In Ruong Denh hamlet, Quyet Thang commune, Phu Tho province, the family circumstances of Mr. Bui Van Ret (born 1948) and Mrs. Bui Thi Nhon (born 1948) make many people feel sorry.
The family has been a poor household for many years, both are old, weak, and often sick, but the grandparents are still the only support for the two young grandchildren.
A sudden labor accident took away the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Bui Van Ret.
Since then, at the age of nearly 80, they still have to try every day to take care of and raise two young grandchildren in an unfinished house and a life full of deprivation.
In 1992, because he was a policy family, Mr. Ret was supported by organizations and unions to build a gratitude house. After many years of use, by 2019, the house deteriorated and the local government supported an additional 20 million VND for repairs.
Mr. Bui Van Xuan - the only son of the couple - stood up to borrow more money to repair the house to be more spacious.
But tragedy struck at the end of 2019 when while repairing an electric pole, Mr. Xuan unfortunately was electrocuted to death.
His sudden passing left his wife and two young children, Bui Minh Cuong (born 2013) and Bui Minh Anh (born 2017), next to a house that had not yet been completed.
After the incident, Mr. Xuan's wife left her hometown to work as a hired laborer in a remote province. In the early days, she also sent money home to ask her paternal grandparents to take care of her two children. But for 4 years now, she has not returned home.
Since then, all the burden of caring for and raising the two young children has been placed on Mr. and Mrs. Ret's shoulders. For more than 5 years, they have been both relatives and the only support for the two children who soon lacked their parents' arms.
Currently, the monthly income of the family of four depends only on about 2 million VND of Mr. Ret's pension and 500,000 VND of Mrs. Nhon's elderly allowance.
That much money must be used to cover all living expenses and schooling for the two children, so life is always in a state of shortage.
The most difficult thing is at the beginning of the school year, when we have to worry about tuition fees and books for the children. Sometimes my wife has to borrow money so that the children can go to school. The children's clothes are mainly asked for from relatives, and there are rarely new items," Mr. Ret shared.
Mr. Quach Thanh Tuan - Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Quyet Thang commune - informed that Mr. Ret's household is very difficult, and every holiday and Tet, the local government also has support activities and gifts.
Old age and weakness make their life increasingly weaker, but they still try to manage housework and take care of 2 orphaned grandchildren.
The biggest worry of the elderly couple is not the immediate shortages, but the future of their two grandchildren.
We are only afraid that later when our health weakens and we can no longer take care of them, who will the children know to rely on," Mr. Ret sighed.
This year, Cuong is in 8th grade, and Anh is in 4th grade. Cuong's school is near his house, so he often rides a friend's car, and Anh is picked up and dropped off by a cousin every day.
In the house that is still unfinished, the two brothers still go to school every day. After school, the children help grandparents with small tasks such as cutting grass for buffaloes, picking firewood. In the evening, the two brothers consciously sit down to study, teaching each other each lesson.
Looking at the two children growing up in deprivation of both material and emotional support, everyone in the neighborhood felt sorry for them. Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Bui Thi Tinh - Head of Ruong Denh hamlet - said that Mr. Ret's family situation is very difficult, although neighbors often care and help, the economic conditions of many households here are still limited.
We hope to have more community participation and sharing so that the two young children have conditions to continue studying, alleviating the bumps ahead," Ms. Tinh expressed.
All help for life situation LD26060, please send to Tam Long Vang Charity Social Fund - 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Account number (STK) 113000000758 at Vietinbank Hoan Kiem Branch, Hanoi; Account number: 0021000303088 - at Vietcombank Hanoi Branch; Account number: 12410001122556 - at BIDV Hoan Kiem Branch.
