Dozens of children who were abandoned by their parents have been cared for at a small pagoda in southern Bac Lieu Province and are in desperate need of help.
Children in need of help
The manager of the orphanage for abandoned children at Vinh Phuoc An Pagoda, in Ward 2 of Bac Lieu City said the place has been there for a decade and houses around 60 children. They range from two months old to 14 years old and all were abandoned by their parents.
Bottle-feeding infants
"It's extremely unfortunate for a child to be abandoned by their parents. The orphanage was opened in the spirit of helping in the lives of these unfortunate children,” said Lam Thi Kim Anh, the manager of the orphanage.
According to her, more than ten children suffer fatal diseases and are in need of regular medical treatment. Even though most of them are provided with some medical support, rising expenses sometimes make it impossible.
A three-year old baby with ear deformity and other diseases
In order to ensure that the children are properly cared for, the orphanage has hired baby-sitters. Still, even these payments have added to their financial hardship.
Apart from abandoned children, the orphanage has also provided shelter to an older man and his two daughters for years. The father, Tran Van Suol, suffers from mental illness, and the mother abandoned the family while the children were infants. Now the older sister is 14-years old, Tran Thi Diem My and her 13-year-old sister, Tran Thi Diem Kieu, are both in the third grade.
Ill-fated father and his two daughters
"We only hope that we can get new clothes for Tet. We also would really like to study so that we can find good jobs when we grow up. Still, this dream seems difficult to reach," said the sisters.
Many children do not know who their parents
One childcare employee, named Tam, said that after being abandoned at such an early age, children need extra love and attention. "Even if they receive it from us their lives will be difficult. They need support from the general community," she said.
