According to statistics from the Da Nang Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, there are over 10,000 disabled people living the city, 3,000 of whom have stable jobs.  The remainder are currently unemployed and some of them are unable to work at all due to their severe disabilities.  The majority of these unemployed people live in poor families.

Over recent years, the city authorities have issued numerous preferential policies and granted monthly allowances to local eligible disabled people.  In addition, representatives from local relevant agencies usually present gifts to those living in difficult circumstances at Tet and on other public holidays.

Disabled children on a course for making chiffon flowers at the city’s Support Centre for AO Victims and Disadvantaged Children

The Chairwoman of the municipal Association of Agent Orange (AO) Victims (DAVA), Mrs Nguyen Thi Hien, remarked “Apart from paying special attention to taking care of local disabled people, it is essential to provide vocational training for them to facilitate them to find suitable jobs to support themselves.” Over recent years, her organisations have provided these disadvantaged people with numerous vocational training courses on such traditional crafts as embroidery, sewing, and making chiffon flowers, glass beadings and incense sticks. 

The city’s Support Centre for AO Victims and Disadvantaged Children of the municipal DAVA usually receives over 60 local AO-affected children every year.  Some of the children are now able to find suitable jobs matching their capabilities and health conditions after finishing vocational training courses at the centre.

19-year-old Ho Thi Lang from Hoa Vang District is a typical example.  She was taken to the centre in 2011 in order to reduce the burden on her parents because her family was poor.  She felt inferior and was very afraid of communicating with other people during her first days at the centre.  Soon after, the devoted staff members inspired Lang to become the best trainee on a sewing course offered by the centre.  Three years later, Lang left the centre and, since then, she has worked for a sewing establishment in her hometown. 

Lang now receives a monthly income of between 2.5 and 3 million VND.  She said “I once thought that I was completely worthless to everybody.  Thanks to the help of the staff members at the centre, I can now earn money for myself and support my mother in raising my siblings.  I am now very happy.”

In a similar vein, the Charity Career Guidance Centre of the city’s Red Cross Association is giving vocational training courses in many popular crafts to about 50 disabled children.  Thanks to this, many of them are now able to earn enough to support themselves and their families.

The Director of the centre, Mr Le Tan Hong, remarked that the parents of the disabled children, at first, take their children to the centre for care so that they can feel secure about them whilst earning their livings.  However, thanks to the vocational training courses offered by the centre, their children can now become the breadwinners of their families.  Most importantly, these disadvantaged people can earn their livings themselves instead of having to rely heavily on their family members and charitable funding, and they feel more useful to society.