Her father died when she was three, leaving her mother to raise three young children alone. “Our family was very poor,” recalls Thủy, who is now 29. “My mother could not afford to send all of us to school.”

But through the support of the family strengthening programme of SOS Children’s Villages Vietnam, Thủy could stay in school, go on to university and build a career of her own.

Vietnam has made positive strides in providing education for all. Today, nearly 98 percent of children are enrolled in primary school, and girls now make up slightly more than half of university students. Yet challenges persist in rural and low-income families, where secondary completion rates lag behind and extra costs such as uniforms or tutoring are out of reach.

SOS Children’s Villages has addressed these barriers by supporting more than 1,300 children in Vietnam with scholarships and mentoring. According to programme coordinator Hải, about 5 percent go on to university, 10 percent to college, and 60 percent later secure stable jobs.

A childhood marked by loss

Thuy’s family struggled after the father died. Her mother worked long hours in a brick factory, often eight or nine hours a day. “She came home tired but still cooked for us,” Thủy said.

The turning point came in grade five, when Thủy began receiving the scholarship from SOS Children’s Village Da Nang. The monthly allowance covered school costs 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 family

Against the odds, all three siblings went to university. Thủy’s brother studied economics, her sister became an IT teacher, and Thủy herself earned a degree in tourism.

When COVID-19 shut down tourism, Thủy quickly pivoted to work in an industrial zone. Today, she is a planning officer with a German shoe company, managing production schedules and using her English daily.

Thủy sees confidence as the biggest hurdle for 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 highlights the barriers women face at the hiring stage. “Some companies don’t want to recruit women who are pregnant or may soon become pregnant. That should change,” she says.

Now married with a son and baby daughter, Thủy is determined to give her children better opportunities than she 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 story shows how education support not only changes a child’s life but can transform an entire family. 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

Thủy says her greatest source of inspiration has always been her mother. “When I had difficulties, I told her,” she recalls. “She had already faced many troubles herself, and she gave me advice that helped me overcome challenges and find success.”

For Thủy’s mother, her daughter’s chance to continue studying was a source of great relief. “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.”

In 2019, after all three children had graduated and started working, they pooled their resources to expand and modernize their mother’s home, where she now enjoys entertaining family and her five grandchildren.

“It was always my dream to help my mother build a new house — and in 2019 we did it,” Thủy says.

“I am very happy,” her mother adds simply.

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 — combining targeted scholarships with local study support, digital catch-up classes and parenting support. Around 1,800 children have already benefitted, and by 2026 the project aims to increase enrolment, reduce dropout and help more young people continue their education.