Compassionate disabled woman

Ms. Le Thi Thuan (middle), in Vien Khe 1 village, Dong Son ward, guides workers in making products.

“When I woke up, I saw my leg was bandaged, my whole body was in pain and I vaguely heard people saying that my leg might be paralyzed. That shock made me feel confused and depressed because my children were still young and my financial situation was not good,” Ms. Thuan recalled thoughtfully.

In her conversation with us, Ms. Thuan said that when she first came home, she always felt inferior and self-conscious because her legs could not walk normally. However, with the thought that if she did not try, she would become a burden to her family, so she overcame her pain, along with the support and help of her family, she regularly practiced taking short steps. With constant effort and hard work, from being completely dependent on wooden crutches, Ms. Thuan left her crutches and walked on her own despite many difficulties.

With the spirit of “disabled but not useless”, Ms. Thuan always worries about finding jobs for people with disabilities to have stable jobs and rise up in life. During the exchange and learning experience trip about the typical economic development model of Nong Cong district (old) in 2010, seeing people making products made from sedge and duckweed, Ms. Thuan was extremely excited. She realized that the advantage of the product is that the raw materials are easy to find, the process is suitable for the conditions and health of people with disabilities.

From going to each facility to learn how to make products, Ms. Thuan also took on some products to make in her spare time. Right from her first product, the facility that collected the products highly appreciated the aesthetics and ordered more and more. Initially, she established a weaving group and mobilized and guided a number of workers who wanted to learn the trade to work together, especially encouraging people with disabilities to participate. Not afraid of difficulties and hardships, Ms. Thuan went to many places in and outside the province to connect with companies and businesses to open vocational training classes for people with disabilities as well as to purchase products.

With her will, determination to overcome her fate, and her enthusiasm and responsibility, she has spread throughout the community, attracting many disabled people, people in difficult circumstances, poor and single women in the area to participate. From the weaving group, in 2016, Ms. Thuan expanded the production model by establishing the enterprise "Creating bright jobs", specializing in teaching handicraft weaving for export.

“I always put myself in the shoes of the disabled, encouraging and helping them overcome their inferiority complex by arranging suitable jobs for them to have stable jobs. I hope that my small actions will help the less fortunate have a brighter life,” Ms. Thuan confided.

To meet strict requirements on design, improve product quality, and meet consumer needs, Ms. Thuan regularly invites experienced lecturers to directly instruct and teach the disabled in a hands-on manner. With the meticulousness and dexterity of the disadvantaged, products such as paper boxes, sedge bins, etc. made from dried duckweed and sedge are always favored by the market, because they are not only highly aesthetic and durable, but also environmentally friendly.

After 9 years of operation, the enterprise has regularly created jobs for 120 workers, including 15 people with disabilities, each earning an average of 1.5 to 3 million VND/month. Ms. Tran Thi Y (65 years old), Dong Son ward, said: “I have a physical disability, so it is extremely difficult for me to travel and have a stable job. However, since participating in production activities with Ms. Thuan, I have had more income, making life less difficult. Ms. Thuan's determination and optimism are a shining example for me to always strive to study and become a useful person for society.”

With her love and compassion, Ms. Le Thi Thuan has contributed to supporting and helping disadvantaged people in the locality. From there, she has given them the strength and confidence to overcome themselves, overcome their fate, and move towards a bright future, as the name "Enterprise creates bright jobs" suggests.

Article and photos: Trung Hieu

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nguoi-phu-nu-khuet-tat-giau-long-nhan-ai-257971.htm