COVID-19: The Poignant Message from Mom to Daughter as Schools Stay Closed in Vietnam

“My life has lost a bit of sunshine.”

Thuy, a parent at OneSky’s Early Learning Center (ELC) in Da Nang, Vietnam has shared a poignant message to the child she’s missing as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) school closures.

Like all parents at the ELC, mom Thuy left her rural hometown to find work in the city. For rural migrants without nearby family, childcare can be a major problem. However, an ELC placement was a dream come true for Thuy. Then, over a month ago, the preschool closed as part of Vietnam’s efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.

This week Thuy shared a note to her 3-year-old daughter Van with ELC teachers. Van has been taken to the countryside to stay with grandparents until school opens again.

Thuy writes:

The Early Learning Center opened in 2017 and cares for over 250 children whose parents work in the surrounding factory zone.

Read more about OneSky’s work in Vietnam here.

Since the schools closed after the Lunar New Year holiday, many parents have either had to take annual, turn down shifts or send children away to live with far-flung relatives

“We are in full support of the decision to close the schools,” said OneSky Vietnam Program Director Hien Vo. “But we also miss the children so much. This is all about looking after them, so we hope that they are staying active and healthy.

“All working parents need childcare. Everyone is being strong and working together, we can be so proud of that.”