In recent years, the Da Nang Youth Union has facilitated many young people with disabilities to access interest-free loans in a bid to do business, thereby contributing to helping them gradually stabilise and improve their lives.

Deputy Secretary of the municipal Youth Union cum Chairman of the municipal Youth Federation Nguyen Ba Duan (first left) granting loans to support youth with disabilities in 2022. Photo courtesy: The municipal Youth Union.

Thanks to interest-free loan worth VND12 million from the Youth Union, 34-year-old Mai Huynh Quoc Thong, residing in Son Tra District’s Man Thai Ward, opened a grocery at home, hereby earning stable income.

Thong’s legs are weak, so he faces many difficulties in travelling and could not do hard work. Therefore, the municipal Youth Union has facilitated him to access interest free loan to get a job and a stable income.

“I would like to thank the municipal Youth Union for supporting me to stabilise my life. Thanks to the opening of the grocery at home, I have a source of income that can cover all my normal day-to-day living expenses” said Thong.

Likewise, Tran Thi To Trinh, who is the same age as Thong and is using the wheelchair, boldly borrowed VND 10 million from the city's Youth Union to open an at-home airline ticket office, thereby having a stable income.

In the same situation, Le Thi Dieu Anh, 34, residing in Cam Le District’s Hoa Tho Tay Ward also suffered from leg muscle atrophy and had to walk with crutches.

The family of Anh is very poor, so her husband has to bear all financial burden of the family of four. In an effort to share the financial burden with her husband, Anh borrowed VND 5 million from the city's Youth Union to buy a sewing machine to receive orders for clothes from companies.

“Thanks to the support of the municipal Youth Union, so far I have bought a second sewing machine. I hope that more young people with disabilities like me will be supported with such no-interest loans in order to do business to improve their living standards” said Anh.

Head of the Youth Chapter with Disabilities Do Hong Quang said his unit under the management of the municipal Youth Union has a total of 40 members. Most of them are young and active.

Every year, the city’s Youth Union facilitates about 5-7 young people with disabilities to access no-interest loans of VND50 million in total.

Deputy Secretary of the municipal Youth Union cum Chairman of the municipal Youth Federation Nguyen Ba Duan remarked the municipal Youth Union has maintained the interest-free loan programme for 3 years.

In the coming time, the union will continue to ask for support from generous individuals and organisations to raise loan capital. Thereby, it is possible to increase the number of beneficiaries and help more disadvantaged young people to access loans.

Moreover, the Youth Union will propose the city leaders coordinate with the Da Nang Branch of the Viet Nam Bank for Social Policies to open more loan channels with its own specific mechanism dedicated to the disadvantaged youth.

“In the coming time, the Da Nang Youth Union will continue to maintain and replicate the models of no-interest loans and giving means of livelihood to the disadvantaged youth. Also, the Union will partner with the Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Young Entrepreneurs' Association to provide career guidance and job opportunities for the disadvantaged youth so as to help them stabilise their lives. This will significantly contribute to building Da Nang into a prosperous, beautiful, peaceful, civilised and modern city" revealed Mr. Duan.

Reporting by NGUYEN QUANG - Translating by M.DUNG