Nguyễn Thị Oanh

From the will to rise to a journey of planting seeds of hope

Unlike other children, my childhood did not begin with tender embraces but with rejection. I was born weighing barely 900 grams, so frail that my father wanted to abandon me, believing I would never make it. But my mother, a woman of unyielding courage, chose divorce so that I might have a chance to live.

There were no carefree days of play in my childhood. Instead, I trailed behind my mother to the market to sell vegetables, waded into the fields to catch crabs and snails, and spent six long years caring for a blind uncle and a bedridden grandmother.

By the twelfth grade, when my mother fell gravely ill and my grandparents had grown frail, the weight of the family rested squarely on my shoulders. My personal dreams had to give way to responsibility. Yet I refused to yield to fate. I attended morning classes, then worked whatever odd jobs I could find in the afternoons, while still caring for three ailing relatives.

There were days I was so exhausted that I wondered if I had the strength to go on. But just as Mufasa taught Simba to face his first trial in The Lion King, my mother taught me how to stand firm, even when the world seemed to turn its back on me.

After finishing high school, my family’s struggles made university seem impossible. Even having enough to eat was a daily challenge. Pursuing further education felt far beyond reach.

Then, unexpectedly, came an opportunity. I learned about the Lionheart Scholarship through Ms. Vũ Thị Dung, who runs the Khát Vọng Foundation. It was a door to a future I had never dared to dream of—yet one that posed a daunting challenge.

The application process was anything but easy. I had to pass an essay round that demanded honesty and depth drawn from the long, difficult path I had walked. I had no glittering academic records, no long list of extracurricular activities. What I did have was my life story, the journey of a girl shaped by relentless hardship, both physical and emotional. I wrote with every ounce of my pain, my longing, and my hope, praying the judges would see in me a girl who, though small, would never surrender.

For the first time, I felt a deep conviction that I could truly hold my future in my own hands. The day I received news that I had won the scholarship, I wept for hours. That moment was not only joy, it was a powerful affirmation that every sacrifice, every drop of sweat and every tear had been worth it. I was proud of myself for daring to try, for enduring, and for refusing to bow to fate.

When I first set foot at BUV, I was both excited and overwhelmed. It was a door to hope, yet at the same time an entirely foreign world. My knowledge felt limited, and every class was conducted in English. Instead of shrinking back, I chose to confront it. I forced myself to step past my shyness: to ask professors questions, to learn from friends, to note down even the smallest fragments of knowledge.

The greatest test came in my second year. I received news that my mother had been hospitalized. I left my internship to return home and care for her, but fate struck again: I suffered an accident, fractured my cheekbone, and was rushed into surgery. Mother and daughter lay in hospital beds side by side, while our finances fell to nothing. In pain and exhaustion, a single voice echoed within me: “You must recover. You must return to your studies.”

My four years at BUV became a relentless balancing act - pursuing my degree while battling financial strain, self-doubt, and the limits of my own endurance. Yet BUV’s values reshaped how I saw myself and the world. I learned that knowledge is not confined to books, but found in the courage to ask questions, to think critically, to push boundaries, and to persevere. Group projects and practical assignments sharpened my mind, while the encouragement of professors and friends gave me strength.

The learning environment at BUV — with hands-on projects and group work — has empowered me to think freely, overcome boundaries, and grow day by day.

The enthusiasm and dedication of my lecturers and friends at BUV are gifts I will always be grateful for. Although my starting point was very different from many of my peers, I never once felt left behind. Everyone was always ready to help and share whenever I needed support, especially during stressful exam periods. More than anything, they gave me a sense of belonging — to a community where every individual is respected, encouraged, and inspired by one another. That precious companionship helped me step out of my comfort zone. From a shy girl, I have become a confident person who dares to dream big and take bold action.

Holding my First Class Honours degree in hand, I realize that this journey could never have been possible through individual effort alone. BUV — with its guiding values, inspiring learning environment, and devoted companions — has provided me with a solid foundation that allowed me to grow and achieve what I have today.

If the Lionheart Scholarship had opened a new future for me, then the Khát Vọng Foundation was where the first seeds of hope were sown. Founded to support orphans and children in especially difficult circumstances, it offers not only financial assistance but also the emotional grounding to believe in education as a path forward.

For the past four years, I have returned to the Foundation as a volunteer - mentoring and guiding children who remind me of my younger self. I help them not only with their studies but also with the courage to dream, even in the midst of hardship.

I began reaching out to young people who, like me once, were caught in the whirlwind of survival - longing to study yet lost in fear of the future, with no one to lean on. To this day, I have walked alongside more than twenty disadvantaged students, helping them secure scholarships of various kinds.

Each time I receive news of their success, I realize that what I give is not just knowledge but hope - the very hope that once pulled me out of life’s darkest corners. In that way, the circle of life and love continues, much like Simba returning to restore the desolate Pride Lands into flourishing green fields.

Looking back, I see that every scar, every moment I nearly collapsed, has become a piece of the mosaic that makes me who I am today. On that journey, BUV has given me more than education: it has given me faith, resilience, and a deep sense of responsibility to share and to serve my community.

My Lionhearted journey has been about reclaiming my own worth, a worth that no one else can define. And on the road ahead, I want to continue carrying that spirit forward, to children growing up in hardship, so they too may find the light of hope, no matter the darkness of their adversity.