The daughter of a Vietnamese immigrant who lives in a makeshift home has received a new desk and container house after news broke of her plight and her successful entrance to a top girls' high school in southwestern Taiwan.
On Sunday (Sept. 1), local media outlets reported that a female student surnamed Huang (黃) lived in a tiny ramshackle hut only 7 ping (one ping equals 3.5 square meters) in size in Chiayi County's Lucao Township, and had no desk of her own, usually opting to study under a tree. However, she studied so diligently that she succeeded in passing the admittance test to National Chia-Yi Girls' Senior High School (嘉義女中).
When interviewed by the media on Sunday, Huang said that her greatest wish for starting school was to have her own desk. After being moved by her story, Education Minister Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) donated a brand new desk to her that same day.
According to EBC, Huang's mother, surnamed Nguyen (阮), is an immigrant from Vietnam. She married a Taiwanese man over a decade ago and had two children.
However, her husband passed away many years ago, leaving Nguyen with the heavy burden of caring for her son and daughter alone. Nguyen has since made ends meet by doing odd jobs at an orchard, where she only makes a little more than NT$10,000 per month.
After learning of the plight of Huang's family in the news, kind-hearted people have just donated a 6-meter-long container house. After having received approval from her landlord, the family's matriarch will have the container home erected next to her current modest dwelling.
The new container home has two rooms, which will enable the children to have their own space. Pan shared the story on his Facebook page on Sunday evening.
In the post, he wrote, "All children who struggle through adversity are a source of pride for us." He wrote that despite the unfavorable environment, with her perseverance and hard work, Huang has been successfully admitted into National Chia-Yi Girls' Senior High School.
He wrote that her biggest wish was to have a desk so that she could put more and more books on it. In the future, he wrote that she hopes to be a lawyer, so she can "Buy a big house for her mother and enable her to not have to work so hard any longer."
Pan Wen-chung wrote that he and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) were very concerned about the news. Pan immediately asked his colleagues to buy a new desk as quickly as possible, and went to Huang's home to learn about the situation, assess her needs, and give necessary assistance.
In addition to matching related groups and social services resources with the family, the school will also provide scholarships and free meals. In this regard, he said he would like to thank President Tasi (蔡) of National Chia-Yi Girls' Senior High School, Chiayi County Liaison Office Supervisor Fan Tu-tao (樊督導), and many other "educational colleagues for their great help and hard work."
Furthermore, he wrote that he would like to thank all walks of life for their care and assistance. Pan said he believes that "the warmth and love from Taiwan society can surely support children to move forward more courageously."
At the end of the article, Pan also encouraged Huang and said, "Your spirit of perseverance in adversity really touches and inspires us a lot. I hope this desk and the blessings given by society can accompany you and help you realize your wishes step by step!" Add oil!"
By Taiwan News
