Typhoon Relief: Support a young woman and family in Vietnam

September 2024 UPDATE: Hi everyone, this Gofundme was originally created to help Dinh raise funds to build her homestay and have a source of income for her family. With the help of many donors, she was able to create her homestay last year. Unfortunately, her village was severely impacted by Typhoon Yagi. These new funds will help Dinh repair her homestay, and provide essential supplies, and food in the meantime. As those who have met Dinh know, she not only uses her income to provide for her family, but also supports local girls to attend school. Your donations are supporting an entire community. Thank you!

Hi everyone! I am launching this fundraiser to help support an amazing young woman, Dinh, and her family, who all live in rural Northern Vietnam. Dinh is incredibly smart, kind, and has big plans for herself and her community. Please read her story below:

Hello Everyone! My full name is SUNG THI DINH. I am 20 years old. I live in Sa Pa in the Northwest of Viet Nam. It is district that has 6 ethnic groups: H’mong, Red Dao, Dzay, Tay, Xa Pho, and Vietnamese people. We have different languages, cultures, traditions. No one is the same. I am from the Black Hmong ethnic minority. Now I am married and have 2 children. In December 2022, our first child is 29 months and our second is 14 months.

View of the village

I am a girl with many difficulties in life. I grew up in the small village of Hau Thao Commune, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam

Today I write this article hoping for your help.

(((((As you know On one hand, there are people who live their life lavishly. They are not only enjoying the joy of essentials but also have what they want and desire . On the other hand, there are people who cannot even afford the basic requirements of living. They do not have shelter to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear.People who have extra are living a comfortable and a posh life while those who have barely the vitals are fighting each day for life.)))))

Working as a child

On way to collect firewood

Our village has no motorbike, no electricity, no internet… no school. Most of the old people don't speak Vietnamese. They only speak H’mong. No people know how to write, or read. There is no school. That is why I want to know how to write, read, speak Viet Namese.

I took a road 3 hours down and 4 hours up to go to school. I have to get up very early in the morning because I don't have a clock. I don't know what time is, and need to be in school at 7:30 AM, so I just listen to the rooster crowing in the morning. I have a total of 6 friends. We go to school together, but because of the difficult road, 3 of them quit and didn't go to school anymore. Only 3 of us continued to study.

English class for ethnic minority people

After seeing that I was working hard on my studies, my parents decided to move from the mountains to live in Hau Thao village so that I could go to school more easily.

After finishing secondary school, I really wanted to continue studying. Because of my family's difficult circumstances, I had to drop out. I was lucky to meet a man from America. He did a trekking tour with my sister. It brough him to my house. He took me from a small village to Sa Pa. It was the first time in my life that I was able to go to Sapa.

This is my house. We are 9 people living here. We eat, cook, sleep together.

We cook here

After I finished school I loved sharing my traditional culture. I went to learn how to become a tour guide in Sapa for 6 months. Then Covid comes. I have to go back to my village during the covid pandemic. There are many difficulties, no money, no food, clothes…I got married when I was 17 years old. My husband's family is a poor family too. 9 people. My grandmother, my grandparents, my parents, my husband, 2 children and me.

Cold and foggy day

Because of the difficulty and had to help my family with food, in 2 years of covid I had to carry my child every day to work in the fields, but only 1 bowl of rice a day. it's very tiring, and I shed a lot of tears, my 2 children are very cold, they have no clothes, milk, diapers, I'm so sad. but since I know groups on Facebook about charity, I joined the group asking for clothes for my kids. Since then we have had some warm clothes to wear.

The water we use for live

Because of my poverty, I had to come down from the mountains to work under richer people. But still, one day only 3-4 bowls of rice is not enough to eat. I was just carrying my baby and was tired when I met a Homestay owner and she asked me if I wanted to work at Homestay, I said yes, she said if I work I will have money to buy rice so I'm happy and accepted

Currently I am working at a Homestay and the money I earn is very little, not enough to buy rice, food, blankets, mattresses because it is very cold in the mountains and my family really needs those things. Because I want to have a warm family, I really want to build a bigger house to be enough for my family to live in can donate and help me, you can drop a cup tea, a cake, a small cup of milk, small things, ect......to help me, I am very grateful to you and I need your help.

My grandfather

I have planned in the future to try to build a Homestay for local people here and foreign guests to stay and love to teach highland children. Because of the difficulty, I have thought and want to return to help my community and advise the children to go to school. I really want to change, I think we won't be able to change quickly but we can change step by step.

Thanks for reading! We love you and hope you love us back!

My phone number +84377894962

Thanks for your help❤️

I will never forget this grace

My email : [email redacted]

My facebook : Sùng Thị Dinh

My instagram : sungdinhsapa

Whatsapp : +84377894962