Ngan’s Story

(This photo is for illustrative purposes only)

Ngan accepted an arranged marriage with a man who showed symptoms of psychosis, as per her mother’s request. From the beginning of their marriage, she suffered relentless violence from her husband. When she had her first child, her husband would beat and criticise her every time the child got sick or something went wrong. He was frequently drunk and would hit her for no apparent reason. Ngan would be beaten if she did not sit and listen to him curse. Countless times during family meals, her husband would rush up, smack her in the face, and toss the entire tray of food to the ground.

For years, Ngan could only bear the thought that her husband was mentally ill, remained silent, and suffered repeated violence without calling for help. “I must suffer until I cannot bear it any longer,” she thought.

Despite knowing about her husband’s violent behaviour, Ngan’s mother and sister-in-law had no sympathy for her. They even blamed her for inducing her husband’s idle and outrageous behaviour, claiming that he beat his father while trying to prevent him. Ngan’s mother could not do much more than encourage her to live in harmony for the sake of her children.

Having no one to turn to for help, Ngan was abused to the point where she had no choice but to take her children away from home. One rainy night, Ngan and her three children fled to another region.

Moving to a new location brought huge challenges for Ngan, especially since she carried the weight of responsibility for her three young children. After two years of living independently and supporting her family, Ngan was exhausted and hopeless as she struggled to make ends meet. This was Ngan’s situation when her daughter reached out to Hagar for help.

With persistent efforts to build mutual trust with the case manager, Ngan now feels more comfortable and accepts support from Hagar. Thanks to Hagar’s legal assistance, her divorce from her abusive husband went smoothly, and she was granted custody of her children as she wished. After nine years of enduring violence, Ngan has been set free and can live in peace now.

“When I was in my deepest despair, Hagar was there for me. I feel blessed that during this Tet holiday, my children could enjoy some sweets because of the support Hagar has given us”

Currently, Hagar is helping Ngan’s family afford safe housing and covering tuition fees for her two school-age children for the previous school year. Ngan is now more confident in her journey of raising her children alone, and she is determined to start a small business in the community to earn a more stable life in the future.