By Sr. Myriam Theresa Như Trang, Vietnam (Province of Easy Asia)
“After exhausting hours in small workshops, after night shifts that cost them their childhoods, the Khmer children in Vinh Loc finally had a day to laugh, to play, and to paint their very own dreams…”
On May 3, 2026, the sweltering heat of Vĩnh Lộc in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam felt different as our sisters arrived at a small alley nestled behind the factory walls to pay a surprise Easter visit to the local Khmer children. For a while, this cramped alley became a playground as around 40 children of Cambodian heritage gathered with their parents and other residents.
Behind the children’s smiles were stories of displacement and sorrow. Most of the children who took part in the event come from difficult backgrounds. Having left Cambodia with their parents in search of work, their families now live temporarily in cramped rented rooms or inside small-scale production workshops.
For many of these children, working to earn money is something they became accustomed to at a very young age. They are often expected to help with workshop chores or take on hired work alongside their parents, contributing whatever they can so that their families can scrape together enough money to get by.
Because of language barriers and limited access to education, many children do not know how to calculate their wages or fully understand the value of their labor. This gap in knowledge leaves them vulnerable to unfair treatment and exploitation.
Over time, night shifts have drained their strength, leaving them with little or no energy or time to rest, play, or simply be children. In their rare free moments, their world often shrinks to a smartphone screen. Without guidance, support, or a healthy environment, they gradually withdraw and face increasing difficulty communicating with others.
Young girls living in the workshops carry an even heavier burden. They face greater risks of violence, abuse, and early school dropout, often because they lack the knowledge or ability to defend themselves and because the adults around them have limited awareness of these dangers. For many parents, the daily struggle to secure food and income is so pressing that their children’s education is rarely treated as a priority.
Aware of these hidden realities, our sisters, partners-in-mission, volunteers, and benefactors worked together to create this event as a safe space where the children could try to forget about the hardship of their lives.
One of the most moving moments of the day was the ‘Dream Egg’ decorating activity. At first, the children were shy and hesitant due to the language barrier. But gradually, their little hands, still marked by hard work, began to hold paintbrushes and cover the eggs with color. Little by little, they opened up, sharing paints and paintbrushes with each other and ideas about how they would paint their eggs – and even what they hoped for the future.
The afternoon ended with a small meal and little gifts for each of the children. For our sisters and partners at the event, the priceless gift was seeing the children’s eyes sparkle and hearing their unrestrained laughter.
Yet after these brief moments of happiness, the sisters’ serious concerns about the situation persist. The need for a healthy environment, access to education support, and life skills training for Khmer children in this area is urgent. To help them break the cycle of generational poverty, a one-off event is not enough. What is needed is long-term accompaniment and support from the wider community.
There is still a long journey ahead to provide the support these children need, and we look forward to continuing to walk with them – and all those who share our mission – as we seek to offer these children in need concrete opportunities to transform their lives.
