Dantri/Dtinews reporters visited the home of Le Van Cong, 45, and his wife Nguyen Thi Hong, 42, in Hoa Phu Commune, Hanoi, shortly after heavy rain. The narrow path leading to the house was slippery with moss, the small courtyard was soaked, and the crumbling cement floor was dangerously slick, especially for a family with elderly members, children, and persons with disabilities.
“We want to fix the house and pave the courtyard so it's safer for everyone,” Hong said. “But we simply can’t afford it.”
Le Van Cong, Nguyen Thi Hong, their two children, and Cong's mother.
Living off social assistance
Inside their dilapidated single-story home with peeling walls, Cong sat quietly, his deep-set eyes turned toward the door. Blind since birth and orphaned at the age of five, he is the youngest of six siblings. As a child, he was sent by his mother to study Braille at Nguyen Dinh Chieu School in Hanoi, where the government funded his education.
In 2012, he married Nguyen Thi Hong, who also lives with a severe physical disability. Both grew up in poverty, and their married life has been filled with daily struggles.
Cong stays home and takes care of domestic chores, while Hong, despite a debilitating spinal condition, works in the fields and weaves bamboo handicrafts to support the family. “Each woven item earns me just VND 30,000 (approximately USD 1.2), and I don’t get work every day,” she said.
On top of their disabilities, the couple cares for their two children, aged 14 and 7, and Cong’s 95-year-old mother. After giving birth to their second child, Hong developed hydrocephalus, a condition that still causes her pain, especially when the weather changes.
The entire household survives on VND 3.5 million (approximately USD 137) in monthly government assistance. Both parents receive VND 750,000 each as persons with severe disabilities; their children have qualified for the same amount since 2023, and Cong’s mother receives VND 500,000.
Their siblings occasionally help out, but it’s far from enough. “Without that support, I don’t know how we would manage to feed the children and take care of my mother,” Cong said.
Health insurance cards for their children
Despite their many challenges, the couple is determined to give their children the best possible care. Every year, they try to set aside enough money to buy health insurance cards for themselves, a significant burden given their limited income.
While the cost may seem modest to many families, for Cong and Hong, maintaining health coverage is a significant financial hurdle.
When they learned about Dantri’s program providing free health insurance cards to underprivileged students, the couple expressed hope that kind-hearted readers and donors could help their children and others in similar situations obtain this essential support.
“I'm old and can’t help much,” said Cong’s mother, Nguyen Thi Thanh. “My son is blind, my daughter-in-law is disabled, and my grandchildren are still young. I hope readers of Dantri will support us with health insurance for the kids, so they can stay healthy and study with peace of mind. That would also ease the burden on their parents.”
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