The Blue Dragon Kids

Who are these children and what types of challenges do they face?  The stories below will give you an inkling of the hardships and risks that these kids face daily.  Some of the stories are written by the children themselves.  Please read them to see what an amazing difference Blue Dragon can make in their lives.  (names of all children have been changed for protection)

Our story, by Phuong

I am Phuong and I come from Hai Duong province. I am 10 years old and my brother Ky is 15 and my older sister Hien is 20. When I was little, my parents were in prison. When my sister was 12, she went to Hanoi to work for a rich family to earn money to bring me and my brother up. We also went to Hanoi to live, but we were homeless.  Day by day we struggled with a tough life, being hungry and cold. My brother and I had many problems with our eyes and we could not see well and did not go to school. I never thought my luck would change and our life would be better. But life brought us the opportunity to meet Blue Dragon staff. Now we go to school and join the social activities here that I never got before. Blue Dragon helped us check our eyes and get treatment at the hospital. We got a machine to help improve our eyes. Blue Dragon is like our home where everybody loves us and shares happiness and sadness together, like real brothers and sisters. My dream is to become a hip-hop dancer. Me and my brother practice in the hip-hop club.

My mother was just released from prison, but my father died about 3 months ago. We are living with our mother now. Life is so fantastic! Nothing can change my happiness. My brother and I promise that we will work hard and study well!

My Story, by Van
When I was a child, I usually got sick, and my parents were busy working so they couldn’t take me to school. When I was 9, I moved to work for a family, feeding the cow or doing their housework. They did not want me to work for them when I was 11, so I came back home for a short time, then I moved to work for my uncle’s family, helping with housework and taking care of the baby. I lived there for 1 year, but I ran away because I missed my family very much. When I got home, I helped my family with farming and fishing.
Time passed and I grew up and felt stronger. I told my parents many times that I wanted to go to school, but by that time I was too old.  I felt very sad and my dream to go to school grew bigger and bigger. So one night I decided to leave.
I went to Hanoi and met many friends from all over who were there shining shoes. I worked hard and found a school I could attend. My new life was half day at school and half day at work. I was 14. However, that life did not last long. Soon, children were prohibited from working on the streets.  So they took us to a detention centre. I felt scared and bored when I was there because I could not learn. So I ran away.
But I was caught again.
After 22 days I was let out. I went back to Hanoi. I had met Blue Dragon staff before, but had been afraid to ask for help. This time I came to ask for help so that I did not have to live a street life.
Time has passed and I have grown up. But I’m still very interested in learning and now with the help of Blue Dragon, I’m in grade 7. My dream is to become a social worker so that I can meet and help kids who were the same as me. This will be difficult because I am so old for my grade. But I will try my best for the rest of my life.

Tho and Tuan- Brothers at risk

Tho is 14 years old and his younger brother, Tuan, is 12. When Tho was 3, his mother was imprisoned for selling heroin. By the time Tho was 9, his mother had completed her prison sentence and was released. With their mother having no job, and their father’s heroin addiction to support, the two brothers and their older sister were forced to scour the markets for scrap paper to sell. This money, however, was not enough to feed all 3 children and their parents. So their mother went back to selling heroin and was once again arrested. Having a 4th child seemed like the logical way for her to escape going to prison, so another son was born.

In coming weeks, Tho and Tuan’s mother will finally return to prison to complete her second sentence for selling heroin. This will leave Tho and Tuan on their own to care for their drug-addict father. Their older sister, who is now 19, will care for the youngest brother.

Tho is at much greater risk of turning to crime and drug addiction than is his younger brother. In recent months he has turned to gangs of “tough” street kids for support. Having only them to depend on and trust in, Tho has grown increasingly more comfortable with life on the streets.

It is Blue Dragon’s goal to reach children who are at high risk like Tho. Our social workers spend countless hours working with them in and out of our centre, trying to make connections that will build long-lasting relationships.

For Tho and Tuan, the story is not yet over. They will most certainly have their ups and downs over the next few years, but we will be with them every step of the way to see them through whatever challenging times they face next.