Disabled women’s determination, initiative make success possible
With her bright smile and white skin Huong, at first sight, is someone who easily attracts people and seems to lead a happy life.
Unfortunately, Huong was born poor and with a malformation of limbs that forced her to move on two hands and which also denied her any formal education.
In 1991, Huong started to learn in-laying business from her neighbour and in a matter of few months became famous enough to get independent orders. She quickly opened her own workshop, without borrowing from banks or relatives, with her own savings and hired street children and those from poor families to work. The children were provided free food, accommodation and trained for a year.
She also paid young apprentices VND400,000-1 million per month based on their ability and output. As the news of her success spread, the training class started attracting more disabled children and created jobs for many.
After some years, Huong bought a dilapidated house as lodging for workers with her savings, and in 2004 she built a two storey house worth VND200 million with all modern conveniences right on the premises of the old house.
Moving on her two hands, a confident Huong has managed to overcome her tragedy and fate through work and helping other disadvantaged achieve the same.
Overcoming
Similar to Huong, Nguyen Thi Hai Son also from Van Diem Commune is yet another woman who overcame fate and the unfortunate childhood accident that rendered her disabled when only six.
At nine, Son took up embroidery and worked for the Van Diem Embroidery Co-operative. When the co-operative closed later, Son became a tailor and ran a small shop, continuing with her studies till the 10th grade.
Like Huong, Son, who lived with a young man without getting married and had a daughter from the relationship, was betrayed when the lover refusing to acknowledge his fatherhood.
Misfortune followed as sure as fate as Son’s daughter suffered an accident and that left her disabled.
Leaning on each other, the two were determined to live and left Son Tay town to move around the country opening tailoring classes for people with difficulties. Many from her class opened tailoring shops themselves.
In 2004, the Charity and Foreign Investment Joint-stock Company (under Ha Noi’s People’s Committee) asked her to become a member of the company giving birth to the Charitable Training Centre in Van Diem.
Life changed magically for Son who is now the Chairwoman of the training centre in Van Diem where she was born.
The centre has also put two other branches into operation in Phu Xuyen and Thuong Tin districts to help disadvantaged people lead a better life.
