A 33-year-old Catholic nun in Vietnam's Ha Tinh Province is studying special education online while caring for people with disabilities, orphans and elderly residents at a shelter that provides a home for 24 vulnerable people.
Studying to better understand those in her care
Every day, after preparing meals, helping people with disabilities bathe, assisting with personal care and tutoring children, Sister Pham Thi Hoa, born in 1993, finds time to attend online classes in special education.
For the 33-year-old Catholic nun, studying is not simply about gaining additional qualifications. It is also a way to better understand the people she cares for.
Born into a Catholic family in the former Yen Thanh District of Nghe An Province, Hoa chose religious life in 2011 and joined the Congregation of the Lovers of the Holy Cross in Nghe An.
During her religious training, she studied social work at Vinh Teacher Training College.
Sister Pham Thi Hoa helps children with their schoolwork at Hong Phuc Shelter.
After graduating, she was assigned to parishes in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, where she supported people experiencing hardship.
About four years ago, Hoa was transferred to Hong Phuc Shelter, where she has since cared for people with disabilities, orphans and individuals without family support.
In addition to preparing meals and assisting residents who cannot manage their personal hygiene independently, she spends time helping children with their studies.
Six children at the shelter currently attend local primary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools.
After school, Hoa helps them complete their homework and improve their understanding of subjects they find difficult.
"After graduating from college, I returned to serve and support disadvantaged people. Four years ago, I was assigned to the shelter to care for people with disabilities," she said. "Besides looking after them, cooking and helping them bathe, I also assist the children with their schoolwork."
Her years at the shelter have taught her that every resident has different abilities, psychological characteristics and support needs.
Some children need repeated explanations before understanding a lesson. Others require assistance with virtually every daily activity, while some need individualized approaches to communication and care.
"The shelter is home to children with disabilities, orphans and older people who have no relatives to care for them," Hoa said. "Supporting them requires not only love but also patience and appropriate knowledge. That is why I enrolled in an online special education program, so I can gain more knowledge and help them better."
For Hoa, every new lesson can become a valuable tool in her work with vulnerable people.
She believes that each person's circumstances bring different challenges that require understanding, compassion and patience.
A home for people with nowhere else to turn
Vulnerable residents receive care and support from Catholic nuns at Hong Phuc Shelter in Ha Tinh Province.
Established around 2009, Hong Phuc Shelter initially cared for eight people facing difficult circumstances.
Today, it provides a home for 24 residents aged between eight and 60, with three Catholic nuns responsible for their daily care.
Sister Pham Thi Nhuong, who has worked at the shelter for nearly five years, said most residents have disabilities, are orphaned or have no relatives capable of looking after them.
They come from various localities, mainly Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces.
Among them is Tran Thi Minh, approximately 22 years old.
Minh lost her mother when she was just two, and her father subsequently abandoned her.
Because of cognitive difficulties, she needs assistance from the nuns with everyday activities.
According to Nhuong, Minh still has a maternal uncle, but he rarely visits.
Occasionally, during the Lunar New Year holiday, the nuns contact him to arrange for Minh to spend a few days with his family.
For the rest of the year, the shelter remains the place where she receives care and protection.
Another resident is Nguyen Thi Phuc, 60, who is visually impaired.
Her mother died when she was young, and her father abandoned her. Since childhood, she had been cared for by Catholic nuns at a church in the former Duc Tho District.
When Hong Phuc Shelter was established, she was transferred there and has remained under its care.
Besides Minh and Phuc, the shelter supports people with Down syndrome, visual impairments and others who were abandoned during childhood.
Although their circumstances differ, all require dedicated, long-term assistance.
According to Nhuong, on some days the nuns must help seven to ten residents bathe because they cannot care for themselves.
Two residents also need assistance with eating.
Beyond personal care, the nuns prepare meals, clean the premises, wash clothes and transport children to and from school when necessary.
To supplement their food supplies and improve residents' meals, the shelter raises chickens and pigs.
Children who can travel to school independently are encouraged to do so. When it rains or circumstances require, the nuns arrange transportation.
The work continues from morning until evening.
For residents unable to care for themselves, nearly every daily activity depends on the nuns' assistance.
The shelter relies primarily on donations from local residents, organizations and benefactors to cover its operating expenses.
Because contributions are unpredictable, providing for all 24 residents can sometimes be challenging.
"Funding for the shelter is not always stable. Sometimes we have enough, but at other times we face shortages," Nhuong said. "When difficulties arise, we turn to people in the surrounding community for help."
The nuns' responsibilities also extend beyond caring for residents during their lifetimes.
When residents without surviving relatives pass away, the nuns work with local people to arrange funeral services and burials.
Speaking to VietNamNet, Hoang Xuan Tan, Chairman of the Ha Linh Commune People's Committee, acknowledged the shelter's contributions to supporting vulnerable people in the locality.
He said the nuns had spent years providing meals, daily assistance and personal care for people with disabilities, children and older residents without family support.
Local authorities regularly coordinate visits, offer encouragement and provide assistance to the shelter, particularly during holidays and the Lunar New Year.
"The nuns are extremely dedicated and attentive, from helping with daily activities to maintaining hygiene for the children and other residents," Tan said. "Local authorities also remain concerned about their well-being and coordinate support within our capacity to help improve living conditions for those at the shelter."
Amid the demands of everyday life, Hong Phuc Shelter continues to welcome and care for vulnerable people.
Through the nuns' dedication, residents receive more than food and accommodation. Those who lack family support also find compassion, care and a sense of belonging in a shared home.
Vietnamnet.vn
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