The Writing Contest for Hoc Mon

Donate For Children recently organzied and hosted a writing contest for the children at the Vocational Training Center for Orphaned and Disabled Children of HCM City.  To encourage the children sharing their thoughts, the topics of the writing were to ask the children talking about themselves, or to talk about someone they would look up to.  A total of 68 children signed up to participate, each received a commendatory prize.  There were also 7 other encouraging prizes for good writers in addition to the first, second, and third prizes for best writers.  DFC volunteers, one after another, read the writings to the crowd but could not hold in their emotion.  The readings were frequently stopped in a very silent atmosphere; few drops of tears were seen in at least one's eyes.  Many children also mourned quietly in sharing sympathy.

The 1st-place essay "SO PHAN", written by Nguyen Thi Ha in Vietnamese, was translated into English as follows:

THE DARK FATE

God created mankind and connected each of us to one’s fate with at least a shadowy turn in life.  Perhaps, no one’s fate would match that of another.

I was born less fortunate compared to other ordinary persons; my impaired legs do not let me walk normal like another regular child.  “Disabled” – the term many others use when they talk about me; thus, I always live with a disesteemed and unconfident mind.

You may not realize!  My mind is aroused when I see other children joyfully walking to school.  I wish I have that competency.  The day I started school was the day I confronted real difficulties and challenges.  In the classroom, I seldomly said a word to my classmates.  I was a little snail hiding in its frangible shell to imagine that many bizarre eyes were looking at its impaired body.  I was even more frightened as I pictured as if there were many commentarial discussions going on about my physical condition.  During breaks and resets, I was very reluctant to join the crowd.  In fact, I stayed in class the whole time.

Observing my classmates playing and chasing in the playground while I sat in the classroom alone, I wished I can join them desperately.  I knew how much I wanted it.  Sometimes, I kept repeating to myself many “What if…?”  What if I was one of my classmates running out there?  What if I could run and play with my peers freely?  Noticing that I, often, lonely and sadly, glued against my seat in the classroom even at break hours, a few friends called me to conjoin the crowd, but I could only smile unwillingly to thank them and then shaking my head.  For many times I whispered to myself, “What if there was a miracle that could heal my legs over a long night.  I wake up, drop my feet on the ground, and stand up walking like a normal person.”  I would shout very loud to celebrate that moment.  But I then realized that it could only happen in one’s dreams, in imaginations, or in fictitious myths.  I asked myself, “Why did God treat me unfairly and differently?  Why me?  Why?”  There were many questions I could not find the answers.  I cried hopelessly for my dark fate instead.       read more...  

Contest Winners:

 Nguyen Thi Le Tuyen (left - 3rd), Nguyen Thi Ha (middle - 1st), and Ngo Thi Lan Thanh (right - 2nd). 

The followings are essays that won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes: