In life, it is interesting to meet new acquaintances. Some become instant friends within a short period, and turn into confidantes whom you treasure and share your innermost secrets. Someone once told me this - In life, you always need an extra pair of ears to listen and share your joy and woes, an open heart to feel empathy for others and a pair of helping hands to play a part to bring hope and laughter to those who are less fortunate than us.
Nguyen Van Lai, 50 years old
Yen Dinh, Thanh Hoa
We embarked on our journey in the wee hours of the morning and travelled over hundreds of kilometers from Hanoi to reach our destination. At 8am, we finally arrived at Yen Dinh, Thanh Hoa.
Our destination is a mountainous poor district within Thanh Hoa province. In this area, about a quarter of the villagers are from poor households and most of them work as farmers. Their homes are makeshift houses without a tiled floor, but rather roots laying the grounds within. The roads leading to their homes not clearly defined.
The undulating and rugged terrain that we faced is akin to the tough living conditions that the local people face. Despite the trying circumstances and poverty, there was a calming sense of tranquility and welcoming people in the village who greeted us with their warm smiles and hospitality.
Nguyen Van Lai, a 50 year-old villager who lives in the Yen Trung commune, was one of 82 disabled recipients who received a wheelchair from HSCV that day. He appeared very blissful, and even shed tears as he received his prized gift. As he sat in his own wheelchair for the first time, tears welled up in his eyes, “Thank you to the humanitarian organizations for giving me this special present. I like it very much.” he said happily.
Nguyen Van Lai is a disabled veteran, who fought in battlefield in southeastern Vietnam from 1968 to 1974. The war left his leg completely broken and impaired his mobility. Since then, he has relied on a pair of crutches to move around. A couple of years ago, he sought medical assistance and a “cork leg” was installed, but he still faced many difficulties walking independently. After he left the army, he got married and had four children. His limited mobility prevented him from going out of his village. When the weather turns bad, the pain is so intense that he cannot sleep. Often, his wife and children are unable to rest because they have to be on the alert to take care of him during these nights.
Farming is not a simple task and is subjected to the weather conditions. During our conversation, he confided that though he was very grateful to have received higher allowance, the rising commodities’ prices have made some supplies unaffordable and life as a farmer even tougher. He also shared that there are many farmers who are faced with these challenges and some even worse hit than he is.
As he talked about the future of his children, the worry and despair on his face was obvious. He has no financial means to afford proper education for his four children and it would be likely that they would eventually work on the farms, inheriting the farmland from him.
Handicapped as he may physically be, Nguyen Van Lai is hopeful that his disability and poor living conditions, like many others, would be improved by the great work of humanitarian organizations and the generosity of their sponsors and donors. One can be happy with what one has, but when you share that with others, the happiness doubles and that is what makes life an even more meaningful one.
Nguyen Van Lai has a simple but meaningful desire - “I wish that every disabled person could be given an opportunity to receive a wheelchair.”
Nguyen Van Lai, 50 years oldYen Dinh, Thanh Hoa
We embarked on our journey in the wee hours of the morning and travelled over hundreds of kilometers from Hanoi to reach our destination. At 8am, we finally arrived at Yen Dinh, Thanh Hoa.
Our destination is a mountainous poor district within Thanh Hoa province. In this area, about a quarter of the villagers are from poor households and most of them work as farmers. Their homes are makeshift houses without a tiled floor, but rather roots laying the grounds within. The roads leading to their homes not clearly defined.
The undulating and rugged terrain that we faced is akin to the tough living conditions that the local people face. Despite the trying circumstances and poverty, there was a calming sense of tranquility and welcoming people in the village who greeted us with their warm smiles and hospitality.
Nguyen Van Lai, a 50 year-old villager who lives in the Yen Trung commune, was one of 82 disabled recipients who received a wheelchair from HSCV that day. He appeared very blissful, and even shed tears as he received his prized gift. As he sat in his own wheelchair for the first time, tears welled up in his eyes, “Thank you to the humanitarian organizations for giving me this special present. I like it very much.” he said happily.
Nguyen Van Lai is a disabled veteran, who fought in battlefield in southeastern Vietnam from 1968 to 1974. The war left his leg completely broken and impaired his mobility. Since then, he has relied on a pair of crutches to move around. A couple of years ago, he sought medical assistance and a “cork leg” was installed, but he still faced many difficulties walking independently. After he left the army, he got married and had four children. His limited mobility prevented him from going out of his village. When the weather turns bad, the pain is so intense that he cannot sleep. Often, his wife and children are unable to rest because they have to be on the alert to take care of him during these nights.
Farming is not a simple task and is subjected to the weather conditions. During our conversation, he confided that though he was very grateful to have received higher allowance, the rising commodities’ prices have made some supplies unaffordable and life as a farmer even tougher. He also shared that there are many farmers who are faced with these challenges and some even worse hit than he is.
As he talked about the future of his children, the worry and despair on his face was obvious. He has no financial means to afford proper education for his four children and it would be likely that they would eventually work on the farms, inheriting the farmland from him.
Handicapped as he may physically be, Nguyen Van Lai is hopeful that his disability and poor living conditions, like many others, would be improved by the great work of humanitarian organizations and the generosity of their sponsors and donors. One can be happy with what one has, but when you share that with others, the happiness doubles and that is what makes life an even more meaningful one.
Nguyen Van Lai has a simple but meaningful desire - “I wish that every disabled person could be given an opportunity to receive a wheelchair.”
For only $500 you can sponsor HSCV's distribution of a container of 550 wheelchairs. This is less than $1 per wheelchair. HSCV receives our wheelchairs from Free Wheelchair Mission. They cover all expenses until the container reaches Vietnam. At that point HSCV works with a local partner to distribute the chairs. $500 will allow us to oversee the distribution of one container.
Follow this link to donate: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5191075
Blogged by Ngo Thuy Hanh
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