Footage went viral from social media in Thailand of a female college graduate who knelt in front of her brother, thanking him for all the support he provided her. The girl’s family could not afford to support both their children in their schooling. Hence, the brother gave up his opportunity to give way to his younger sister. In return, the younger sister lived up to her family’s expectations, did her best, and graduated from college at one of the country’s top universities.On graduation day, the younger sister took off her graduation gown and put it on her brother. She knelt in front of him in gratitude and for providing the opportunity for her to finish her studies and graduate.
According to Thailand’s The World Daily, the younger sister who posted the videos on TikTok said, “Thanks to my brother’s sacrifice, I am here today.” The 2 video clips touched the hearts of netizens, and they praised both the brother and sister for a job well done. Proud and happy for them, they commented, “The brother and sister love each other very much. The younger sister is lucky to have such a good elder brother.”
Some netizens were disappointed and discussed online, pointing out that if the social welfare cared for everyone, the younger generation should not have to sacrifice their chances of graduating from school. Each child has the right to have a good education.
In an interview, 27-year-old Ying Chanita told the reporters, “When I bowed down to my brother, I didn’t pay attention to the people around me. When I got up, I saw many people staring at me, but I didn’t feel embarrassed because I was sincerely grateful. My brother didn’t say anything at the time, but when I looked at him, I saw tears in my brother’s eyes, and I had already burst into tears. My brother and I are only 3 years apart, and he sacrificed his opportunity to study for me.”
She also took off her graduation gown, put it on her brother, and bowed to him in gratitude. The videos garnered more than 10 million hits and 1.1 million comments. Chanita did not expect her videos to go viral in a short amount of time.
Chanita and her elder brother live with their mother. Their father abandoned the family when she was very young, and her brother took over the role of the father and the brother since then. When Chanita’s brother dropped out of school to provide her the opportunity to study, she was in the third level of junior high school. Unfortunately, she was unaware of the real reason at the time.
It was not until Chanita graduated from high school and was about to enter college did her mother tell her the truth about her dilemma. At the time of her father’s abandonment, her mother could not support both children to go to school. Her brother decided to drop out of school and help her mother with her rubber-tapping job to earn more money. The money her brother earned was for her college education.
When interviewed by the local media, the female college graduate said that she came from Nakhon Si Thammarat Province in Thailand and majored in Public Administration at the Surat Thani Rajabhat University when she entered college. She was supposed to graduate as early as 2018, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide lockdown, she only received her diploma this year.
Fortunately, she was immediately employed, and now that she has a job, she can earn money and share the family’s responsibilities. Her family’s financial condition has gradually improved, and she will be forever grateful for her brother’s kindness and sacrifice.
Screenshot images credits: © Ying Chanita @chnitakotchasit/TikTok