Hope School students display their handmade coasters and drawstring bags. Suffering the loss of parents, they are devoting themselves to their studies. (Photo by Nguyen Van Anh)

From tragedy to hope: Vietnam school for COVID orphans becomes their home

Overcoming hardship, kids study STEM subjects, AI, languages, baseball and music

YUJI NITTA and MAI NGUYEN

August 17, 2025 07:16 JST

DANANG, Vietnam -- Vo Ba Thong, 15, lost his father to COVID-19. His mother was also infected with the virus. She survived but lost her job. With debt piling up and a younger sibling now under the care of his single parent, Thong applied to the Hope School in a bid to lessen her burden.