Hoat’s Story

Before Hoat could even speak she was subjected to domestic violence at the hands of her father, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. By 18, most of her life had been filled with violence.

Hoat’s mother was beaten countless times by Hoat’s father. He hit, slapped and scolded repeatedly. This turned into an endless cycle for Hoat and her mother. As a child raised in an abusive family, Hoat lacked confidence and was deprived of the love she deserved.

The fierce fights between her parents, her dad’s angry yelling and the time he tried to burn her books and banish her from going to school permeated her memory.

As economic pressure escalated, Hoat left school to get a job, sacrificing her education for her family’s survival. However, she always wanted to find a way to help her family and stay in school. She started working as a tailor in her hometown to share her mother’s financial burden.

Hoat’s family situation made her mature quickly yet but she is still a teenager with different interests and dreams. Hoat longed to get back to school and be with people her age, but she worried about her mother and siblings’ safety. In desperation, she was delighted to find Hagar. When entering The Whole Journey, Hoat was provided multiple services including case management and psychological counseling. After a year of support, Hoat has found the self-esteem and bravery she needed to overcome the abuse.

“I never really thought about myself- who I was or what I wanted because I was scared. I have a dream now. I was afraid that my father’s criticism of me was right and I was unable to do anything better. However, since connecting with Hagar, I understood more about myself and realized I am capable.”

With Hagar’s help, Hoat successfully applied to and enrolled in the KOTO training course. She was so thrilled to study again and make friends. It had been a long time since she could remember what it felt like to wear a uniform. Wearing this uniform means wearing armor to fight against her fear and wounds from the past trauma.

At first, Hoat was quite shy and worried about her background, but soon she got used to her classmates and came out of her shell. She was a dedicated and hard working student and therefore chosen to be a vice monitor of the class. Within a short time, Hoat also proved her talent being nominated in the TOP 5 students of the year.

“Thanks Hagar very much for the past time for accompanying and supporting me in both ups and downs. Thank you for always believing in me, even when I could not believe in myself. I am really grateful for your encouragement and promise to be more mature and bold in 2023.”