andrew
People all over the world have been touched by the story of Dang Van Khuyen, a Vietnamese boy who, at just the tender age of ten, has learned to fend for himself after the death of his father and grandmother. Living by himself and growing his own vegetables to feed himself, Dang has refused offers to be adopted, insisting that he can take care of his own needs. His incredible story has indeed touched hearts all over the world.
While most 10-year-olds get to live their young lives free from any cares, it’s a different case for Dang as he has to spend his days working in the fields around his humble home, planting vegetables for his food, and foraging for other things to eat. It is indeed a hard life, but it’s a life that Dang has been used to all his days. He lost his mother at a young age, and he had to live with his grandmother while his father had to go away to work at construction jobs. Things unfortunately took a turn for the worse when his father had an accident at work and died. His grandmother passed away later on too, and he was left in his home all alone with no one to take care of him.
When his father and grandmother were still alive, Dang depended on his father for financial support for his necessities and on his grandmother for his daily food. When they both died, he quickly learned to do everything for himself. In a feature by Vietnamese media, Dang was seen planting and harvesting vegetables for his food. Home for him is a small, derelict hut with a thatched roof, and there would be stormy days and nights, when he’d lie shivering on his mat in the cold, with the wind howling outside the walls of his small home.
And yet, Dang has refused to accept offers of adoption from well-meaning neighbors, acquaintances, and even strangers who had heard of his situation. At present he relies on the generosity of his neighbors, who would often give him nutritious food like rice. Dang’s teacher came to know of his situation and shared his story on social media. From there, his story became viral to the point that it attracted the attention not only of Vietnamese citizens but also the Vietnamese media.
Ever since he became viral, lots of offers for financial and material assistance has poured in for Dang. Some people have donated supplies, and others have even offered to take him in and adopt him. It’s unclear, though, the level of help that Dang Van Khuyen is willing to accept. While he has accepted some of the donations, he has refused the offers of adoption, stating that he was more than capable of taking care of himself.
And if we were to go by how Dang has handled his daily life after the loss of his father and grandmother, we would easily say that that is the truth, at least to some extent. Despite his hard life, for instance, he has never missed a day of school. Until now, he continues to get up every morning, travel to his school on his bicycle, attend his classes, and then return home to do his chores. At such a young age, Dang is already proving himself to be quite a responsible young person.
Watch the video below
