The word love kept coming up again and again throughout the conversation, shining through in their gentle, warm eyes. It was as if everything they did, everything they thought, all distilled down to that one single word: love…

In the midst of life’s struggles, love quietly grows under the roofs of agent orange victims’ homes. Photo: T.Y

 A Classroom Without Desks or Blackboard

Every evening after dinner, Dang Tan Ba, the Vice President of the Association for the Blind at the Center for Inclusive Education Support in Da Nang, takes careful, measured steps toward the hall, followed by a few visually impaired students from the boarding area. In the classroom, there is a guitar always hung.

That is the only tool he needs to continue his day’s work: teaching the students to play guitar and sing. Beneath the warm glow of the lights, Ba’s gentle guitar notes touch the hearts of students who may live in darkness but are guided by the love and patience of their teacher.

Watching his hands glide over the strings and his soft smile, which is like a quiet breath, we wonder whether there is any potentially strength inside this tall and slender man with impaired eyes. Of course, there is only one answer: love. This classroom has no desks, no blackboard or chalk - just two guitars, a few chairs, hands that may fumble but a heart full of passion. Music becomes the light, leading his students closer to joy and to their simple dreams of life. “We may not have light in our eyes, but we have light in our hearts”, he once told his students, hoping they would understand that everyone can “see” through music, emotions, and the love surrounding them.

In this small and quiet space, the sound of the guitar rises, echoing the rhythm of empathetic hearts. The fingers clumsily glide over the piano keys. Some students frown in concentration as they touch the keys for the first time because the find it difficult. However, they still persist due to Mr. Ba’s gentle encouragement, “It’s okay, just try again, and soon it’ll become familiar”. Also visually impaired, he understands the challenge of learning to experience everything through sound. “Like me, the students can’t see to learn in the usual way; they must rely on their ears and the sensitivity of their hearts. Even so, I try to teach them waltzes, slow melodies, tangos - so they don’t just play but also feel the texture and rhythm of each song”, Mr. Ba shares.

Mr. Ba’s days are filled with various roles: caretaker, teacher, and sound and lighting technician. Rarely does he rest, and consistently diligent with his duties. He recalls the year 1992, when he and 17 other visually impaired children left their families for the boarding school at Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Special School. There, the young boy from a poor family learned braille and essential skills, nurturing his dream of integrating into society.

In 2005, after completing his studies, Mr. Ba, out of gratitude, asked to remain at the center to help other children in similar situations. Since then, in addition to taking responsibility for maintenance work and sound support, he has spent time teaching students how to make incense to increase their income. Occasionally, he buys snacks like chips and milk teas to lift the students’ spirits. Over the years, everyone at the center - both children and adults - has come to cherish him deeply. “I hope the children can understand that they can do anything if they have patience and determination, and that they won’t be alone in their efforts to reintegrate into society”, Mr. Ba explains.

A Home United by Love

It is over eight years since the day the dormitory within the grounds of Da Nang Center for Support and Care for Children Affected by Agent Orange (Site 3), located in Hoa Nhon Commune, Hoa Vang District started to be used. The staff here are guided by the words of a Singaporean philanthropist: “This home is for the children affected by Agent Orange, but more importantly, it is for the mothers who have endured so much hardship to lean back and find strength”. These words remind them to pay more attention and care into their work every day.

Nguyen Thi Lan, a center employee, shares that sometimes a simple hand squeeze, a pat on the head, a few encouraging words, or even just a silent presence beside each other can convey human warmth. After nearly a decade at the center, she understands that what these mothers need isn’t material aid, but the assurance that they’re not alone. This home, with its compassionate spirit, has become a refuge where mothers and children can temporarily forget their hardships and recharge for the long journey ahead.

Raising normal children is challenging, raising children affected by Agent Orange adds countless more layers of difficulty. Each child here embodies a unique world that only patience and love can touch. Some children laugh or cry without reasons, and others face movement difficulties or are slow to walk. Some are unable to express emotions, remaining silent or looking at things with empty stares.

Like many other staff, Ms. Lan devotes most of her time to the less fortunate children. Sometimes she prepares meals, soothes their pain, or acts as a teacher and guides them in writing letters, saying greetings, and expressing gratitude. These seem like simple actions, but achieving them consistently is a remarkable feat, as some children may take months, or even years, to learn and repeat these behaviours.
Take the girl Mai Thi My Thuan (14 years old), who is affected by Agent Orange and has a frail body and unsteady steps, as an example. When she first arrived at the center, she was weak and had poor communication skills, and often isolated herself. To ease Thuan’s fears, Ms. Lan spoke gently and offered comforting hugs to help her feel secure.

Ms. Lan shares that every morning, while other children played in the yard, Thuan would sit quietly in the corner of the room. Noticing this, Ms. Lan would sit beside her, hold Thuan’s hand and gradually guide her to connect with the surroundings. She introduced to her some simple games, such as puzzle building and colouring. These activities not only helped Thuan concentrate but also developed her fine motor skills.

Mr. Nguyen Van An, Chairman of Da Nang Association for Victims of Agent Orange, explains that Da Nang Center for Support and Care for Children Affected by Agent Orange (Site 3) currently take care of over 40 children. Most of them are in different conditions such as intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, autism, motor disabilities, paralysis, and muscle contractions. These challenges require the sacrifice and patience of every staff member when doing the caregiving work at the center. More than that, it’s their compassion and care that give them the strength to persevere.

"Just seeing the children make even a small improvement can fill our hearts with warmth and immeasurable joy", Mr. An says and smiles gently, as if amidst all the worries, love continues to grow quietly and steadily under this shared roof, blossoming and bearing fruit.

Reporting by TIEU YEN - Translating by HONG VAN - H.SA