deeper into poverty � when my sisters and I became school-aged, my father lost the ability to work. Our only source of income was a small field for rice and a few barnyard animals. The day I went off to high school in the city was also the day life placed a much larger burden on my parents. I still remember vividly one cold winter day in a strange new city when I received 20,000 đồng (~ $1.50) and I had cried as I read my mother's words: �We have nothing to send you from home, we just have 20,000 đồng from selling fruits that I am sending you for you to spend on food. Don't go hungry and become sick...�

Merit Scholarships continue to grow

With your support and generous contributions, Viethope�s Merit Scholarship program expanded in 2007 to 150 scholarships (from 92 scholarships in 2006). Scholarships are granted based on demonstrated financial need and potential to excel.