VietNamNet Bridge – Money and gifts have been brought regularly to Hoa Mau Don Children’s House, the shelter for street children. However, the children there still have been living in poor body and mind conditions.

Street children at Hoa Mau Don.

The story about the miserable life of the children at Hoa Mau Don Children’s House in HCM City has stirred up the public. People could not imagine that the children’s house, established with an aim to help children in their need, could turn into a place where children are abused and forced to overwork.

The truth about the life of the children there has been exposed only recently, when the workers at the house came forward and denounced the house’s owner for her inhumane behaviors.

HTY, who worked as kitchen manager at Hoa Mau Don in 2010-2013, said that in the menu for the children he set, there were always at least 100 grams of meat, fish and vegetable. At first, the menu was accepted by Pham Thien Don, the owner of Hoa Mau Don. However, later, she decided to put the children on short rations.

“We had to ask for permission every time when we bought things, even though they were just one kilo of sugar or one bottle of fish sauce,” Y said.

“In order to have nutritious meals for the children, I had to collect waste things to sell to scrap iron dealers for money and buy some additional things,” he added.

“I would not make complaint about the frugal meals, if there was not money,” he explained. “In fact, the house received a lot of money and gifts from donors. I know this well, because I was in charge of receiving guests and donors.”

The gifts, which could be food, clothes, detergent, did not stay in the house to serve the poor children, but were sold back to groceries.

Also according to Y, more donors came to visit the children’s house on Tet days or holidays and gave money, presents. However, no children could receive money for the tickets to visit the home villages on Tet days.

NTTV, a woman, who worked at Hoa Mau Don on a voluntary base from September 2012 to August 2013, said that she took care of infants, and she began working at 6.30 am and only left in late afternoon.

Therefore, V could witness how the children lived. For breakfast, the children had gruel made of the cold rice prepared on the previous days. This was plain rice gruel, with just fish sauce and no meat.

“There were numerous food products and gifts from donors. But I did not know why the children could not receive the gifts,” V said.

Meanwhile, LTDM, who worked at Hoa Mau Don for 3 months, affirmed that the meals and drinks there were not hygienic enough. “The children mostly lived on the ready made food products brought by donors and schools everyday,” M said.

There, at Hoa Mau Don, children not only couldn’t have good food, but also got spanked regularly.

Vang A Giang, 14, was once beaten so heavily that he was hospitalized. Giang related he was asked by a worker at the house, named Hai, to help carry an aluminum window. Hai then beat Giang just because he saw Giang eating candies and carrying the window at the same time.

Mai Chi