Growing up in Vietnam, Thoa rose every morning at 4 a.m. to open her family’s noodle shop. Still dark outside, she would ride her bicycle to the market to buy vegetables and then work until it was time to go to school.

Even on cold, rainy mornings, she woke up before dawn — and summoned her two younger siblings from where they slept to help prepare the shop for breakfast. They were especially sleepy on cold winter mornings.

“The whole time growing up, I did not understand why I could not sleep every night,” shares Thoa, now a petite mother of two in her 50s with neat shoulder-length hair and a warm and gentle but hardworking nature.

Thoa’s sister later told her that they couldn’t sleep because they were cold — they couldn’t afford warm blankets.

Once Thoa graduated college and began to earn money, she bought high-quality blankets imported from Japan for her mom and siblings.  “The first thing I did when I made money was to buy good blankets for everyone,” she says.

Thoa has lived in the U.S. with her family since 2008 — and now serves as Holt’s senior advisor for international programs — but her childhood in post-war Vietnam is never far from her mind. She was one of seven children — nine including two siblings who both died of malaria within five days of each other.

Her family lived a relatively comfortable life near Danang, in central Vietnam. But when her father died suddenly of a stroke, her mother struggled to run his business and care for her children on her own.

Thoa was 7. Her mother was pregnant with her youngest sister at the time.

Slowly, they used up all the resources her father had left them, and Thoa watched as her family’s possessions began to disappear from their home. The black and white TV. The nice speakers from Japan. The refrigerator.

To provide for her seven children, her mom was forced to sell their belongings.

But Thoa’s mom was smart, resourceful and determined.  She decided to open a shop selling homemade breakfast noodles — a business that she knew how to run, and that she could manage while caring for Thoa and her siblings.  But with no savings and no collateral, she was forced to take out a loan at 20% interest per month — or, as Thoa calls it, a “shark loan.”

Loan sharks prey on people living in poverty, offering money they desperately need to start a business or just to buy food for their family — and then harass them for payment, aggressively demanding they give up the daily wages that are often all they have to live on. 

“It gets people into deep poverty, and they cannot really get out,” Thoa says. “They tear families apart … I think that’s when I started to have the realization of what poverty really means.”

Looking back, more than 40 years later, Thoa gets emotional thinking of that time in her life — and of what her mom had to go through to provide for her and her siblings. 

“It’s hard, as children growing up and seeing… loan sharks getting into your home every day and then yelling and screaming at your mother, demanding payment,” she says, trailing off as tears well up in her eyes. “That’s why I really believe in what Holt is doing — because it does help a lot of people.”

But it’s not just what Holt is doing. It’s what Holt sponsors and donors are doing with their heartfelt gifts to help families earn income — and overcome poverty — in countries around the world.

Donor-Funded Microloans: A Viable Path From Poverty

In the countries where Holt works — from Ethiopia and Uganda to Cambodia, India and Vietnam — many parents feel helpless to support their children when jobs are scarce and stable work requires specialized skills or higher education that’s often inaccessible to families living in poverty.

Households headed by single parents — especially single mothers — are often the most vulnerable.

In some countries, such as Korea and the Philippines, Holt sponsors and donors help provide job skills training to single mothers facing stigma and discrimination. In most cases, Holt empowers women like Thoa’s mom — women who suddenly find themselves the sole providers for their children after their husband dies or leaves the family.

Sometimes it’s the gift of a sewing machine from Holt’s Gifts of Hope catalog that comes with small business training so a mother learns how to sew and sell clothing for profit. It may be gardening tools so a family can grow vegetables to eat, selling the surplus in a nearby marketplace. Or the gift of a goat, chickens or a cow — providing abundant milk and eggs for a family.

But quite often, it’s a small business microgrant or zero-interest loan that empowers a mother to start her own unique business — one that meets a need in her community and that provides enough stable and reliable income for her to provide for herself and her children.

The predatory lending practices to which Thoa’s mom fell prey are now banned in the U.S., but they are still rampant in developing countries around the world.

Had her mom had access to a zero-interest microloan to start her noodle shop, Thoa says she never would have endured abuse and harassment from loan sharks. Like the women in Holt microloan programs today, she would have saved all the money she earned to support her children — instead of falling deeper into debt.

“There was nothing like that — there was no Holt, for example, offering microloans at that time,” Thoa says.

Holt’s first income-generating program actually began in Vietnam, just before the end of the war in 1975. Like today, Holt supported care centers for children who had been orphaned or whose families couldn’t care for them. But our team in country soon recognized that in many cases, struggling families could in fact care for their children — given the support and resources they needed.

“They were seeing a lot of birth parents coming in saying they wanted to relinquish their child,” explains John Williams, who helped develop Holt’s first income-generating program in Vietnam and later served as Holt president and CEO. “If given an alternative to consider keeping their family together, that’s what they were looking for. They just were under so much stress — their child was suffering from malnutrition, health issues, etc.”

But when Holt offered help to support their child and keep their family together, they no longer wanted to relinquish their children. Within a few months, Holt’s first income-generating program was thriving.

“It was much like many of [Holt’s] family strengthening programs today,” John says. “The role of social workers and case workers was to determine what the interests, abilities and skills of the family were. … It was all about finding out what the interests of the community or village were and helping them develop that interest into an income-generating program that created independence, not dependency.”

Like today, families started small businesses like sewing or tailoring, or raised animals like ducks or chickens to provide sustainable food and income. The goal was to help each family get on their feet and provide for their children, keeping the family together.

“It was the first time that Holt began to broaden its services to children with a list of priorities — preserve the birth family, domestic adoption, international adoption …with no one being better than the other,” John says, describing the model of service that Holt has long ascribed to, and later advocated for when we sent delegates to help draft the Hague Convention on the Rights of the Child. “It’s based on the best interest of the child.”

But as the war ended, Holt left the country — and didn’t return until they could safely reestablish programs and fully serve children and families again, in 1989.

Thoa didn’t start working for Holt Vietnam until nine years later, in 1998. She later traveled to the U.S. on a Fulbright scholarship to earn a master’s degree in social work, and then began working with children and families living in other countries where Holt works — particularly in South and Southeast Asia. 

What she saw when she first traveled to these regions reminded her of what she’d seen growing up in Vietnam after the war — extreme poverty, and predators looking to exploit people in desperate situations.

“When I travel to Cambodia, India, and I see signs saying, ‘Hey, if you need loans, quick loans, call this number’ … that’s exactly how the poor people get into the trap … That’s why I really love the models of grants or microloans, or the self-help groups that we have in Cambodia,” Thoa says, referring to a model Holt developed in Cambodia where families collectively save their money and then provide low-interest loans to group members so they can start or grow small businesses.

After developing microloan programs in Cambodia and Vietnam, Thoa encouraged Holt’s partners in India to replicate the model.

“I said, ‘We don’t have the income-generating program in this country, but I see you have a lot of advertising for loans for poor people … and let me share with you what happens when these poor people keep tapping into that money,’” Thoa says she shared with Hepzibah Sharmila, who leads our partner organization, VCT, in Bangalore. Thoa traveled with Sharmila to Vietnam and other countries to show her how Holt’s income-generating model works — and to introduce her to families that had successfully graduated from the program.

“When we give them $200, $300, then that helps the mother start a small business and achieve financial independence. And from there, they can provide for the basic needs of their children,” Thoa says. “But if they don’t have these opportunities, they would go to the loan sharks. And they could never get out. Their children could never get out, and they could never escape poverty.”

Driven to Live a Different Life

Deep in debt to loan sharks, with seven children to support, Thoa’s mom continued to struggle well into Thoa’s teen years. She was so exhausted that she often fell asleep on the floor of their home.

“It was so tiring, you know, to raise seven different children all by yourself … All the children were so small and young and everybody needed education. Everybody needed food,” Thoa says.

But like so many hardworking mothers and fathers and grandparents in Holt programs today, Thoa’s mom could still hardly afford to feed her children.   

One time, when Thoa was sick, her mom was able to purchase a small portion of meat that she guarded from her other children — giving it to Thoa so that she could regain her strength.

“My mom pointed to it and said, ‘Hey, this is just for you because you’re sick’ and nobody should touch that because I needed nutrition … Like a small portion of meat. And I was the only one who could have that meat,” Thoa says.

Thoa’s older siblings gave up on the dream of further education. But from a young age, Thoa knew that completing her education was more than just a dream. It was her way out.

When Thoa’s mom opened the noodle shop, Thoa was by her mom’s side — opening and closing and running the business every day.

“I worked very hard to help her, just because I love her so much and I understood, you know, how it was,” she says.

But every night, when she finally finished food and business prep around 9-10 p.m., Thoa shifted her focus — studying until midnight or the early hours of the morning.  “I really had this drive … I had to get out … I just could not foresee the rest of my life being like this,” she says. “So I studied very hard.”

When Thoa passed the university entrance exams, news spread quickly.

“The neighbors were so proud because it was very rare to see a kid [from our community] pass the university exam,” Thoa says. “We were so poor.”

No one felt more pride than Thoa’s mom. “I was excited. She was so proud,” Thoa says.

But Thoa also knew that her mom couldn’t afford the tuition. “I said, ‘Hey, you know, you already have so many burdens. I don’t want another burden on you. I will not go to university,” she told her, promising instead to find a job to help support her family.  

But then her mom said something that surprised her.

“She said that all her life she did not have a chance for education and that’s why her life is hard,” Thoa says of her mother, who never finished elementary school. “She believed education could give me a different life.” As Thoa was the first child in the family to pass the university entrance exam, her mom was determined to give her that opportunity.

 “Whatever I have to do, I will send you to university,” she told Thoa.

So she raised chickens. She ran the noodle shop. She sold some more of her belongings. And she asked her extended family for help. Some contributed small amounts as gifts. Others loaned her the money. Eventually, she cobbled together the tuition for Thoa’s first semester.

Like always, Thoa worked incredibly hard in school and was always the top one or two in her class. She earned scholarships from her grades. A good singer, she performed on stage for the university to get some additional scholarships.  And she worked any job she could find to pay for her degree and support her family. She promoted shampoos for Proctor & Gamble. She provided English tutoring. And she continued helping her mom in the noodle shop. Some of her professors learned about her situation and they offered her an opportunity to teach evening classes as well as a part-time job at the university. 

“Basically, what I did was I did everything on Earth,” she says.

But she saved everything she earned to support her education, and to support her mother and her family.

Later, once she graduated, she helped her mom get out of debt, and buy back all the appliances and furniture she had sold to support her and her siblings. She even helped her mom pay for her two younger siblings go to university, too. “Both are quite successful now in their lives,” Thoa says of her younger siblings. One went into economics, the other studied English.

Thoa says the mindset of helping your family and community is deeply rooted in her culture, as it is in many of the cultures and communities where Holt works around the world. “We don’t want to leave anyone behind,” Thoa says — offering Holt’s university program in Cambodia as an example. Through this program, donors provide full scholarships for high-performing students from impoverished backgrounds to attend university. 

Through our partner KBF in the Philippines, Holt also empowers youth aging out of orphanages to gain independent living skills and go to college. After they complete their degrees and begin earning money, they often go back and help their siblings. Many even return to their communities to volunteer or even work as social workers or teachers.

“Many graduates become self-reliant and just want to give back what they have received through the program by mentoring, sponsoring or working in NGOs,” Thoa explains.

It’s the same motivation that drew Thoa to a humanitarian career devoted to helping children and families escape a life of poverty and desperation.

“I understand their struggles,” she says. “I understand what they’re going through … I just want every one of them to get out and have a better life.”

Looking back on her own life story — and on the many lives transformed through Holt programs around the world — Thoa says she profoundly believes in two of Holt’s donor-funded programs in particular to help children and families lift themselves a life of poverty: educational sponsorship, and programs that empower families to generate income.  

“To see these women who started to make money after they set up their shops, and then say, ‘Hey, I make good money’ … That’s how far small amounts of money can go when it goes to the right people in the right way at the right time. It changes people’s lives in a way that we cannot even imagine,” she says. “And we know they can now provide for their children’s medical, nutritional and educational needs.”

Thoa is especially thankful for the small donations she received from family members so that she could go to college — small donations that she compares to the microgrants Holt donors provide families in need today.

“[If not for those donations], I probably would have ended up quitting and become one of the sellers in the street like everybody else,” she says.

It All Traces Back to Her

Thoa’s mother passed away several years ago. But long before she passed, Thoa wrote her a letter. She had just left Vietnam and she wrote from the airplane, en route to her new life working for Holt in the U.S.

“’I just want you to know that without you and the sacrifice back in the day, there’s no way I could be where I am today,’” Thoa says she wrote. “I really wanted her to know that I knew it was a tremendous amount of sacrifice and undertaking and I wanted her to know that I was very grateful.”

Years later, at her daughter’s college graduation, Thoa again thought of her mother and the sacrifice she made. “I thought, ‘This is so profound. … At one point, I wanted to give up on my education because of thinking there was not enough money … And now, another generation of women — my daughter — can finish their college education. And it all traces back to her.”

Still today, Thoa always thinks of her mom whenever she visits families who have benefited from Holt’s income-generating programs — especially the single and widowed mothers who are caring for children on their own. 

“We visited this woman who was 76 years old, a grandma who was part of the income-generating program … I looked at her,” Thoa shares, “and I felt like, that’s my mother. And all these grandmothers and these mothers around the world who are struggling every day, but who are trying their best — every day — to provide for the basic needs of their children. They all hope and work hard for a better life for their children.”

Help a Mom in Cambodia Build a Brighter Future

With programs at risk, your gift of chickens, a garden or a sewing machine could be the only opportunity a mom has to lift her family out of poverty.

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The post Why I Believe in Holt appeared first on Holt International.

This Father’s Day, we honor the incredible fathers around the world who give everything they have to care for their children. These dads rise early, work long hours and make countless sacrifices to ensure their families are safe, fed and have what they need for the future.

But sometimes, even their hardest work isn’t enough to meet their children’s most basic needs. And you have the power to help.

Through Gifts of Hope, donors — like you — provide exactly what these fathers need to provide for their families with confidence. Gifts like livestock, garden seeds and tools, fishing kits and home repairs are life changing. These gifts help meet basic needs like food and safe shelter, empower parents to earn an income, and help families break the cycle of poverty — for good!

Here are three stories of incredible dads around the world who embody the heart of fatherhood. Thanks to your generosity, they received the support and encouragement they needed to continue providing for their families with strength and hope.

Anurak — A Father Who Shows Up Every Day

Anurak is a devoted father raising his two sons, Kovit and Kasem, in Thailand. After their mother left, he became their sole caregiver — doing everything he could to provide for them, even when times were tough.

He works long hours as a day laborer, and though he earns very little, he never lets his sons go without. With support from Holt’s local partner, Holt Sahathai Foundation, and donors like you, Anurak receives help with food, school supplies and other essentials — giving him the strength and stability to keep his family together.

“The way [I] parented before, it was more about the physical needs of the children. To feed them, to have them get enough sleep, things like that,” Anurak says. “But what I learned from the social worker and Holt Sahathai is more of the psychological and emotional aspects of the children. And being the parent, you need to not just let your child grow naturally, but as parents we need to get involved in their activities and stimulate them.”

Anurak is a single father, but he is anything but alone. He is supported and empowered to raise his sons and give them a brighter future.

Lhagvajav — A Father Who Kept His Promise

Lhagvajav is a father of quiet strength, raising his six children in rural Mongolia. Life in their remote community is difficult, but he works tirelessly — chopping wood, growing vegetables and doing whatever it takes to provide a safe, nurturing home.

“I want my children to get a better education and grow up to be good citizens,” Lhagvajav said. “Everybody thinks this way. This is a father’s and mother’s dream for their children.”

Several years ago, through Gifts of Hope, Lhagvajav received a ger — a traditional Mongolian home — offering warmth and shelter through the brutal winters. He promised to use this gift as a foundation for a better future.

Then, disaster struck. A devastating flood destroyed the ger. But Lhagvajav never gave up. With renewed support from Holt’s local team and generous donors, he rebuilt. Today, his family is thriving — and his hope for their future is stronger than ever.

Burhan — A Father Teaching His Children to Dream

Burhan is a committed father providing for his family. In a coastal village in Thailand, Burhan rises before dawn to fish — not just to feed his family, but to teach his children, Anis, Nada and Daris, the value of hard work and hope.

The family also tends a small garden and raises ducks — simple but powerful resources that provide both food and income. These gifts, made possible by generous donors, help Burhan care for his children with dignity and hope. Burhan continues to guide them, teaching both how to fish and how to dream.

When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, Anis says, “A pilot. I want to fly!” With support from Holt’s local partner, Holt Sahathai Foundation, and donors, Burhan continues to provide for his family with strength, stability and hope for the future.

Honoring Fathers Around the World

This Father’s Day, you can honor a dad in your life by uplifting a father like Anurak, Lhagvajav or Burhan — dads who work tirelessly to care for their children.

Through Gifts of Hope, you can give a father the tools he needs to provide for his family with confidence — gifts like livestock, garden seeds and tools, fishing kits, home repairs and more. These life-changing gifts meet urgent needs and help families build lasting stability.

Gift a Father’s Day Gift of Hope in honor of a dad in your life today!

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The post Capturing the Heart of Fatherhood appeared first on Holt International.

With a family of five and one income, each day brought struggle. Grandma Samnang, her daughter Dara and three grandchildren lived under one roof. There were many mouths to feed.

At 72, Grandma Samnang could not work. Her daughter, Dara, was a widow and the sole income earner for the family. Her job as a waitress brought home $50/month to go towards the family’s needs. But despite her hard work, Dara’s meager salary meant the family scraped by. They often sacrificed meals to continue paying rent.

But they quickly fell two to three months behind on rent. And the children still didn’t have enough to eat. Grandma Samnang knew they needed a miracle.

After hearing about Holt Cambodia, Grandma Samnang sought help. And because of your gifts to provide emergency food to families in need, the miracle they needed came through!

Grandma Samnang and her family received emergency rations, including rice, fish sauce, soy sauce, dried fish, duck eggs, cooking oil and milk. For the first time, there was enough food for the household!

Because of your Gifts of Hope donations, the children have grown healthier and have the energy they need to focus at school. And they’re earning good grades! Dara also found a new job that pays $200/month plus tips!

The family is now out of debt and has a sustainable source of income for daily needs. Your support has lifted this family of five to their feet and given them hope for a better future.

Grandma Samnang shares, “I am deeply grateful to Holt Cambodia for making a positive difference [for] my family. I am so [over]joyed that [it] [cannot] be described by words!”

Give a Life-Changing Gift of Hope

Gifts of Hope come in all shapes and sizes and have the power to change a child and family’s life.

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The post Giving Malnourished Children a Future appeared first on Holt International.

Anh knows what loss feels like, even at the young age of 14. She knows what it’s like to grieve and to hope for her future. When her family’s only herd of pigs was wiped out by swine fever, the family didn’t give up hope. Instead, they bought two pigs to restart their herd.

Just a couple of months later, Anh’s father was diagnosed with cancer. Too sick to work, he left his job and began to undergo treatments. But the family didn’t give up hope. Anh’s father continued to help with daily household tasks like feeding the pigs.

But eventually, the medical costs became so great that the family had to sell the two pigs to cover the expenses. Having lost the father’s income from bricklaying and the mother’s income from raising pigs, the family’s financial situation turned bleak.

Sadly, Anh’s father passed away from cancer late last year. The family has faced much hardship. And the passing of Anh’s father has been difficult. But Anh and her mother are “sincerely thankful for your love, care and help during [this] difficult period.”

You provided sustainable income to Anh and her family to weather this tumultuous storm. The family has multiplied their herd from three to 13, and they dream of raising a big herd someday. Thanks to you, their main source of income has been restored, even in the midst of adversity.

Thank you for helping Anh and her family in their time of greatest need.

Give a Life-Changing Gift of Hope

Gifts of Hope come in all shapes and sizes and have the power to change a child and family’s life.

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The post A Herd of Hope appeared first on Holt International.

Kokebe, a determined and optimistic young woman, has faced many challenges. But she never lost sight of her dreams. With your support, she overcame financial barriers and pursued her education, achieving what once seemed impossible.

Her father’s job as a day laborer didn’t provide enough income for the family to make ends meet. Education seemed out of reach. But then, you helped provide a microloan and training for her mother to start a small business growing and selling fruits and vegetables at their local market in rural Ethiopia. This Gift of Hope helped stabilize her family’s financial situation, covering their basic needs.

Still, there wasn’t enough to pay for Kokebe’s schooling. That’s where you stepped in again with a Gift of Hope. Your equipped her with a school uniform, books, supplies and ongoing academic support. She participated in summer classes and educational celebrations like Literacy Day and Back to School Day, which have been sources of joy and learning for her.

After passing her grade 12 national exams, Kokebe went on to vocational and technical college, majoring in information and communication technology. You played such a pivotal role in helping her achieve her educational goals!

“I am very grateful for all the support throughout the years,” Kokebe says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without [the] help and intervention for me and my family. In the future, I hope to give back and support other vulnerable children, just as I was supported.” As she steps into the next chapter of her life, she carries with her not only the knowledge and skills she has gained, but also the hope of one day giving back to others in the same way you helped her.

Give a Life-Changing Gift of Hope

Gifts of Hope come in all shapes and sizes and have the power to change a child and family’s life.

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The post She’s Taking Flight appeared first on Holt International.

Colombia

Bambi, Holt’s partner organization in Colombia, recently held a workshop for parents and caregivers enrolled in its PROMEFA family strengthening program. During the workshop, mothers in the program learned how to create a “life timeline,” allowing them to understand where they are in life, their priorities and resources available to them. The program also helped mothers determine how they want to live their lives in order to end generational cycles of conflict and poverty. With the support of the group, the women expressed motivation to take steps to achieve their life and family goals.

Parenting education is an important pillar of Holt’s work in Colombia. Thanks to the support of sponsors and donors, families living in vulnerable, impoverished communities are receiving the help and resources they need to create a safe, secure and supportive environment for their children.

Ethiopia

Since 2017, Holt donors have supported an early childhood care and development (ECCD) program in an impoverished region of southern Ethiopia. Through this program, 1,500 children are able to receive a critical preschool education in a safe and nurturing environment while their parents work during the day.

Recently, through Holt’s Gifts of Hope program, families whose children attend the ECCD centers received gifts of chickens as well as the supplies to raise them. Raising livestock such as chickens can improve a family’s food security and create income-generating opportunities. For example, within a few months of hatching, chickens begin laying eggs, providing protein and other vital nutrients to growing children and families. In addition, families can sell their eggs or full-grown chickens at the market for a profit, using the money they earn to buy food and other essential items for their family. They can also invest their profits into raising more chickens, thus expanding their business and improving their long-term livelihood.

India

In March, Holt’s long-standing partner in Pune, Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra (BSSK), held Holi celebrations for children who receive services through all four of its Holt-supported centers. Known as the springtime festival of colors, Holi is a major holiday in India. The children who receive services through BSSK either live at the center or in impoverished communities in and around Pune. As they rarely receive anything extra, the Holi celebrations were a special treat!

During the party, the children engaged in fun games and activities, which included dousing one another with vibrant colored powders known as “gulal.” The colored powders symbolize the arrival of spring and new beginnings. The Holi celebration strengthened bonds and spread happiness between the children and BSSK staff and reinforced the holiday’s spirit of unity, joy and festivity.

Uganda

Holt Uganda staff recently visited women in six rural communities to provide maternal health outreach and services. Thanks to your support, 1,995 women received health education materials, 330 pregnant mothers were tested for anemia and 256 pregnant mothers were given prenatal vitamins.

In late 2024, 60 health workers in Uganda received a revised version of Holt’s Child Nutrition Program Community Flipbook, which is used to support education for families on proper nutrition and health practices as well as child development and disabilities. Health workers from Holt partner health centers, Holt village health teams and Holt Uganda staff received training on how to use the new flipbooks, and each participating health center received a revised copy. During their recent visit to the six communities, Holt Uganda staff used the flipbooks to educate mothers on important issues of maternal and children’s health, including prenatal care and malnutrition.

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The post Notes from the Field: April 2025 appeared first on Holt International.

A single mother in Vietnam receives a food cart and starts her own business. Women in rural Uganda learn to break the cycle of generational poverty by joining community savings groups. A mother and her family in Mongolia are gifted a life-changing herd of livestock. Mothers and children in Ethiopia gain access to lifesaving healthcare, thanks to a mother and child hospital Holt donors helped build and continue to support in an impoverished rural region.

Around the world, Holt sponsors and donors empower mothers to provide for their children, keeping them together despite poverty, conflict, migration and the stigma of single motherhood. One of the ways your generosity supports these women is through our life-changing Gifts of Hope. Whether it’s through food carts, small business microgrants, livestock, new mother baskets, pregnancy healthcare and more, your gifts help women become stronger, healthier and more self-reliant, allowing them and their children to thrive.

As we approach Mother’s Day this year, we’d like to highlight the stories of women in four countries who have benefited from your generosity and Gifts of Hope. With your support and compassion, these mothers and their families now face a brighter future!

Healthcare for Mothers and Children in Ethiopia

In 2015, Holt donors joined local leaders and community members to build a full-service, maternal-child hospital in Shinshicho, an impoverished rural region in southern Ethiopia. At the time, only 3 percent of births among women living in rural Ethiopia were attended by a health professional, and 25,000 women in Ethiopia died annually from complications during pregnancy and childbirth. In many cases, these women could not get to a hospital in time. When Holt committed to funding most of the construction costs for the Shinshicho Mother and Child Hospital, the local community responded with an outpouring of donations — often a precious few dollars from individuals whose income was just one or two dollars a day. With backing from the government, and significant involvement from the community — both in funding and labor — the health center first opened its doors to patients in 2015.

Today, the hospital has grown both in size and in the level of services it provides. It is now known as the Shinshicho Primary Hospital, and it serves more than 250,000 patients each year with emergency, surgical and outpatient services for children and adults. Although the mother-child hospital is run by the local government, Holt continues to fund much of the staffing, equipment and materials needed to operate the maternal and child health departments, which provide labor and delivery, family planning, ob-gyn and neonatal intensive care services. Holt also supports a child stabilization center for severely malnourished children. 

When two children, Anika and Kia, were found to be acutely malnourished, they along with their mother were immediately taken to the child stabilization center at the Holt-supported mother and child hospital, where they received the critical help they needed.

“In the rehab unit, the babies received a specialized low-protein, milk-based formula diet to help them stabilize,” says Emily DeLacey, Holt’s director of nutrition and health services. “Their sick, malnourished mother was also able to receive support at the hospital and began to get healthier so that her supply of breastmilk replenished and she was able to continue feeding her girls to ensure they were getting the vital nutrition they needed.”

It wasn’t long before Anika and Kia became stable. And not long after that, they returned home. In just a few short months, their transformation was incredible. They went from being terribly sick, skinny, malnourished infants to plump and happy babies. And that’s just their physical appearance. Now that they’re getting all the nutrients they need, their brains and bodies are able to grow and catch up in development. For the mothers and children in rural Ethiopia, the gift of maternal health and childhood nutrition is a blessing on Mother’s Day — and on every day throughout the year.

Empower a mother with the gift of pregnancy health care this Mother’s Day!

A Herd of Livestock in Mongolia

Five-year-old Erdene and her family live in Mongolia’s northernmost province, where herding families continue a traditional way of life — seasonally migrating with their cattle, sheep and goats across the vast plains. Life is hard on the land, not far from Siberia, and winters are especially harsh with temperatures that can dip to -60 degrees. Although the nomadic people of this region have existed here for generations and know how to survive the extreme climate, many live in poverty and struggle to provide enough food, warm clothing and other necessities for their children.

In 2019, Holt’s team in Mongolia began working in this remote province to help care for the region’s most vulnerable children, including children with disabilities, children growing up in orphanages and children living in poverty with their families, including the children of assistant herdsmen. Erdene and her siblings were among the over 80 children who Holt donors began to support through Holt’s family strengthening program. Holt provided emergency food for Erdene and her siblings. Erdene was also enrolled in Holt’s child sponsorship program, which provided ongoing support for her and her family.

Erdene’s family felt deep gratitude for the support of Holt sponsors and donors. But as traditional nomadic people who have chosen to stay and work the land like their families have for generations, Erdene’s parents are hard-working and skilled in raising livestock. Like many assistant herdsmen, they dreamt of owning their own herd, nourishing their children from what they produced and living by their own means.

“If they could own some livestock, they would be able to get wool and cashmere during springtime,” explains our team in Mongolia. “And in summer, they would be able to get dairy products — and the children would benefit from the milk.”

In March 2021, their dreams were realized when Holt presented Erdene’s family with an incredible, donor-funded Gift of Hope — a gift that would empower Erdene’s parents to work toward stability and self-reliance, and ultimately meet all of their children’s needs. They gave the family a herd of 20 goats and 28 sheep.

Over the past four years, Erdene’s parents have nearly doubled the size of their herd and added cattle as well — bringing in considerable profits for their family. In that time, Erdene and her siblings have also grown healthier and stronger because of the nourishing milk and cheese they regularly have in their diet.

“I am very happy as a mother to see my children growing, thriving, healthy and happy … Life has changed and we are very, very happy,” Erdine’s mother shared. “I would like to say thank you. Really, really thank you.”

Empower a mother with a life-changing gift of a goat!

A Food Cart in Vietnam

Thuong is a young single mother who lives with her son in a small city in Vietnam. In April 2021, Thuong learned that she was 13 weeks pregnant. But when she called her boyfriend to share the news, he refused to take responsibility for the baby. Heartbroken, and fearing a life of poverty and social stigma as a single mother, Thuong considered relinquishing her baby for adoption after giving birth.

But then something wonderful happened! When Thuong was 7 months pregnant, a friend introduced her to a local Holt social worker, who enrolled her in a program for single pregnant women supported by Holt donors. Through the program, Thuong received food and nutritional support for the remaining months of her pregnancy, as well as baby essentials such as clothes, diapers and formula — gifts for new mothers provided through Holt’s Gifts of Hope program. The costs of her pre- and post-natal doctor exams were also covered, as were her hospital fees for the birth of her child.

In November 2021, Thuong gave birth to a healthy baby boy she named Thanh. After leaving the hospital, she and her son returned to her family home, where her parents and grandparents helped care for them.

Then, when Thanh was 7 months old, Thuong began working at her mother’s food stall. With her baby at her side, Thuong washed vegetables, grilled pork paste and meat, and helped her mother sell food. Though the women worked long hours, they earned roughly 8 U.S. dollars a day. Although this amount stretches much further in Vietnam than it does in the U.S., it was still barely enough to feed the entire family.

That’s when Thuong decided to supplement the family income by learning to make Vietnamese-style “hot dog” cakes. She took orders for the hot dogs online, then delivered them herself to customers around the city. Lacking the funds to make large quantities of food, Thuong sold about 25 hot dogs a day. After deducting her expenses, Thuong earned less than 4 U.S. dollars per day — but this amount increased her income enough to meet some additional needs, and she began to grow excited about having her own business!

And that’s when the generosity of Holt donors came through again! This time, Thuong received a food cart through Holt’s Gifts of Hope, as well as funds to purchase baking ingredients.  

These days, Thuong operates her food cart in front of her grandparents’ house. It’s open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Although her income is still modest, Thuong is now able to pay for her son’s preschool fees and meals at school, helping him get an early education and the nourishment he needs to thrive. Thanks to the generosity of Holt donors, Thuong has big dreams for her son — and for her own future!

Empower a mother to start her own business by providing her with a food cart!

Financial Literacy Training in Uganda

In the rural villages of Uganda where Holt sponsors and donors support children and families, women now have the opportunity to break the cycle of generational poverty. In these villages, Holt has been leading savings groups that teach parents, particularly mothers, how to earn money and save together. Through financial literacy training, these women learn as a community how to make and sell goods, grow crops, buy and raise livestock, and become businesswomen in the hopes of bettering themselves and supporting their families.

With a small initial investment from Holt donors, these groups of women pool their money together and are then able to take out loans from the group to grow their business or address an urgent need such as a home repair. They pay the money back on a schedule, thus replenishing the fund so other women can borrow as needed. Some Holt savings groups have existed for more than five years — helping the families weather the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without the savings and loan groups, many of their businesses would not have survived financially — and they would have struggled to afford food and other basic necessities for their children.

Beyond financial stability, the savings groups have offered women a sense of pride in their accomplishments. For example, in one rural community, the members of one group named themselves the “Group of Happy Parents.” That’s because their savings have gone towards buying livestock, starting microbusinesses, and paying for their children’s school fees and uniforms. When mothers are able to care for their children, they are happy parents indeed!

Empower a mother to break the cycle of generational poverty with job skills training!

Mother’s Day Gifts That Matter

Honor a mom you love with a Gift of Hope that changes the life of a mom across the world!

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The post So Their Children Can Thrive appeared first on Holt International.

Dai lives with his elderly grandmother in a small charity home on the property of a church. Inside, it’s dark with no windows. And they don’t have many belongings.

When we visit in early December, his grandmother sits on the edge of her bed in the front room. Her eyes are sad as she shares about the injury that keeps her from working, and being able to provide for her grandson.

A year ago, she was selling lottery tickets on the side of the road — a means of miniscule income akin to panhandling, commonly seen in Vietnam among those who have no other way to earn a living. A motorbike hit her, shattering her leg. It easily could have done more harm to her very fragile frame.

Dai, by contrast, is tall with an athletic build. He has black hair and a wide smile. He’s softspoken as he sits next to his grandmother, sharing about himself, his life and his dreams.

“He speaks very well, very intelligently,” says Huong Nguyen, Holt Vietnam’s country director, who translates for him during our visit.

Dai is 17 years old. He likes playing sports — basketball, soccer and badminton. He loves to read, and he loves studying geography. His grandmother says he’s very responsible, doing most of the housework and cooking since her injury. He comes home as soon as he can after school to take care of her.

“I had difficulties before Holt’s support,” Dai says. “The biggest difficulty is that it’s only me living with my grandmother.”

Dai has two older brothers. One lives nearby and visit somewhat regularly, but he’s not in contact with his other brother. His parents got divorced when he was just 1 year old. When this happened, they both moved away and left him with his grandmother. They don’t send any money home to help his grandmother raise him.

Dai and his grandmother have always struggled to get by. But after the motorbike accident, things took a turn for worse.

“I would have to save my breakfast money and use it for school fees,” Dai says. It was a desperate attempt to cover the cost of school supplies, tutoring, student health insurance and other school fees required to continue his education. But the breakfast money alone wasn’t enough. He was on the edge of having to drop out of school entirely.

He needed help. And then, one day, help came… in the form of a Holt sponsor.

Child Sponsorship in Vietnam

In every province where we have programs, Holt’s team in Vietnam works closely with the local government. The government refers children and families to Holt who they’ve identified as living below the national poverty line. While the government provides as much aid as possible, they can rarely provide all the help a child needs to thrive, or even have their basic needs met.  

This is where Holt comes in.

In Vietnam, as in all Holt programs around the world, our local team or partner staff implements a personalized, case-managed approach for each child and family. This means a Holt social worker meets with the child and every member of their family. They get to know them, assess their biggest needs. They make a plan to help, and then continue meeting with the child and family for years into the future, ensuring their success.

“We discuss the solutions with them,” Huong says, “and that’s why the program is effective and sustainable.”

This level of help goes beyond what most governments, and even other nonprofit organizations, can offer. It requires a lot more resources. But it’s also the best, most sustainable way to help a child. And it’s only possible due to the compassion and incredible generosity of Holt’s child sponsors.

“Sponsorship is focusing on children,” Huong says. “And it’s a relationship between the donors and the children, a direct relationship.”

Still in School, Because of Sponsorship

When Dai got matched with his sponsor, things immediately got better. His sponsor helped cover his school fees. And not only did Dai not have to drop out of school, but he didn’t have to worry about the money required to attend anymore. He used his breakfast money for the nourishing food he needed, and he didn’t go to school hungry anymore.

“I can pay the school fees right away,” Dai says. “And I can buy books as I want or I need.” 

And Dai loves books. Lately he’s been getting lots of books about geography, his favorite subject. He is one of the top geography students in his entire province, and he will soon take a competitive exam on the topic. 

“I was not very good at geography before,” Dai says about his life before he was enrolled in Holt’s child sponsorship program. But now, without the financial worry, he’s able to follow this passion.

“[Now] I have more books to learn more from and focus on geography and also improve my knowledge of geography,” Dai says.

Thanks to his sponsor, Dai is absolutely excelling in school.

Additionally, sponsorship opens the door for a child to be known, and for their needs to be known. So when new difficulties arise, they can be helped. Already in the past year, this has happened in two big ways for Dai.

The Extra Help He Needed

When Dai first entered Holt’s child sponsorship program, his Holt social worker saw that he needed safe transportation to and from school. He used to walk a half hour to and from school each day. Holt Vietnam communicated this need with Holt’s team in the U.S. Soon, a donor made it possible to give him a Gift of Hope that made his life and getting to school so much easier — a bicycle! Now, he gets to school on his bike in less than ten minutes and uses the time saved to study or go to the library.

He keeps the bicycle safely inside the front room of his house, easily accessible for his ride to school each day.

Not only does being a part of Holt’s child sponsorship program help meet his basic needs, but it goes above and beyond to make his life better.

Another of Dai’s needs was recently met on the spot, the last time his Holt social worker visited him at home — along with our team that visited in December.

Sponsorship Makes All The Difference

“I cannot see in the distance, not even two meters,” Dai says during the visit. “I think I need glasses.”

But the cost of an eye exam and glasses, just $40 USD, is more than he and his grandmother could ever afford — even though it poses a serious safety risk as he rides his bike to school.

But once again, this is where the safety net of child sponsorship makes all the difference.

Immediately, Dai’s social worker pulls his grandmother aside to talk to her. They coordinate a time for Dai to go to the eye doctor — the very next day. His social worker finds a Holt donor who happily covers the cost of his exam and glasses — a Gift of Hope that will drastically change his life.

A day later, Dai is proudly wearing his brand-new black rimmed glasses — looking every bit the scholar that he is.

A Clear Future

Dai starts gathering his school bag, and pulls his bike out of the front room. He has to go back to school soon for an exam.

This young man is smart, driven and passionate about his future. But the reality is that Dai’s motivation and intelligence likely wouldn’t have been enough. Poverty steals potential. But child sponsorship can stand in the gap.

Dai’s sponsor, and gifts from other generous Holt donors, have helped meet some of his biggest needs. Help came at just the right time, and it is helping him to achieve his dreams.

“I want to be an environmental engineer,” Dai says. “I want to learn more about the environment and natural resources management and conservations for Vietnam to improve the living environment for the people. I think environment is very important, especially clean air. It’s difficult to really have a good quality of life [without it], and [we need] sustainable development.”

He’s only 17, but when you hear about Dai’s dreams, it’s easy to believe that this dream is exactly what he’s going to achieve. And now, he can see it too…

Just like his eyesight, Dai’s future used to be a bit blurry. He couldn’t see far ahead. He didn’t know if he would eat breakfast before school the next day. He didn’t even know if he would get to keep going to school.

But now, his future is clear. And thanks to his Holt sponsors, he has the support and resources to achieve whatever he puts his mind to.

Become a Child Sponsor

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The post His Future Is Clear appeared first on Holt International.

You’re amazing! Through your heartfelt giving in 2024, you helped make a tremendous difference in the lives of over one million children, families and individuals around the world. Whether you provided regular support as a monthly child sponsor, gave on Giving Tuesday to help a girl go to school and stay safe from child trafficking and early marriage, helped a child with special needs receive the care they need to thrive through the Molly Holt Fund or helped meet one of our president’s year-end priorities for children in greatest need, you brought hope and opportunity to the lives of many of the world’s most vulnerable children and families. Keep reading to learn about some of the specific ways that your gifts to Holt made a difference in 2024!

While much of Holt’s work is community-based, your gifts also provided direct care and services to over 431,000 children this past year. Designed to provide the exact help a child needs at the time they need it, this kind of direct care includes everything from emergency food and safe shelter for a family in crisis to surgery or needed medical treatment for a child with special healthcare needs to foster care and social work support to help a child reunite with their family or join a family through adoption.

In 2024, you helped 181 children join permanent, loving families through adoption — 110 of them through international adoption, and 71 through domestic, in-country adoption to families living in the child’s country of birth. Overall, 95% of children adopted internationally were older than age 5, part of a sibling group or had at least some minor special needs. This past year, 65% of children placed internationally had moderate or major physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities. And while the number of children with complex special needs joining adoptive families internationally has increased, so has the number of older children. This past year, 64% of children were older than 5 at the time they joined their families — and 29% were between the ages of 10-18! This shift is a truly wonderful development for children who in prior years would watch as younger, healthier children left the orphanage to join families, while they stayed behind with little hope of ever being adopted. Your support of advocacy programs for older children like Holt’s Thailand and Philippines special needs programs — and the Colombia hosting program — has helped make this shift possible.

Today, the overall cost of international adoption exceeds the actual fees and expenses required to complete the process. This is one key reason why so many agencies have closed their doors in recent years. It’s only through the generous support of donors like you that Holt is able to continue this vitally important practice for children who cannot remain or reunite with their birth families, or join domestic adoptive families in their country of birth Thank you for supporting this vitally important path to a family for children who would otherwise grow up in, and age out of, orphanages overseas.

Visit our waiting child photolisting to learn about the more than 200 children waiting for families who are older or have complex special needs — and how you can begin the process to adopt, or support their journey to a family!

For children growing up in orphanages around the world, Holt stands by our belief that joining a family through adoption is the last, best option for them. For these children, an adoptive family provides the attentive, nurturing care that they need to achieve critical developmental milestones and to reach their potential in life. Countless studies have shown the detrimental emotional and developmental effects that long-term institutionalization has on children, and this is compounded for children who already have special medical or developmental needs — as is the case for many of the children growing up in orphanages overseas. This is why we stand by our commitment to continue international adoption for children in an ever-changing and increasingly challenging landscape.

But we also firmly believe that every child should have the chance to grow up in their birth family, and birth culture, whenever possible. Before we ever pursue adoption for a child, we first strive to help them grow up in the loving care of their birth family.  For children living in orphanages, this often means a long social work process to identify their immediate or extended family and explore the possibility of reunification. And in 2024, with donor support, Holt teams around the world helped reunite 302 children with their birth families — a significant number when you consider the time and resource-intensive work that goes into identifying relatives and ensuring children can thrive in their care.

But everywhere we work, our first goal is always to prevent family separation in the first place. And with the generous support of sponsors and donors, 29,023 children who were at risk of separation were able to remain in the loving care of their families in 2024. With support tailored to each individual child and family, you helped provide everything from clothing, warm bedding, safe housing and school supplies to livestock for nourishing food and income. In 2024, 4,405 individuals also participated in Holt-supported economic empowerment programs, including job skills training, education in how to grow gardens or tend livestock, financial literacy training, village savings and loan groups and other innovative programs that empower families to generate a stable income and independently support their children.

With generous donor support, 4,817 adoptees and families received support from Holt’s post-adoption services team in 2024 — 1,264 more than in 2023. While this shows greater success in outreach to those needing support, it also underscores the tremendous need for post-adoption services among those touched by adoption. In 2024, we saw an increased need for assistance with citizenship and documentation, in addition to other services such as birth search support, counseling referrals and post-adoption parent education through our PACE program. Over the summer, over 180 campers attended Holt Adoptee Camp in Oregon, Wisconsin and New Jersey — a unique program designed to build adoptee community and help adoptee youth explore their identity alongside campers and counselors who share the unique experience of growing up adopted. After a five-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we resumed our counselor-in-training program to help recruit more Holt Adoptee Camp counselors. Our post-adoption team also held an adoptee networking event designed to introduce adoptees to each other and local adoptee organizations that hold events, community support groups and education. With more than 50 attendees, this event also gave adoptees the opportunity to access and review their original adoption file with a member of Holt’s post-adoption team — rather than sending them a digital copy. Returning original documents is a great step for adoptees to reclaim and honor their identity and history.

In many countries around the world, an education is not a right. It is a privilege. Children living in poverty do not have access to a free public education system and equal opportunity to achieve their goals. The cost of fees, uniforms and supplies required for school mean that parents may have to choose between feeding their child — or giving them the opportunity to learn and one day, escape the cycle of poverty. Often, children drop out of school to work and help earn income for their family. In some cases, girls as young as 12 or 13 are married off and when they do, their formal education ends. But for over 22,500 children and young adults this past year, you helped them stay on the path to completing their education, leaving a life of poverty, and following their dreams.

Whether you provided monthly support for school fees and supplies as a child sponsor, gave a scholarship through Gifts of Hope or supported our Giving Tuesday campaign to help girls go to school, you helped provide the support and resources needed for 21,356 children to receive an education in 2024! Additionally, donors like you helped 1,211 young adults growing up in poverty or in orphanages to pursue higher education — including through our ILEA program for children aging out of orphanage care in the Philippines. By empowering children through education, you also help protect them from trafficking, abuse, child labor and other dangers that increase exponentially when children are out of school. Thank you for keeping children safe and making their dreams possible in 2024!

In the impoverished communities where you support children, food security continues to be a major concern. Children arrive at school hungry and tired, without lunch, and go home unsure if their family will eat a full meal before bed. But because of you, over 195,000 children received the nourishing food they need to thrive in 2024.

Whether you gave emergency food to a family in crisis, supported a preschool program that provides free lunch or provided a cow, goat or garden for a family to produce their own food, your gifts provided the essential nutrition that children and families need to grow strong and healthy and work toward a better life. In total, Holt sponsors and donors provided a staggering 2,361,064 meals to hungry children and families in 2024.

In 2024, Holt also celebrated 10 years of our Child Nutrition Program, a multifaceted effort that seeks to strengthen nutrition and feeding practices for vulnerable children living in orphanages, foster homes and impoverished communities across the globe. What started as a pilot program in two locations in India has since expanded to eight countries, serving more than 55,000 children over the past decade.

Holt’s specialized care and support for children with disabilities is one way that our programs are unique from other organizations around the world. Many of the children you support through Holt programs have special healthcare needs or disabilities. In 2024, you helped 2,280 children with disabilities to live fuller, happier lives. In Vietnam, you provided special education and an outreach program in a community where children with disabilities would otherwise stay home all day. In Mongolia, you helped support a program that helps children with disabilities living in impoverished communities to access the specialized resources they need. Through Gifts of Hope, you helped provide adaptive equipment like wheelchairs and hearing aids. And through Holt’s pioneering Child Nutrition Program, you provided the resources to train 15,554 caregivers and parents in how to properly feed children with disabilities so that they are able to receive the full nutrition they need to thrive. 

Through your kind and generous donations in 2024, 3,692 children living in orphanages, group homes, kinship or foster families received the essential food, clothing and medical care they needed, in addition to safe places to live and nurturing care from devoted caregivers.

Holt’s kinship and foster care programs provide more nurturing, family-like care for children who would otherwise live in institutions. Through kinship care, sponsors and donors provide the support children need to live with a family member —  if not a birth parent, then possibly an aunt, uncle or grandparent who can provide loving, attentive care. In many cases, children living in foster care are waiting to rejoin their birth families or join a family through domestic or international adoption. These highly trained and loving foster families provide the one-on-one care, attention, and social and physical development children need to reach critical developmental milestones — and thrive once they join a permanent family.

Whether you helped provide routine health screenings through Holt’s Child Health Days in rural Uganda or a life-changing surgery for a child with a special medical need, your generous donations helped provide vital healthcare for 131,914 children in 2024. As children need caregivers who are healthy and equipped to give them attentive, engaged care, your donations also helped provide medical care for 111,215 parents and family members.

Around the world, children are often sick when they first enter orphanage care. Sometimes this has to do with underlying medical conditions or special needs. Sometimes it has to do with the impoverished conditions they lived in before coming into care. Sometimes it’s because they routinely experienced hunger. Often, it’s a combination of all three. This was true for one 2-year-old girl living in an orphanage in India who donors helped this past year. But thanks to Holt sponsors and donors like you, she received the medical care, nutritious food and therapies she needed to become healthy again.

In 2024, you and your fellow donors gave 5,456 Gifts of Hope to children and families in need around the world. You gave food for hungry children, shoes to keep children’s feet warm, dry and protected on their long walk to school, an egg a day to provide vital protein to growing kids, and livestock likes goats, chickens and cows to nourish families and provide vital income when they sell the offspring. You provided school scholarships for children who might not otherwise go to school, as well as the books and supplies they needed to succeed. You gave the gift of nurturing foster care to children waiting for a permanent, loving family, and urgently needed orphanage supplies like diapers, cribs and blankets. You empowered single mothers to earn income for their family through the gift of job skills training or a small business microgrant. You gave Christmas and birthday gifts to children whose families or caregivers can’t afford to provide gifts on these holidays. And you gave to Holt’s Where Most Needed fund to make it possible for our staff and partners in the field to meet immediate, vital needs of children and families that might otherwise go unmet.

Thank you for your heartfelt gifts to children and families in need in 2024. We can’t wait to partner with you again in 2025!

Help a Child in Greatest Need

Give emergency help to a child who is hungry, sick or living in dangerous conditions. Your gift will provide the critical food, medical care, safety and more they need when they need it the most.

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The post See the Difference You Made in 2024 appeared first on Holt International.

Thuong is a young single mother who lives with her son in a small city in Vietnam. When Thuong was an infant, her parents worked long hours and had little time to care for her, so they sent her to live with her paternal grandparents. They visited every few days, but life was difficult as the family struggled to cover their basic needs. When Thuong was 18, she left home to find work in Ho Chi Minh City. There, she located a job selling dietary supplements, earning a salary of about 255 U.S. dollars a month.

Thuong remained in Ho Chi Minh City for several years, and when she turned 24, she began a relationship that lasted nearly a year. But in April 2021, with the cloud of COVID-19 threatening to shut down the city, Thuong left her job — and her boyfriend — to return to her hometown.

Two weeks after returning to her family home, Thuong found out she was 13 weeks pregnant.

A Gift of Hope for New Mothers

Thuong immediately called her boyfriend to share the news, and while at first he agreed to take responsibility for the child and marry her, he soon changed his mind. Heartbroken, Thuong became worried about her finances, her health and the health of her unborn baby, especially as COVID-19 continued to shut down services in Vietnam. Fearing a life of poverty and social stigma as a single mother, Thuong considered relinquishing her baby for adoption after giving birth.

But then something wonderful happened! When Thuong was 7 months pregnant, a friend introduced her to a local Holt social worker. She was immediately enrolled in a program for single pregnant women supported by Holt donors. Through the program, Thuong received food and nutritional support for the remaining months of her pregnancy, as well as baby essentials such as clothes, diapers and formula — gifts for new mothers provided through Holt’s Gifts of Hope program. The costs of her pre- and post-natal doctor exams were also covered, as were her hospital fees for the birth of her child.

In November 2021, Thuong gave birth to a healthy baby boy she named Thanh. After leaving the hospital, she and her son returned to her family home, where her parents and grandparents helped care for them. As needed, Thuong’s social worker also dropped in from time to time to offer support.

A Gift of Hope for a New Business

In 2022, as the pandemic began to subside and Vietnam reopened, Thuong started working at her mother’s food stall. With her 7-month-old baby at her side, Thuong washed vegetables, grilled pork paste and meat, and helped her mother sell food. Though the women worked long hours, they earned roughly 8 U.S. dollars a day. Although this amount stretches much further in Vietnam than it does in the U.S., it was still barely enough to feed the entire family.

That’s when Thuong decided to supplement the family income by learning to make Vietnamese-style “hot dog” cakes, filled with cheese, sausage, pork or salted eggs. She took orders for the hot dogs online, then delivered them herself to customers around the city. Lacking the funds to make large quantities of food, Thuong sold about 25 hot dogs a day. After deducting her expenses, Thuong earned less than 4 U.S. dollars per day — but this amount increased her income enough to meet some additional needs, and she began to grow excited about having her own business!

And then another wonderful thing happened! The generosity of Holt donors came through again. This time, Thuong received a food cart through Holt’s Gifts of Hope, as well as funds to purchase an LED sign for her business and money for baking ingredients, such as flour, baking powder, whole milk, cheese, sausage, salted eggs and butter.  

These days, Thuong operates her food cart in front of her grandparents’ house. It’s open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Although her income is still modest, at about 5 U.S. dollars a day, Thuong believes that over time, more and more customers will learn about her delicious hot dogs, and, through word of mouth, her business will grow. In the meantime, Thuong uses part of her earnings to pay for her son’s daycare and meals at school, and this makes her very happy.

Moving forward, Thuong has two dreams in life. The first is that Thanh grows up to be a healthy, kind, helpful and capable little boy. And the second is that her business becomes stable enough to support her family and her son’s needs. Despite her hardships in life, Thuong has always had a strong, positive attitude, a willingness to learn and a drive to overcome challenges, her Holt social worker shares. But thanks to your support — and Gifts of Hope — Thuong was able to welcome a healthy baby into the world, become more independent and have a dream for the future. For these things and more, Thuong sincerely thanks her Holt donors!

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The post Thanks to You, Thuong Has a Food Cart! appeared first on Holt International.