Phuong's mother, Phan Thi Thu Tam, experienced a broken marriage before Phuong was born. She returned to live with her parents, selling street food around Cao Lanh market every day to support her daughter.

When Phuong was just a few months old, her mother entrusted her to her sister-in-law's care because selling street food couldn't cover their daily expenses.

"After fainting several times while selling street food, my sister-in-law quit the job entirely. She switched to working in a factory, and as she got older, she became a housekeeper. I've raised Phuong since she was one month and 17 days old," Le Bich Ngoc said.

Phan Ngo Diem Phuong helps her aunt prepare breakfast. Photo: Ngoc Tai

Phan Ngo Diem Phuong helps her aunt prepare breakfast. Photo: Ngoc Tai

Initially, the aunt and niece lived with Phuong's maternal grandparents, along with a dozen other children left behind by their parents struggling to make a living. Ngoc was also poor, but having lost her own daughter to cerebral palsy, she felt compassion for her husband's nieces and nephews.

"A neighbor used to collect leftover vegetables from the market to feed their pigs. On days when the vegetables were still fresh, they would call me over to pick some, wash them, and boil them for the children. They all ate them happily," she recalled. They grew up on meals of porridge and vegetables. Some parents had to give their children away because they couldn't afford to raise them, or the children couldn't go to school because no one could take them.

Despite the hardships, Phuong and her sister persevered with their studies. Seven years ago, Phuong's older sister, Ngo Tuyet Dung, passed the university entrance exam for tourism, working hard to cover her tuition fees.

Out of love for her sister and ailing mother who still worked as a housekeeper, Dung decided to defer her studies in her second year of university and registered to work abroad in Japan. The small amount of money Dung sent home helped Phuong and her mother cover their living expenses and medical bills.

During her secondary school years, Phuong spent half her days at school and the other half helping her mother sell street food. Small and dark-skinned, she was quick to carry things and wash dishes. Seeing her peers being cared for by their parents, Phuong's fleeting moments of sadness quickly gave way to the hustle of making a living. There were days of pouring rain when the two of them couldn't find shelter and were drenched. Despite their poverty, they couldn't afford to take a break because missing even half a day at the market would worsen their financial situation.

Phuong vividly remembers her maternal grandparents' house. In a dilapidated alley, the tin-roofed house was exposed to the elements, leaking from all sides whenever it rained. Sleeping on the ground, the whole family would stay awake all night during downpours.

These sad memories from her childhood made Phuong long for a small home of her own, where she could be the breadwinner, easing her mother's burden and allowing her sister to complete her education.

Phuong keeps her certificates in a cupboard instead of displaying them on the wall, taking them out to look at occasionally. Photo: Ngoc Tai

Phuong keeps her certificates in a cupboard instead of displaying them on the wall, taking them out to look at occasionally. Photo: Ngoc Tai

For her last three years of high school, Phuong moved in with her aunt to be closer to school. Besides studying, she helped her aunt with housework and cycled to her mother's rented room near the industrial zone on weekends to help her clean.

In a small attic room at her aunt's house, Phuong had a study area and a sleeping space just one meter wide. She kept all her certificates and awards tucked away in a cupboard instead of displaying them on the wall.

To save money, Phuong wore secondhand clothes her mother bought at flea markets, a few tens of thousands of dong for a large bag containing a dozen outfits. Since starting school, her textbooks and school supplies have come from awards, scholarships, or donations from the local community. Her tuition fees were also waived because her family is registered as poor or near-poor.

The day her sister decided to defer her studies to work, Phuong held back tears, understanding that her sister was sacrificing her dreams so she could continue her education. Her sister's sacrifice motivated Phuong to study even harder. Throughout her 12 years of schooling, Phuong has always been an excellent student and a model class president. In her final two years of high school, she even won provincial awards in geography.

While awaiting her high school graduation exam results, Phuong plans to study communications or education at a university near her home. She also intends to find a part-time job to cover her tuition fees.

Phuong's resting corner in the attic of her aunt's house. Photo: Ngoc Tai

Phuong's resting corner in the attic of her aunt's house. Photo: Ngoc Tai

"Phuong is very active in school and class activities. She is a model class president, and her academic achievements are commendable," commented Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, a teacher at Thien Ho Duong High School.

To help disadvantaged students like Phan Ngo Diem Phuong (Dong Thap) have better learning opportunities, the Hope Foundation - VnExpress newspaper continues to accept donations for the "Light of Schooling" program. Readers can send their support to the program here:

Program Name: Light of Schooling

Program ID: 195961

Ngoc Tai