Nguyen Dang Thiem
 A student at the Hanoi Information Technology Vocational and Training College, Thiem is a bright and motivated member of the class. He looks forward to graduating and getting a stable job so that he can support his family of 5, move them to a more comfortable house and ensuring that everyone’s fed. Thiem’s 40-year-old mother works in the fields everyday, selling the vegetables that she harvests. Her monthly salary of USD$35 is hardly enough to pay for her husband’s medical bills. Thiem’s father is a 44-year-old man who suffers from schizophrenia. He is no stranger to immediate medical attention, as he is frequently hospitalised, staying up to four months each time he relapses. Thiem’s 73-year-old grandmother, who is too old to work, can only stay home and help to care for Thiem’s father. Everyday, Thiem goes home to a single roomed house with a single bed and a mat on which the entire family sleeps on. Thiem would like to graduate from school but his family is finding it increasingly hard to put both him and his 16-year-old brother in school. The local government does not provide Thiem’s family with any assistance and without sponsorship, his family can no longer afford to send him to school even though both him and his brother are already on the educational scholarships provided by the Humanitarian Services for Children of Vietnam (HSVC). Without sponsorship Thiem and his family might be unable to continue to be a part of the Rice Distribution programme that his family has been receiving monthly. The programme is vital to keeping Thiem and his family alive for the last 4 years. Thiem is also currently on HSVC’s waiting list to receive a bicycle donation so that transport to school becomes much easier. Without help from HSVC, Thiem will be forced to drop out of school before earning his diploma to get a job so that he can contribute to the family expenses.
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