In mid-April, more than 30 children with disabilities in Da Nang were very excited to unleash their creativity by drawing on what they want with the theme ‘My happiness’ in a contest organised by Phuong Nguyen Silk ‘Ao Dai’ (traditional Vietnamese long dress) brand.

Designer Phuong Nguyen Silk awards the first prize of the painting contest to a male student from the Da Nang Centre for Support and Development of Inclusive Education. Photo: DAN TAM

On the tables designated in the green space, within more than 1.5 hours, with drawing paper, brushes, crayons and other support painting tools, the children excitedly drew paintings which spread the message about happiness in life.

While the contest’s organisers were guiding the children to the drawing competition, outside, a woman who was the mother of a mentally-retarded student at the city-based Tuong Lai (Future School) for the disabled, emotionally said, her son stayed up early and have breakfast in a prompt manner in order to compete this drawing contest on time.

For a long time, because of the COVID-19 pandemic impacts, the children could not access playgrounds, so such a competition not only helps them show their talent in painting but it also lets them interact with one another and overcome the barriers of illness.

Working hard to draw a picture titled ‘My joy’, a student from the Da Nang Centre for Inclusive Education Development Support, with the support of his teachers, eagerly said, “My paintings express the great joy when I can live in the love of my family, freely play my favourite sports, read books and draw paintings”. 

As revealed by teachers at the Da Nang Centre for Inclusive Education Development and Support, this male student is deaf and mute at birth.

When entering the centre, the boy loved to draw and showed his excellence in this art form.

Before the competition, the teachers encouraged him and his peers to vividly reflect, in their paintings, things that make them happy every day, along with their wishes and aspirations for a better life.

The teachers came up with some ideas proposed to the children in a bid to help them shape their thinking about the contest and express it on drawing paper.

To organize the contest, in the early days of April, the owner of the Ao Dai Phuong Nguyen Silk Ao Dai brand – Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong - posted on Facebook the announcement of the contest and called on organisations and individuals to act as  sponsors.

Designer Phuong Nguyen Silk confided: “With the theme ‘My happiness’, the contest aims to inspire the habit of practicing gratitude for everything in life that you have, for instance, a home with loved ones, go to school and live under the care and guidance of teachers. Believe that, for children, especially those with disabilities, if they live with gratitude, they will cherish what they possess and feel happier”.

According to designer Phuong Nguyen Silk, this is the third time the Phuong Nguyen Silk Ao Dai brand has organised a painting contest for children with disabilities with the hope that, through such a highly significant programme, parents will have the opportunity to talk more with the children so that they can have a multi-dimensional and loving view of the life.

“Since the first education of the drawing contest, I have exerted more great efforts and become more responsible in supporting the less privileged, especially disabled kids. I myself have hired a few disabled people to work at my company. In the coming time, I will do my best to partner with more businesses and agencies to bring products made by children with disabilities to the market, in a bid to give a financial support to their families and create motivation for them to rise up in life”, said Ms. Minh Phuong.

Reporting by DAN TAM – Translating by A.THU