ADAPT

The story of Mỹ as told by Lily Phan

The story of Mỹ as told by Lily Phan
August 2006

Mỹ, an ADAPT scholarship recipient, is provided with basically everything a student needs to attend school. Despite the scholarship Mỹ dropped out of school. When ADAPT staff members went to her house to follow up, we found her working with her mother washing dishes for a food stall. She works all morning every day and earns $19 per month. This $19 per month is the reason she left school. Though only a 6th grader, My told her mother: "I am going to work to pay back some of the family debt, and then I am going back to school." The sad part is that the $19 monthly income is not enough to lift her family out of poverty. The only real chance they have would be for Mỹ to graduate from at least 9th grade or finish high school. Unfortunately, My didn't think this way, nor did her entire family.

I went to Mỹ's house knowing that we could not promise her extra money to return to school, but still determined to do everything I could to convince her to prioritize her education. We traveled by motorbike for more than two hours in the rain to her house, bringing with us a school official, a women's union representative, and her schoolteacher to demonstrate to Mỹ's parents the depth of our concern for her.

By the end of the visit, Mỹ, with her mother's permission, promised to go back to school. After all she still has a very ambitious career to pursue: she wants to be a flight attendant! This kind of case-by-case work is incredibly tiresome and strenuous. At the start of this year, we received reports that thirteen girls had dropped out, all with different stories to tell. We visited each of the families and insisted on getting the girls back to school. Sometimes this works with some gentle nudging, other times it has been an uphill battle to raise awareness of the chance to escape the risk of being trafficked. In this line of work, we have learned to treasure every "Yes, I will go back to school" because we know victories come far less often than challenges. We saw Mỹ at the following scholarship delivery ceremony and every one of us silently said our thanks. Mỹ had kept her word and was heading back to school. We know that trafficking risks do not entirely go away and are on the look out for other ways to assist our scholarship recipients’ families if possible. Our Bicycle Program was launched with this determination from the ADAPT staff. And in Mỹ’s case, the community also intervened, promising her family a low-interest loan for her dad to buy a motorbike so that he can earn a living transporting goods for other villagers to the market.

Out of the thirteen girls who dropped out, seven girls have since reenrolled after a great deal of persuasion from the ADAPT staff and the community. To ADAPT's credit, we worked hard to motivate the students to go back to school and to increase the community's awareness of their plight. However, these girls deserve credit for their incredible strength and courage to overcome financial and personal obstacles to continue their education.

When I saw their faces also at the scholarship ceremony, proving their promises to return to school were being kept, I was personally touched. I had visited each of these girls' homes and had poured my heart out to make the case as to why they belonged in school. Moments like this remind me that this internship is not simply a job, but also about personal connections and growth.

Update on Mỹ’s case:

October 2007

Last year, Mỹ’s mother was diagnosed with cancer and had no financial means to seek treatment. One ADAPT staff member personally raised funds and followed up to make sure the mother received treatment in Ho Chi Minh City. Currently, Mỹ’s mother has recovered and has returned home. I saw Mỹ about 2 months ago where she was walking hand in hand with other classmates on her way home. Her bright smile showed her happiness of being able to continue to go to school, play with friends, and develop her dreams.

Going deep into the Mekong Delta's branches: The girls in the ADAPT-SPELL scholarship program continue to fight and struggle through hardship to be able to attend school. Even with a scholarship that covers expenses until 12th grade, some recipients still drop out of school due to economic hardship or the lack of emphasis their families place on education. Everyday, ADAPT staff continue in this battle to keep the girls in school because we believe that an education is a girl's first line of defense against trafficking risks.