Unpaid Director

13/04/2006
“When I gave up my job to work for the Social Welfare and Community Development Center without salary, many people thought I was unrealizable ”.

Le Quy Ha, Director of the Social Welfare and Community Development Center of Social Science and Humanity University in Ho Chi Minh City, revealed “but I have passion for this job”.

 

Having visited many places and viewed various models for the disabled, the 23-year old director realized that these establishments are so closed and have not yet made active contributions to the community.

 

After days of hard thinking, Quy Ha outlined the model “Disabled Students Jointly Act for the Community”. “As the Center is quite new and unprecedented, we have been groping our way for a long time to make the center’s activities perfect”, said Quy Ha.

 

The first time joining the Center, several disable students did not say anything because of an inferiority complex. However, they have gradually become proactive and confident in participating in activities supporting those who share the same plight.

 

Quy Ha and members of the management board have set up the website: www.suctrenhanvan.com so that disabled students at all universities can share their worries, interests, barriers and experiences.

 

After collecting their new confidence in various forms, the Center will analyze and draw out specific difficulties of each university, then collaborate with other organization to establish Self-Help Groups.

 

Quy Ha considers, “Eliminating o­nes inferiority complex, affirming o­neself with support from others and contributing to the community” as the pinnacle development of the disabled.

 

Once asked how she goes o­n without a salary, she answers, “Actually, it is so hard to work from 7 a.m to 11p.m, but sometimes I am invited to training sessions about gender, undergo research or travel to remote provinces for my sociology mission. Hence, I do not have to take instant noodles for 3 meals a day”.

 

Beyond rushing to seek support for the Center’s projects, Quy Ha has to settle down to a variety of work such as project conduct and content editing for the website. As a result, she is out of energy at times.

 

In the coming time, Quy Ha will travel to Hanoi to participate in the training course “Barriers to Disabled Students in Studying and Researching Science in Universities” funded by the Holland Healthcare Committee.

According to Youth Newspaper
Translated by VWU Int’l Relations Department

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