“If I hadn’t been an IT engineer, I would have got married when I was 18”, Bdao – an IT engineer stated. Behind the statement, there was actually a story about her journey of escaping her fate.
When Home Life was Hard, the Strong Will was Forged
Growing up in a Giarai ethnic group, the fear of hunger became an obsession in Bdao’s childhood. Like most of the people there, her parents worked hard in the paddy fields all day long, but their income was just under 2 dollars which was not enough to raise 5 family members. Because the threat of being hungry was always present in the village, few people paid attention to accessing education. There was no doubt that the illiteracy rate was very high there. To earn money as fast as possible, the best option was to drop out of school and either work or get married. However, Bdao always thought that was a bad idea. For her, education could change her fate and lift her out of poverty.
A Turning Point in Life at PNV
Although Bdao had a strong desire to pursue higher education, her poor background and the unconscious gender bias in her community prevented her dream from coming true. Her community had prejudiced thoughts running through their minds which often favored boys over girls for investing in education. She was aware that girls were more likely to be disadvantaged than boys, which motivated her to find help from the world outside of her village.
Incidentally, Bdao knew PNV was an organization that provided three years of free IT vocational training for disadvantaged students, so she decided to grab the chance at all costs. Thanks to her strong passion, she passed the selection process at PNV and became a PNV student.
Bdao shared that “PNV opened a new world to me. Everything at PNV was so different from my home. I was loved by teachers and friends there and I was able to immerse myself in the digital world, which I hadn’t thought of before. There was no disparity between female and male students; between students in ethnic groups. The teachers took care of all of us very well, which helped me get over being homesick.”
However, Bdao encountered several challenges that made her question whether to continue her journey. Learning IT was particularly difficult for her. She had limited exposure to computers. Also, gender stereotypes suggesting girls were not skilled in math and logic intelligence also affected her motivation. Moreover, three years of learning was a long time for her. She could not help her parents with the family income while her peers were about to start making money.
PNV teachers were there to help. They guided Bdao to develop a positive mindset, identify long-term goals, and overcome barriers. At the same time, she was inspired to be an independent woman when being mentored by female speakers at workshops of PNV. Those women were her role models with a vibe of confidence, intelligence, and decisiveness. Motivated to inspire others, she worked hard to improve her academics and skills. Her efforts paid off as she graduated with distinction and was chosen to deliver a speech at the PNV graduation ceremony.
Her Effort has Paid Off
Bdao proudly highlighted her training in IT, English, and professional skills, which opened up numerous high-paying job opportunities for her after graduation. Her hard work paid off as she was able to build a new house for her parents and initiate inspiring social projects that motivated younger generations in her village to pursue education.
“As the only girl from my Giarai community working in the IT industry, I now have a more stable income compared to my friends who are starting their families. My worries about unemployment and lack of food have disappeared, but I am more concerned about other vulnerable people in society. Looking back on my journey, gender equality in technology at PNV is a meaningful gift not only for me but also for society. That is why I always think about how I can join hands to bridge the gender gap in technology.”
Pay It Forward for a Better World
After getting career stability, Bdao made the decision to take a two-year gap to create meaningful impact in the lives of others. She became involved in various social projects, focusing on marginalized and vulnerable communities in Vietnam. She participated in education and technology campaigns that raise awareness for poverty, education equality, and gender equality. Through the campaigns, she realized that there are many people under extremely difficult circumstances in Vietnam who need our help more than ever. Upon returning to her work, she started sharing a portion of her monthly salary to support disadvantaged students and ensure they can continue their education.
Bdao and her family in front of the old house
... and in the new renovated house
We believe that we can build a brighter future for the youth of Vietnam with the love, kindness, and careness of humans. Life’s beautiful values will be multiplied when the beneficiaries can pass them on to other people.
