Growing up in a one-room home on the outskirts of Da Nang, Vietnam, Thủy dreamed of studying and one day building her mother a new house. It was a hope shaped by loss, determination and a belief in what education could make possible.
Her father died when she was just three years old, leaving her mother to raise three young children alone.
“Our family was very poor,” recalls Thủy, now 29. “My mother could not afford to send all of us to school.” With limited income and rising education costs, continuing school felt uncertain.
Education support that changes lives
That uncertainty shifted when Thuy and her family joined SOS Children’s Villages Vietnam’s Family Strengthening Programme. With consistent education support, Thủy was able to stay in school, progress to university and begin building a career of her own – just like she’d dreamed.
Vietnam has made strong progress in expanding access to education. Today, nearly 98% of children are enrolled in primary school, and girls account for slightly more than half of university students.
Yet for families in rural areas and low-income households, barriers remain.
Secondary school completion rates lag behind, and additional costs such as uniforms and tutoring can put education out of reach.
SOS Children’s Villages is tackling these challenges directly, supporting more than 1,300 children in Vietnam with scholarships and mentoring. According to programme coordinator Hải, around 5% go on to university, 10% to college, and 60% later secure stable jobs.
A childhood shaped by loss and resilience
After her father’s death, Thủy’s mother worked long hours at a brick factory, often eight or nine hours a day.
“She came home tired but still cooked for us,” Thủy says. Despite her exhaustion, her mother remained the foundation of the family.
A turning point came when Thủy was in grade five and began receiving a scholarship from SOS Children’s Village Da Nang. The monthly allowance covered school costs and continued until she completed university.
“I felt very happy because I could go to school and join activities with my friends,” she says. “The support also reduced the stress for my mother. The scholarship meant she could worry less about fees.”
Three degrees, one shared dream
Against the odds, all three siblings went on to higher education. Thủy’s brother studied economics, her sister became an IT teacher, and Thủy earned a degree in tourism.
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought tourism to a halt, Thủy adapted quickly, moving to work in an industrial zone. Today, she works as a planning officer with a German shoe company, managing production schedules and using her English skills every day.
From her experience, Thủy sees confidence as one of the biggest challenges facing young job-seekers.
“Many students are not confident to apply to foreign companies because their English is not good and they don’t know how to write a CV,” she says. “At university, we were not taught these skills. I had to learn by searching online.”
She also points to gender barriers in employment. “Some companies don’t want to recruit women who are pregnant or may soon become pregnant. That should change,” she says.
Building a better future for the next generation
Now married with two children of her own, Thủy is determined to offer her son and daughter opportunities she never had.
“I can buy them fruit, yogurt, send them to extra classes, even swimming or English lessons,” she says. “I want them to develop all their skills.”
Her journey shows how education support can create lasting change, not just for one child, but for an entire family and for generations to come.
As Thủy puts it: “University is not the only path, but it is the easiest way to reach our dreams. Without education, most people can only do manual labour. With it, we can show our ability, and others can see our worth.”
A mother’s pride
Throughout her life, Thủy’s greatest source of inspiration has been her mother.
“When I had difficulties, I told her,” Thủy recalls. “She had already faced many troubles herself, and she gave me advice that helped me overcome challenges and find success.”
For her mother, the scholarship represented both relief and hope. “When Thủy received the scholarship, I was so happy,” she says. “Without it, I could not have managed. Thanks to the scholarship, my daughter could continue studying and achieve what she has today.”
After all three children had graduated and begun working, they pooled their resources to expand and modernise their mother’s home. It’s now a place where she enjoys welcoming family and her five grandchildren.
“It was always my dream to help my mother build a new house — and we did it,” Thủy says.
“I am very happy,” her mother adds.
Expanding access to education beyond Vietnam
Beyond Vietnam, SOS Children’s Villages is expanding access to education through its Innovative Education Approaches project. In countries including Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Liberia, Guinea, Senegal, Bolivia, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, communities are testing new ways to keep children learning.
By combining targeted scholarships with local study support, digital catch-up classes and parenting support, the project has already reached around 1,800 children.
This year, the project aims to increase enrolment, reduce dropout rates and help more young people continue their education.