Vietnamese honored in Poland for action against domestic violence

Trinh Hoai Nam, a native of the central province of Thanh Hoa, received the White Ribbon award from the local Bez Barier fund and a center protecting women’s rights founded by former first lady Jolanta Kwasániewska at a ceremony o­n December 7.

Another six men also received the award which was founded in 1989 in Canada, but this year was presented in Poland for the first time with more than 100 male nominees, according to the news source.

Nam, who is currently the director of an accounting office at the Wólka Kosowska Trade Center, in 2004 employed a Polish woman named Halina to work for his office after learning that she had difficulty finding and keeping jobs because her husband kept disturbing her employers.

She was also frequently beaten by her husband, and had to live at a social welfare center with her three children.

After recruiting Halina, Nam gave her a car and other necessary things for her family.

Although his office was continuously threatened and inspected by agencies due to slanderous letters during Halina’s employment, the man, who came to study in Poland in 1983, was undaunted.

He continued to protecting Halina and her children until their lives stabilized.

Since he came to Poland at the age 17, Nam has joined many social activities and art performances as a dancer.

Last month he was also honored by the Polish postal industry for aiding them in a tax calculation program which was refused by many local tax offices, the news source said.

Source: Thanh Nien