The program which granted 50 scholarships supporting needy students in Binh Minh district, Vinh Long province, Vietnam, to take their university entrance exams was the IMM Group’s largest charitable activity in 2012 after many years of the company’s programs in this area.
Futures not assured due to unfulfilled dreams
The idea of granting scholarships to needy students came to Mr. Tran Van Tinh (Tony Tinh), the IMM Group’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, when he saw that many rural grade 12 general education program students had to abandon their opportunities to go to university to make a living instead. In Binh Minh district, Mr. Tinh’s birthplace, many students have graduated their high school programs with high scores but decided to stop their education to work to support their families. Moved by these heartrending stories, Mr. Tinh said, “For needy students, finishing their high school programs is really a difficult turning-point. Taking university entrance exams and maintaining their dreams of studying in lecture halls are things which they all wish for. However, a lot of needy students do not even have enough money to pay for their trips to the cities to take their university entrance exams, let alone the wish of affording the entire period of four or five years of studies far away from their homes.”
Thanks to his willingness to help these needy students, Mr. Tinh established this scholarship-granting program, reasoning that if these students have the chance to take and pass their university entrance exams, they will have more motivation and hope for their future. At this time, universities and their society will cooperate to help them in various ways, and they themselves will be able to get extra jobs to pay for their school fees. If they decide not to take the entrance exams and go to work early instead, it will be difficult for them to have a bright future. Mr. Tinh believes that his support at this turning point is essential and significant for them.
The scholarship-granting ceremony
The program helping needy students to take university entrance exams has been welcomed by the local government, and has seen the participation of nearly 20 representatives, including the chairman of the commune, a high school principals, a representative from the Study Encouragement Society, and teachers. On behalf of the company, Mr. Tran Van Tinh (Tony Tinh) and Mr. Lim Chor Ghee (the IMM Group’s co-founder and high-ranking consultant), personally granted 50 scholarships to needy students whose high school finals results were excellent so they could take their university entrance exams. With this money, their families were able to live despite the expenses of their children’s exams.
Right after the scholarship-granting ceremony, Mr. Tinh and Mr. Chor Ghee shared their own experiences of overcoming difficulties and rising in life to their current success. Mr. Tinh said to the students, “To rise from misery and change your lives, each of you has to be patient, and strive much harder. Trials at university are just a small part of a lot of difficulties ahead of you. So, you have to make more great effort to build a bright future for yourself and your families.”
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