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HIWC Female Vision
Award 2009 -
Mrs Ton Thi Thu Nguyet
Mrs Ton Thi Thu Nguyet, known to most of us simply as Nguyet,
worked as a lecturer at Vietnam National University, Collage of
Foreign Languages, English Department with special
responsibility for minority students.
Every year, students from poor rural ethnic minority families
are sent to different universities. In a country where the
climate towards ethnic minorities may well be tepid, Nguyet took
her responsibility for these young people far beyond the
requirements of her job. Given the modest financial situation of
these students Nguyet soon discovered the need of support for
these young people. She was moved by their plight and encouraged
her foreign friends both in Hanoi and overseas to sponsor
individual students.
This grew into a formal sponsorship programme, the Needy Student
Support Program, started in 1996. Ms Nguyet has managed to run
this program without interference from the university. At
present the programme has 42 sponsors supporting 94
students. Mrs Ton Thi Thu Nguyet, Mrs Ulli Wingardh and
Mrs Theresa Kodderitzsch are on the programs advisory board.
Over the years the program has grown, now having a proper office
which also serves as a place-to-be for the students, and making
connections such as engaging foreigners in Hanoi to volunteer
for English training and so on.
Often, Ms Nguyet has taken on the role not only of a teacher, but
also of an "extra mother" for some students when they came to
Hanoi from their rural villages.
Ms Nguyet has now retired from the University, and she is running her ‘One
Person NGO’ 24/7 with all kinds of support. She knows every
single student and his/her circumstances.
She always tries to teach the students
rightfulness and for instance the importance of not accepting
bribes.
At present
the HIWC supports 20 students. They will join the many who over
the course of the last 12 years have returned to
to their home villages with qualifications, which will, in the
long term improve the standard of living of their local
communities.
It is no wonder that Nguyet is known as
‘the mother of a
thousand students’, ‘the advocate of the poor’ and similar
names.
It is however, not
solely for her charitable personality that Ms
Ton Thi Thu Nguyet. This award is for her courage to support a
group of people who are not necessarily widely popular in
Vietnam, for standing up for them, for seeing them as deserving
and for then turning this belief into action.
For more than 12 years Nguyet has managed her Needy Students
program. We hope the HIWC Female Vision Award will help to
encourage her to continue in the years to come.
About the HIWC Vision Award
Hanoi International Women’s Club applauds and
celebrates women with the courage to have a vision and the
strength and determination to bring it to life.
Each year, The HIWC Female Vision Award is given to a woman who
through her own efforts grew an idea into reality. The club
celebrates the audacity to dream and the resolve to make the
dream come alive. We applaud women who have the willpower to add
this extra task into a life already filled with work, family and
obligations. We are indeed thankful for both the benefits of
this effort and for the beacon of example that women like this
shine on all of us.
In order to be considered for this award, a candidate must:
·
Conceive or adopt a vision for action that benefits the life of
themselves or others
·
Personally lead the process of turning the vision into reality
·
Choose a suitable path for the realization of the vision: an
organization, a business, works of art, an event etc
·
Be a true role model through her example that women are indeed
resourceful and capable of improving lives by the strength of
their vision, determination and hard work
The HIWC Female Vision Award consists of a gift of USD 500 as
well as a medal or trophy and a diploma.
The recipient of the award will be chosen by the Board of the
HIWC by simple majority. Candidates may be put forward by the
members of the HIWC board and/or the membership of the HIWC. The
award is presented by the President of the HIWC at the Annual
General Meeting.
Candidates must be women residing in Vietnam, and the Vision for
which the Reward is given must be realized in Vietnam.
Candidates cannot be members of the HIWC Board.
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