Centre offers homeless kids sense of family

The couple founded the Vocational Charitable Training Centre named Thanh Ha in 2004, located o­n Doan Nguyen Tuan Street, De Tham Ward in the northern city of Thai Binh.

After eight years in operation, the centre has trained 348 students including 100 disabled children, 45 agent-orange victims and 157 poor children through 22 courses. Thanks to their efforts, 285 students have since graduated and are earning a regular income.

Charitable heart

The story started o­ne rainy night in 2001, when Nguyen Thi Hang was working at her sewing machine and she heard a knock o­n her door. Hang answered the door to find a hungry little girl sick with a fever. Without hesitation, she welcomed the girl into the small house of the young married couple.

The little girl, Nguyen Thi Hoa from the northern province of Hoa Binh, had led a difficult life. Her father had died and her mother was mentally disabled. Hoa came to Thai Binh City to try and find work to support herself. Upon hearing her story, Hang quickly decided to take Hoa under her care.

"Just giving her a meal when she was sick was not enough," Hang said. "I was nervous of the danger waiting for Hoa if she continued this wandering life."

Hang later took in three shoeshine boys from the northern province of Vinh Phuc, as the started to build a family of adopted children.

This first group of children changed the simple life these newly-wed straight out of university were leading for ever.

"I understand my wife’s love for homeless children. I support her completely," said Hai.

Hang and Hai are now raising 30 children. While half of them are relatively healthy, the remainder suffer from HIV, are Agent Orange victims, or are mentally or physically disabled. The o­ne thing they all share is that they are all orphans.

"My working day begins at 7am with sewing class while my husband instructs boys how to repair motorbikes," Hang said. "Apart from teaching, we spend the rest of the day taking care of the disabled children."

During her day, Hang can hardly take a break even at meals. o­nly o­nce the children have finished can Hang begin eating.

Viet Nam News had a hard time getting in touch with this mother of 30. Hang explained that the children are afraid of answering the phone and speaking with strangers.

Over the last eight years, Hang has had several challenges in helping this group of orphans. The biggest challenge is finance, as Hang lives o­nly off her sewing shop.

"They need not o­nly to live under a roof, but also to go to school," Hang said. "I have to work overtime to save money for them."

Taking care of mentally and physically disabled children is not easy. The most seriously disabled child has lost 80 per cent of his abilities.

"I need to help them even in personal hygiene, such as cutting their nails and tidying themselves up."

Nguyen Thi Khuyen was adopted from the hospital. She suffered serious burns after she jumped into a brazier trying to kill herself. Khuyen is motherless, and suffers the effects of Agent Orange passed down from her father.

"When I recovered from the long illness, Hang taught me how to sew. She spent so much time with me, guiding me."

Hang agreed. "It took over a year for Khuyen to make her first sewing line. For other children it took up to two years. Their products are not good enough to sell, but I know they are happy just making the products themselves."

Simple happiness

Hang founded the centre to try and introduce better jobs to her adopted children, at factories, companies and industrial zones.

"Nguyen Thi Hang’s centre helps disabled children to find work," remarked Tang Quoc Su, of the Labour and Social Welfare Service of Thai Binh Province. "The provincial Relief Committee will try to help Hang’s centre because Hang’s work is positive and respectable.

"I wish more and more centres like Hang’s will be founded to help children," Su added.

Many children leave Hang’s centre to find stable jobs and start their own families. Their success is the greatest reward Hang and Hai receive.

"Whenever Tet (Lunar New Year) comes, my children visit me to make a big family," Hang said grinning. "That’s the greatest time I never forget."

Hang is now studying to make hats, and she is teaching the skill to her children.

Hang and her children receive support from the provincial Labour and Social Welfare Service, press agents and kind-hearted individuals.

One of Hang’s greatest memories was when MC Anh Tuyet from Radio the Voice of Viet Nam brought presents to the orphans.

"Tuyet cried when she met the children. She helped me to take care them without hesitation," Hang remembered.

As time passes, Hang can hardly remember how many children grew up at her Vocational Charitable Training Centre. She consult documents to check who came through, although the photographs o­n the walls of the small house remind her of how many children have lived under her roof.

Hang compares living in the centre to living in a warm family. She teaches her children to love each other like siblings.

"I always tell them to take care of each other and love each other. For instance, the healthy children help bathe the disabled. It also helps with my workload," Hang said. "All of my children have faced difficult lives, they comfort each other."

According to Vietnamese beliefs, a good deed is never lost. At the age of 40, Hang is now six months pregnant with her first child. Since getting married in 1999, the couple will now experience the joy of bringing up their own baby.

On top of this new task, Hang will continue with her preoccupation.