Vietnamese nuns bring hope to Hmong children

Sister Mary Ta Thi Thu Hai holds Michael Lo A Thong, a Hmong infant, in her arms, saying nice things to him and coaxing him into playing with other children at Lao Chai parish house. Thong misses his mother and his loud cry makes other children cry.

“Thong always weeps for his mother and refuses to do things with others even though he has been here for nearly two months,” Sister Hai, who is fluent in the Hmong language, said while feeding the 28-month-old child.

“We work very hard here all day to look after the children as one child crying makes others cry and even relieve themselves on the spot.” 

Two Lovers of the Holy Cross of Hung Hoa sisters and two Hmong teachers serve some 30 ethnic children at the parish house in Lao Cai province’s Sa Pa district. They use part of the house to care for the children.

Before being sent to the daycare house, by tradition their mothers carry them on their backs or against their chests all day while they are working on farms, doing housework and attending Mass at church. Children have no opportunity to get away from their mothers and meet other people.

Sister Hai, who has worked in the area for 10 years, said Hmong children are not fed and put to bed on time. They relieve themselves in any place. Free-ranging dogs and pigs eat their waste.

They suffer digestive problems, respiratory ailments, malnutrition and boils which kill many. Many weigh only 8 kilograms and cannot feed themselves.

She said local people who live in poverty have large families with 6-7 children, usually just one or two years older than one another. Their parents who work on farms fail to bring up them properly.

Teresa Giang Thi Khu, 29, said she has six children, the youngest aged nine months. She sends a 2-year old son to the parish house. The nuns also offer free food to her other three children as she cannot afford to feed them.

“It takes us 3-4 months to help children become familiar with their new environment. We have them follow a timetable of eating, sleeping and playing games,” Sister Hai said. The children are also taught how to queue up, clap their hands, dance, sing and use potties. “We have to care of them as their mothers,” she said.

Children are daily given free food and education at the house from Mondays to Fridays.

The nun said children study at the house until they reach three years old, when they are sent to a public nursery school where they are given free education by law.

“Here we try to save children from malnutrition and prepare them to live with other people, follow school timetables, relieve themselves in the right place and wash their hands before they enter the public school,” she said.

Hmong women carry their children on their backs to attend Mass at Lao Chai chapel. (Photo: UCA News)

Helping working mothers

The nuns started to take care of children four years ago to help ethnic mothers have more time to work on farms, look after other children and especially take a rest. Many pregnant women are seen carrying their children on their backs and being surrounded by other children with dirty and bare bodies.

Sister Mary Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, who works with Sister Hai, said she gathers some 250 children at Lao Chai chapel and teaches them hymns, the catechism, good behavior and human values before Sunday Mass. They are also given free breakfast.

Sister Huyen said the parish lacks facilities, so she has to teach all of them at one time in the wooden chapel.

The nun, who was assigned to Lao Chai parish three years ago, encourages ethnic children to enter higher education so that they can get good jobs and escape poverty.

She said many children drop out of school when they do not finish secondary school even though they are given free education by the government. They have to look after their siblings at home or get married by tradition.

“We often visit their families and provide them with rice and clothes so that their children can go to school,” she said.

The nuns talk with churchgoers about their work, health and family after Sunday Mass.

Sister Huyen, who also offers free medicine to local people, said the parish has not been recognized by the government, so all its activities are held within church facilities.

Four other sisters serve at the subparishes of Su Pan and Thon Ly, with two nuns at each. They organize pastoral activities, manage chapels and help those in need. 

Sister Huyen said the nuns suffer illnesses due to the winter weather. “Our limbs are red and swollen after traveling by motorbike on muddy paths to visit Catholic communities in cold weather. We treat ourselves by putting our hands and legs in warm water,” she said, adding that they wear gloves, socks and three or four layers of winter clothes. 

Other Lovers of the Holy Cross of Hung Hoa sisters based in the mountainous provinces of Dien Bien, Son La and Yen Bai run three hostels for nearly 200 Hmong children who are given free food and accommodation.

Many of them graduate from local colleges, have good jobs and take active part in parish activities and evangelization. Some pursue priestly and religious vocations.

“We try our best to improve their material and spiritual lives and hope the younger generations will have a brighter future,” Sister Huyen said with smile.