This year, university entrance exam candidates at five testing locations of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the University of Natural Sciences will receive over 500 free meals and drinks on July 9th and 10th. The person behind this generous gesture is Le Dieu Ngoc Linh, a former student of the 50th cohort of the Faculty of Literature (part-time program), currently a reporter for Television Magazine.
Ms. Linh shared that in 2012, when she was trying to find accommodation for her family members taking the university entrance exam in Hanoi, she was very upset by the fact that many candidates and their families couldn't find food and lodging and were even overcharged by restaurant and guesthouse owners. Many families from distant provinces who traveled to Hanoi for their children to take the exam had unpleasant experiences during the hottest days in the capital. Ms. Linh has been nurturing the idea of doing something with her friends and relatives to support the candidates during this year's university entrance exam.
During the first three days of the university entrance exams, Ms. Linh and her friends cooked 100 meals to serve at the exam site at the University of Construction. Seeing the positive response and the effectiveness of this initiative, Ms. Linh appealed to many benefactors for sponsorship and collaborated with the San Ho Do restaurant (135 Luong Dinh Cua, Hanoi) to cook 500 meals to support candidates and their families at five exam sites of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the University of Natural Sciences on July 9th and 10th. From the morning of July 8th, Ms. Linh and her volunteer team were present at the exam sites from 6 am to distribute free meal vouchers.
Ngoc Linh said with joy, "I never expected my plan to receive so much support. Some contributed labor, some contributed money, some even donated a truckload of vegetables, and others contributed a few kilograms of meat. Thanks to that, we were able to prepare hearty, delicious, and hygienic meals. When we delivered them to the candidates and their families at the exam sites, they were very happy and surprised."
“I realized that everyone has a kind heart and a desire to help others in difficult circumstances. Especially during the university entrance exam, which is of great interest to society, many individuals and organizations want to do something to help the candidates, hoping to support and encourage them and their families. This is because they understand the hardships of parents and see their own children reflected in it,” Ms. Linh affirmed.
However, the female reporter also felt saddened that many people expressed skepticism and were unwilling to accept the meals that she and others had worked so hard to prepare. Therefore, she hopes that individuals and organizations with this beautiful idea can cooperate to expand this activity, standardize it, and build trust among candidates and their families.