Over the past decade, the director of the Ngu Hanh Son District Charity Vocational Training Centre under the Da Nang Red Cross Association, Mr Le Tan Hong, has been actively involved in helping many disabled children to integrate into the local community and find jobs.

After he was appointed director of the centre in 1996, Mr Hong found it very hard to run the organisation due to the lack of funding from local charitable projects.  After days of thought, he made the decision to help the centre’s disabled children earn their livings themselves instead of having to rely heavily on charitable funding. 

Kind-hearted Mr Hong (second right)

Since then, he has focussed on providing vocational training courses for disabled children in order to help them find suitable jobs to match their capabilities and health conditions.  He has also appealed for donations of essential items from generous individuals and organisations for the daily meals and needs of the disadvantaged children.  Any donated items are welcomed, but not money. 

Kind-hearted Mr Hong has also paid special attention to exploiting the abilities and hidden potentials of the disabled children in order to help them find suitable jobs.  Thanks to his great efforts, many unfortunate children are now able to earn money by making chiffon flowers and incenses, embroidering patterns, and glass beading. Six of them have found stable jobs at local manufacturing establishments and receive monthly incomes of between 2.5 million and 4 million VND.

27-year-old Huynh Duc Tinh from Ngu Hanh Son District’s Hoa Quy Ward is a typical example.  He remarked “I cannot see clearly due to my weak eyes.  Therefore, I spend most of my time at home and I’m very afraid of communicating with other people.  Mr Hong has encouraged me to do glass-beading activities, and now I can earn money for myself.  I am now very happy.  I consider Mr Hong as my second father”.

In addition, Mr Hong is joining efforts with local student clubs and other charitable groups to organise musical exchange programmes for the centre’s children in order to help them confidently integrate into the community.