Vietnamese Godparents of Cambodian Students Fosters Friendship Between Two Countries

Showing the pictures of her godchildren that are saved on her phone, Nguyen Thi Thao can not hide her pride when talking about them. In the pictures, Thao and her family were joining the wedding of a Cambodian son she adopted, her family taking their Cambodian godchildren to visit Uncle Ho's mausoleum, Quoc Tu Giam, Nhat Tan bridge, temples, and pagodas…

Nguyen Thi Thao is currently a member of the standing committee, Head of the central inspection committee of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association.

Thao and her husband with their Cambodian godchildren. (Photo: Thoi Dai)

Happy to Have More Children

Thao said that when the Central Committee of the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association launched the Nurturing for Friendship program in 2012, she was the first mother to sponsor Cambodian students. For the first time, her family registered to support 3 Cambodian male students studying at the Hanoi University of Architecture. A short time later, she continued to apply for helping another student at the Academy of Agriculture because her godparent was seriously ill at that time.

Thao could not forget the feeling of the first meeting with her godchildren on the night of the 28th and 29th of the Vietnamese traditional New Year that year. She and her husband went to the dormitories at two Universities to send New Year's wishes and gifts, and to understand better the children's living situation. Looking at the radiant, trusting children, she felt heartwarming.

“When we left, my husband said that he was so happy to have more good children. They all looked very smart, but a bit thin, just exactly like their young age," Thao said.

Being the godparents of Cambodian students, Thao and her family consider this not only happiness but also their responsibility to make a small contribution, taking care of and nurturing the friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia to become more and more sustainable and developed. Her family always cares for and encourages her godchildren to try harder and overcome all difficulties, especially in the first days of entering the university with limited Vietnamese.

"Sometimes on weekends, we often organize some outing trips to visit the monuments and landscapes of Hanoi. We hope that they will have more knowledge and understanding about the culture and history of the capital, the country where they are studying, and practice Vietnamese more frequently. During the Cambodian traditional New Year Chol Chnam Thmay, we host a family meeting to celebrate and send wishes to the children. We also attend the traditional celebration at their dormitory," she said.

Besides taking her children home to have an intimate meal with family members, Thao brought them to her brother's house in Thang Long International Village to celebrate her grandson's three-year-old birthday. Her godchildren were both excited and surprised. Some said: “Mom, this is the first time I have attended the birthday of a three-year-old baby, but at the party, there are grandparents, parents, and family members of all ages, that is so cozy”.

Family Bonds Crossing Physical Borders

One of the memories that Thao remembers the most is when her godchild Chey Vothy, who was studying at the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture, was very ill at the end of April 2013. The late night, Vothy had a high fever and was hospitalized in serious condition. Vothy tried to call her, ask her as a second mother, and said that in case anything bad might happen, take Vothy back to his blood parents in Cambodia.

At that time, Thao was at Noi Bai International Airport and about to fly to Poland. She encouraged Vothy not to panic and promised to do her best. She quickly contacted the hospital for support. And very fortunately, Vothy overcame that illness.

Thao is happy that Vothy is very affectionate and close to her godparents’ family. At the end of June 2013, Vothy happily told her that he was one of the few students selected by a Japanese professor for an exchange program in Japan and asked to go to his godmother's house that evening. When preparing for the graduation project, Vothy also discussed with Thao his ideas and topics...

Thao and her husband went to Siem Reap to attend Chey Vothy's wedding. (Photo: Thoi Dai)

Vothy speaks fluent in Vietnamese, Japanese, and English. After graduating, Vothy returned to his home country to work for a Vietnam-Cambodia company whose headquarters are in Dong Nai and Phnom Penh.

At the end of March 2019, Thao and her husband packed their bags to Siem Reap to attend Vothy's wedding. Seeing their children finding his happiness, Thao was moved with tears.

After the program's first phase, Thao's family continued to adopt 5 female Cambodian students from the University of Science and Technology, National Economics, and Thuy Loi University. Her godchildren have all graduated and returned to their home country for work, but they still keep in touch with Thao's family. Every time she had the opportunity to go to Cambodia, the mother and daughters met up.

Thao said that Cambodian students' sponsoring families share the same thought. They hope that when their children come to Vietnam to study, no matter what school or major, they always believe in the support, love, and responsibility of their teachers and their godparents. That special affection will accompany the children for the rest of their lives, contributing to building a stronger people-to-people friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.

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