Helping disadvantaged youth realise their dreams

Thuong with his friends at graduation.

Thuong knew he needed a university degree to find a good job and even dreamed of becoming a journalist, but as a child from an impoverished farming village in the mountains, he knew it would be hard to achieve his goals. His family could barely afford food and clothes, so at 18, he left his home in Phu Tho – one of the country’s poorest provinces – to find work in the capital, Hanoi, so he could support his family.

"Hanoi was so different than my hometown. I felt totally insecure and lost," he said. Working 14-hour shifts everyday at a street-side restaurant, he earned only 700,000 Vietnamese dong (US$37) his first month in the city. He could barely make ends meet, much less send money home. "Long and hard working hours left me no time for study, setting me even further from my dream of going to the university."

He could not afford special classes, yet he studied as much as he could for university entrance exams. The university said no.

Then one morning, he saw an ad in the paper about free vocational training for disadvantaged youths. "I was quite hesitant at first. I could not believe there was a free training program. Nevertheless, I went to the recruitment – I had nothing to lose!"

So began his education – organized by LABS/REACH, a Plan-supported local NGO. Thuong wanted to study information technology, but after his interview – when he expressed a desire to travel – teachers steered him toward customer service and sales.

"As each day passed by at REACH, I became more confident. REACH was like my family because the teachers treated me as if I were their own son," Thuong said.

After three months, Thuong received his first ever professional certificate. With help from REACH, he found a good job as a salesperson at a high-end electronics showroom, earning VND10 million (US$500) his first month – VND7 million of which he sent home to his family. His earnings amounted to five times the average income in Vietnam, and more than 10 times the minimum wage. "My family was so happily surprised. They encouraged me to continue making more efforts."

Thuong, now 20 years old, hopes one day to set up his own business. "REACH has opened up many new opportunities for me and other young people of disadvantaged backgrounds to realise our dreams."

Watch the story of this program on Youtube.