32-year-old Nguyen Thi Phuong Linh, residing in An Hai Dong Ward, Son Tra District, Da Nang, who is the Director of the Hoa Mai Orphan Care Centre, has devoted all her enthusiasm to promote the development of the centre and make it a charity shelter for hundreds of children in difficult circumstances.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Linh (right) guiding some children to study at the Hoa Mai Orphan Care Centre. Photo: LE VAN THOM

Few people know that Linh was an orphan and raised in the Hoa Mai Orphan Care Centre from a young age. Thanks to her great efforts, she has become the director of this centre where she grew up.

From a young age, Linh lived with her grandmother in an extremely difficult circumstance. Despite her old age, her grandma got sick all year round.

Linh was malnourished due to her poor meals with only vegetables and fish sauce. At the age of 10, Linh was welcomed into the Hoa Mai Orphan Care Centre by an officer of the city’s Association for Supporting Orphans and the Disabled.

Recalling her arduous childhood, Linh said entering the Hoa Mai Orphan Care Centre was like changing her life. In particular, Linh could access quality meals and gave a chance to go to school.

Thanks to her outstanding academic results, especially in English, during her study at the city-based Dong A University for the 2008-2011 school year, Linh was sponsored by an American philanthropist to study at the Palm Beach State College in the USA.

After graduation in 2016, Linh worked for the Da Nang Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital. Aside from enthusiastically joining in volunteer activities, Linh often worked as an interpreter for some foreign delegations and at some international events. Included were the 2017 APEC Economic Leaders' Week in Da Nang, the Pacific Partnership programme 2018 at the Cam Ranh Port in Khanh Hoa Province, and the aircraft carrier USS CARL VINSON 2018.

In 2020, Nguyen Thi Phuong Linh was appointed by the city’s Association for Supporting Orphans and the Disabled to be the Director of Hoa Mai Orphan Care Centre.

From an orphan raised by the center, to now becoming the director of this center, she deeply sympathizes with the children and devotes all her enthusiasm to help the center achieve many achievements.

Specifically, her project on the installation of a solar light system received financial aid from the Viet Nam Association of Orphans in France, thereby ensuring electricity for lighting throughout the campus of the centre.

Moreover, the Hoa Mai Orphan Care Centre has partnered with the Ngoc Khang Garden One Member Limited Liability Company to grow ​​​​3,500m² of Bougainvillea spectabilis in the campus of the centre.

The enthusiastic young director has also planted a garden of Vietnamese medicinal plants in the campus of the centre to treat children here.

Taking her advantage of foreign language strengths, Linh has built a good relationship with the teachers of the Ngu Hanh Son District-headquartered Singapore School. From then, she has asked for their support in helping her centre carry out many humanitarian activities.

Specially, the female director has coordinated with the city-based Sen Viet Club to provide free car and motorbike washing services, aimed at facilitating her centre’s children to earn for their living.

Additionally, Linh also regularly organizes a model of growing vegetables and raising chickens in the campus of the centre in a bid to help the centre’s children practice common skills, thereby helping them confidently integrate into the community when growing up.

The Hoa Mai Orphan Care Centre is now home to 35 orphans aged 5-18 living in extremely difficult circumstances in Da Nang and Quang Nam Province.

According to Chairman of the municipal Association for Supporting Orphans and the Disabled Nguyen Hoang Long, Nguyen Thi Phuong Linh is the first orphan case in Da Nang to have become a director of the orphanage centre. She has many bright ideas and breakthroughs, thereby significantly contributing to helping children her improve their collective living skills.

Reporting by LVT - Translating by M.DUNG