From the Vi Ngay Mai Centre, directed by Ms Le Minh Hien, many generations of students with disabilities have grown up, taken charge of their lives and become useful members of society. “Even if we have lost part of our body, we still have our hearts and our minds”, Ms Hien often teaches the children with disabilities at her centre.
Young people with disabilities being taught a trade at the Centre
Born and raised in Hanoi, Le Minh Hien was always the pride of her family from childhood for her excellent academic results. An unexpected accident happened while she was on a practical placement preparing to graduate from university. The accident crushed her leg and arm, cost her 81% of her health, and left one leg completely damaged, so she had to move with the help of a crutch and a three-wheeled vehicle for people with disabilities. Yet through her own efforts, she completed her course well and was recruited by the Hanoi Department of Food Management and Services (now the Department of Industry and Trade).
After 20 years working in the sector, Ms Hien retired and actively took part in local work. Skilled at housework, she took on subcontracted gift products at home, both to earn extra income and to have the means to fulfil her wish – helping people in the same situation. At first, a few young neighbours with disabilities came over to play and work with her. Then more and more young people with disabilities came to her home to ask to learn a trade. Sharing their situation, Ms Hien taught them wholeheartedly, passed on her trade, and shared out work to give them extra income. Gradually, she decided to set up a vocational training and job-creation facility for young people with disabilities.
“From this Vi Ngay Mai home, the students have gained a trade and created an income for themselves; many have gone out on their own and worked hard to prove their success in life. From the Centre, 30 young couples have married. They are the pride and joy of the whole Centre. It is truly happy to see my children overcome their shame and fate to become useful people in society”. Ms Le Minh Hien Director of the Vi Ngay Mai Centre
In 2002, the facility officially became the Vi Ngay Mai Centre. After more than 10 years of operation, the Centre has provided vocational training to nearly 600 young people and children with disabilities. Ms Hien said: “Most people with disabilities who come to the Centre often feel ashamed and lack confidence, and follow a free way of life, unwilling to submit to discipline – they do something with all their might if they like it, but give up if they do not. So training them to have a stable trade and support themselves is very difficult. Moreover, training for people with disabilities usually takes three or four times as long as for non-disabled people”.
To keep the Centre alive and developing, for 11 years Ms Hien has had to travel far and wide to find funding for its activities. Finding outlets for its products has also been extremely difficult. After all her efforts, her work was finally rewarded as the Centre grew and received many certificates of merit from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA); the Vietnam Craft Villages Association; the Vietnam Association for Production and Business of People with Disabilities; the Vietnam Association for the Relief of Disabled Children… In 2008, the Centre received the “Blue Ribbon Award” from the Bree organisation; in 2009, it was ranked one of the 10 best organisations in Vietnam for vocational training and job creation for people with disabilities; in 2010, the Centre became a member of the World Fair Trade Organization; in 2011, the Centre was the first unit representing Vietnam to receive the For the Community award from South Korea; in 2013, the Centre was among the top 50 famous product and service brands…
Ms Le Minh Hien – Director of the Vi Ngay Mai Centre
But for Ms Hien, most importantly, the Centre has truly become a shared home for children with disabilities.
On the Centre’s campus of about 2 hectares at No. 96, Group 19B, Co Nhue, there are vocational training workshops, production workshops, and accommodation and living quarters for more than 60 students with disabilities. According to Mr Thai Van Tang – Deputy Director of the Centre, after one year of vocational training, students with disabilities join production teams and create an income for themselves. Looking at the beautiful, skilful handicrafts, few would think they were made by bent, deformed hands, by people who have never seen the light of day…
From this Vi Ngay Mai home, hundreds of young people with disabilities have grown up, and many have succeeded, such as Dang Tran Thanh – Director of “Five-Coloured Deaf People” Handicrafts Co., Ltd., based on Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. Dang Tran Thanh is a member of the Centre who, with Ms Hien’s help, branched out and started his own business. Or Nguyen Thu Thuong – who lives with brittle bone disease and, before coming to the centre, always felt ashamed and lacking in confidence about her illness, but now Thuong has grown up and become famous with her handmade brand Thuong Thuong…
Bao Chi – http://giaothongvantai.com.vn