T.T.H.X. (born in 2012) was gazing with bright eyes at the beautiful white rabbit lantern. Having grown up with the monks and nuns at Linh Son Pagoda (District 4, HCMC) and recently moved to Thu Duc Youth Village (Thu Duc City, HCMC), T.T.H.X. quickly adapted to his new environment.
On the afternoon of September 14, dressed in a vibrant outfit, T.T.H.X. could not hide his excitement as he prepared to perform a lion dance in the "Mid-Autumn Moon Night" program at Thu Duc Youth Village. For several days, T.T.H.X. and his friends had been diligently practicing to deliver the best performance for their caretakers who they lovingly call "fathers" and "mothers."
Watching the children play happily, Nguyen Thi Hang (born in 1990), a staff member of the Family Center who currently cares for 12 children, felt an overwhelming sense of love for them.
For the past ten years, although she has not started a family of her own, she has truly become a mother to many. "I have few commitments, so I devote almost all of my time to the children. We always hope that even in difficulties, the children will have the best possible developmental environment. Today, they're having fun celebrating Mid-Autumn, and when they grow up, they will remember these beautiful childhood memories," said Hang.
Thu Duc Youth Village this year welcomed a larger number of children for the Mid-Autumn Festival. From the afternoon of September 14, benefactors, organizations, and schools visited to give gifts and join in the festivities with the children. Hang shared that the great care and love from the community was both a joy and a motivation for the staff of Thu Duc Youth Village to continue caring for the children every day.
Thu Duc Youth Village organizes a thoughtful Mid-Autumn Festival program for the children every year. This year, as the country is supporting the northern region after the floods and the city is facing a complex measles outbreak, the organization has proactively organized a safe and simple Mid-Autumn Festival while ensuring a fun space for the children and teaching them about sharing with those in need.
More importantly, this event serves as a means to stabilize emotions and create beautiful childhood memories for the children moving here from Hoa Hong Orphanage.
For over 26 years as the "father" of the children at Anh Sang Orphanage (District 3, HCMC), Nguyen Thien Hai, the head of the orphanage, said that mealtimes were when he felt the deepest meaning of the word "family" for the children there. "At a young age, they do small tasks like picking vegetables, sweeping the floor, and helping the adults. When everyone is busy, the older children take care of the younger ones. Seeing these simple acts every day brings us great comfort," Hai confided.
This year, Anh Sang Orphanage collaborated with Ward 14 of District 3 and other organizations to host games, and distribute mooncakes and lanterns to the children. This was also an opportunity for adults to remind themselves to pay more attention to children in vulnerable circumstances with love, responsibility, and practical actions. In doing so, all children can have a more complete and fulfilling Mid-Autumn Festival.
While busy preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival for the children at Ba Chieu Orphanage (Binh Thanh District, under the HCMC Women's Charitable Association), N.T.N.A. (born in 1993) shared her journey as a "child" of the orphanage. In 1999, while living on the streets with her mother, N.A. was introduced to and brought to Ba Chieu Orphanage. The life of the 6-year-old girl took a new turn, filled with more joy and happiness.
After spending some time at Ba Chieu Orphanage, N.A.'s mother passed away. The orphanage became her only home. After finishing secondary school, N.A. learned how to sew and do makeup and was given the opportunity to earn a decent income. However, N.A. decided to stay at the orphanage to help the other children, saying that she wished to contribute to caring for the next generations of orphans.
N.T.M. (born in 1987), who also worked with her parents on the streets, was brought to Ba Chieu Orphanage in 1998. "When I was young, we were so poor in my hometown that I followed my parents to HCMC to sell lottery tickets, pick up scrap, and collect garbage in Tan Binh District. My mother worked as a garbage collector for Ms. Linh, who did charity work.
Seeing that I couldn't go to school, she asked my mother to let me go to Ba Chieu Orphanage. My mother was afraid that I would be kidnapped, so she kept circling around the orphanage without daring to leave. After two days, seeing that I was well-fed and clothed, my mother finally felt at ease. She really wanted me to go to school, but our family was too poor," Ms. M. shared her journey to Ba Chieu Orphanage.
After graduating from school, in 2010, M. got married and is now the owner of a hair salon in Hoc Mon Market (HCMC). Besides the love of her mothers, M. is living happily with her husband and two lovely children. Hugging her grandmother Phong (Vice President Doan Le Phong of the HCMC Women's Charitable Association), M. could not contain her emotions: "If it weren't for you grandmothers, mothers, and aunts, I wouldn't be where I am today. Thank you for your unconditional love and care for us."
On the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2024, the HCMC Charitable Women's Association collaborated with the Friends Club and Dam Sen Cultural Park to organize the 20th "Moonlit Smiles" program for disadvantaged children.
According to President Nguyen Thi Hue of the HCMC Charitable Women's Association, the children at the 7 orphanages under the association's care (Anh Sang Orphanage, Ba Chieu Orphanage, Huong Duong Orphanage, Binh Minh Orphanage, Saigon Station Orphanage, Hoa Sen Orphanage, and Tan Binh Orphanage) are regularly cared for and nurtured. All children attend school, except for those with developmental delays. All of the children have personal identification numbers.
President Hue shared, "I am very happy to see the children grow up, enter society, and become good citizens. I hope that the sons-in-law and daughters-in-law of the orphanage will always love their spouse, as they have suffered a lot when young."
