Children with disabilities are less fortunate in terms of physical and mental health. Therefore, helping children maximise their abilities and talents will create opportunities for them to enjoy equal rights like their peers; and at the same time, gradually get rid of inferiority complex and confidently integrate into the community.

Hua Hong Ban sharing about types of cakes he makes. Photo: D.H.L

Love with all heart

The Thanh Tam special school has long been a trusted address for parents of children with disabilities. In addition to learning subjects, disabled children here get career guidance to explore their passions and strengths in order to quickly reintegrate into the community.

Introducing to us types of cakes in a slurred but hopeful voice, Hua Hong Ban, 22, happily shared about his joy and dreams. Currently, he can make coconut, banana and cheese cakes, plus some types of beverage. “In the future, I want to open my own bakery to make a living or stay here to teach children in similar circumstances” he said.

Ban is a typical example of the success at the Thanh Tam special school. Thanks to the special care and love of the nuns at the school, Ban who was used to be an autistic child has now become a professional baker. He is able to confidently make a living with this job.

Talking about Ban's growth process, Principal of the Thanh Tam special school Nguyen Thi Tuyet Lan happily said that the school’s staff saw a boy at the age of about 5 - 6 sitting in the house when they carried out a community programme in ​​Thang Binh District, Quang Nam Province. Through Ban’s parents, they knew that he was a child with intellectual disability.

Witnessing the family's difficult circumstances, the school’s nuns took him to boarding school. At first, he didn't say anything, just was silent all day and showed signs of an autistic child. Then, his parents took him back to their hometown to herd buffalo. The nuns returned to their hometown to persuade Ban’s parents to let him continue studying until he was 18 years old and then gave him career guidance and teach him how to make cakes. "Through Ban's case, we believe that any autistic child has the ability to succeed if taught in a good environment" Principal Tuyet Lan affirmed.

Aside from Hua Hong Ban, many other disabled children with talents in painting and handicrafts who have been guided by the school’s nuns to become vocational teachers for children in art and baking rooms.

Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, 16, cannot hear but can still communicate with us with her hands in a slurred voice. Bich Ngoc said that she came here in 2015 for intervention. After that, Ngoc followed academic programmes for grades 1 to 6 at public school. However, she could not integrate well because of her limited hearing ability, so she asked to re-enter the school. Here, Bich Ngoc feels happy because nuns always love and protect her. Ngoc now knows how to make all kinds of birthday cakes under the dedicated guidance of teachers and friends.

According to Principal Tuyet Lan, the school now has about 300 children, aged from 3 to 18, with hearing impairments, autism, and intellectual disabilities. Apart from subjects, they are oriented to vocational training such as baking, painting, making handicrafts and garments. Many students, after school graduation, can find jobs involving painting and drawing ‘ao dai’ or work for garment companies.

“The children's health conditions are at different levels of severity, so the nuns must carefully observe to discover each child's special talents to encourage their development" confided Tuyet Lan.

Lighting dreams

Teaching and caring for students with disabilities is very difficult, so teachers are required to be patient, persistent, and understand their psychology and wishes. However, with their special love and high sense of responsibility, teachers of the Tuong Lai special school have devoted themselves to helping the children improve themselves.

Ms. Truong Thi Ngoc Ha, Vice Principal of the Tuong Lai special school, said that currently the school has about 274 pupils with intellectual disabilities, hearing impairment, and autism.

To help students confidently integrate into the community when they graduate, in addition to subjects, the school always pays attention to career guidance for pupils to learn talented subjects such as painting, dancing, baking, bartending, and nail art. Especially, deaf children are very good at dancing and drawing. Many children have had outstanding development and confidently participated in drawing competitions.

Typically, the school’s pupils engaged in drawing 30 sets of ‘ao dai’ at a fashion contest at the Pham Van Dong Beach to mark the Viet Nam Day of Persons with Disabilities (April 18). They also participated in a painting contest at the city’s General Science Library and won 1 first, 1 third, 2 consolation and 16 promising prizes.

“Through career guidance, we not only help children express their innate talents but also help them practice their fine motor skills and communication skills. After graduation, the school introduces pupils to social protection centres or they apply for jobs and open shops by themselves. The school is facing a lack of facilities, so pupils mainly work manually. In order for children to have better conditions to develop, it is necessary for the community and society to join hands with the school and invest in equipping modern machinery for them to make cakes," Ms. Ngoc Ha expressed.

In addition to skills and career guidance provided by special schools, disabled children are also supported by the State to pursue higher education to develop their talents at universities and professional colleges.

Mr. Phan Thai Hung, Head of Training Office of the Da Nang College of Culture and Arts, said that the school currently has policies to support students with disabilities during their studies as well as after graduation such as free tuition, and career support.

In addition, the school also connects with businesses to support scholarships for students with disabilities. In the 2021-2022 academic year, the school awarded a scholarship worth VND10 million to visually impaired student Nguyen Van Nhat majoring in organ. Every year, the school accepts and trains students with congenital disabilities in majors such as organ, piano, guitar, gourd and flute.

Reporting by DOAN HAO LUONG - Translating by M.DUNG, P.TRA