For the past few days, Ly Hoang Quynh Nhu, a 12-year-old girl from Dong Tam village in A Doi commune, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province, has been living a dream come true. After years of longing, the disadvantaged girl finally owns a brand-new, beautiful bicycle.
On the day Nhu received her new bicycle, A Doi commune’s Youth Union Secretary, Vo Thi Thu Huong, took her on a memorable ride to the town center to receive the gift. Recounting Nhu’s story, Huong shared that the girl lost her father when she was just an infant, and her mother has been struggling to raise four children on her own. Growing up in poverty, Nhu never dared to ask for anything. Her only wish was to have a bicycle to make her 5-kilometer journey to school less tiring.
“The joy on Nhu’s face when she received the new bike was overwhelming. Her eyes filled with tears of happiness, and it touched my heart deeply,” Huong told the press. “We are grateful to the American veterans who made her dream a reality.”
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| Rich Allen, Vice President of VFP 160, poses with Ho Bao An and her new bicycle. (Photo: RENEW) |
Ho Bao An, a 9-year-old girl from the Pa Ko ethnic group in Lia commune, Huong Hoa district, also shared her joy at receiving a new bicycle from American friends. An has to travel 3 kilometers from her home in A Xoi Hang village to school, and now she can make the journey on her own, giving her parents more time to work in the fields.
Ly Hoang Quynh Nhu and Ho Bao An are two of 60 children from Trieu Phong, Cam Lo, and Huong Hoa districts in Quang Tri province who have received gifts from VFP 160 since May 2024, with support from Project RENEW. The total value of the gifts exceeds VND 100 million.
Rich Allen, Vice President of VFP 160, personally handed out bicycles to disadvantaged students in Quang Tri province. He expressed his hope that the new bicycles would make their journey to school easier and less strenuous.
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| VFP 160 donated bicycles to children in Quang Tri in May 2024. (Photo: RENEW) |
Rich Allen, a former soldier who served in Quang Tri at the age of 19, witnessed the devastation of war firsthand. However, what truly left an impact on him were the faces of the children. “Now, with the support and open hearts of the local authorities and people, we have the opportunity to bring joy and bright smiles to the children of Quang Tri once again,” he shared.
Allen chose to make Vietnam his home for the rest of his life and dedicated himself to the mission of VFP 160 as a way of giving back. “I have received kindness and forgiveness from the Vietnamese people,” he said. “I am grateful and happy to see that they are focusing on the present and the future instead of dwelling on the past. Even the veterans from Northern Vietnam, whom I met at ceremonies and events, welcomed me as a brother. We shared our experiences and stories from the war. It was a terrible conflict that brought suffering to so many soldiers and civilians. As a member of VFP 160, I firmly believe in the importance of peaceful solutions over war.”
In 2021, with the support of RENEW, VFP 160 established the “Bicycles for Education” program. Since then, the organization has helped more than 220 students in difficult circumstances in Quang Tri province.
Looking to the future, Rich Allen and the members of VFP 160 are committed to continuing their efforts to bring peace, prosperity, and beauty to Quang Tri. They aim to support more underprivileged students because they believe that the children are the key to transforming and revitalizing the once war-torn land.
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