Last December, I saw an ad in my local newspaper. It was a picture of a young man in a wheelchair with the headline “Give a Christmas gift that moves!” A great plead, with double meaning. Triple, actually. I was moved and continued to read:
“Approximately 1 million people in Vietnam are in need of a wheelchair, and there are no governmental support.” One million! “Disabled are usually among the poorest, and without a wheelchair they have little opportunities.” I could see that. “Give someone a chance to live an independent and worthy life, with the possibility to seek employement.”
I couldn’t get peace of mind, so I ordered and paid over internet, and quickly received the donation receipt. They thanked me for sponsoring a chair, and a few days later I received a personal thank you note, with a picture from the guy who got “my” chair. I was happy to see that it actually worked, and that I had the opportunity to support a good cause.
I didn’t think more of it, until October this year, when I received a phone call, telling me that I have been picked among last year’s donors to visit Vietnam and see the factory, the distribution process and meet some of the recipients.
I brought my youngest son, Henrik and November 16 we arrived in Ho Chi Min City. It was a very moving situation to meet the man who received “my” chair, Mr Huynh Ngoc Lam. We heard about his life. He suffered from brain fever or polio. His father used to carry him on his back to and from school, when he was younger. This was his first wheelchair. Now he tried to make a living as a TV repair man, but the times were tough. It was strange to sit in his modest home, and see how my little contribution had travelled around the world, and how much it had meant to him. “You were my Santa Claus last year”, he said, smilingly. We didn’t understand his words, but we understood from his energy and body language: This chair meant so much to him; it gave him the freedom to move around in the neighborhood and to meet both customers and friends.
Later we visited the wheelchair factory where they produce the RoughRider; Kien Tuong Wheelchair Factory. The owner Nguyen Tien Toan and his family gave us a warm and friendly welcome. We were impressed by what they had achieved: The production facilities were nice, clean and tidy and had a remarkable standard, compared to what we had expected. 60 hardworking employees produced wheelchairs in an orderly and well organized manner. Most of the workers lived at the premises. We were told they were paid well above general standard, and we also saw that they had employed several disabled people in the factory. Many of them used a wheelchair themselves. That seemed natural in Toans factory, but it is quite unusual for Vietnam, where disabled seldom are given any options. The cooperation and trust between the Arthur B. Schultz Foundation and Toan and his family was quite obvious, and we understood that the communication and logistics in the order process was a key issue.
We also visited a small workshop in the old city. 6-8 young women lived there and participated in vocational training courses in various art and handicraft skills. Here we saw some of the awful results from the war: Some of the girls were Agent Orange victims, with body deformities. One of the girls sat on a wooden plate with small wheels. I could only imagine what efforts and pain it took her to move around with it. None of them had owned a wheelchair before.
After 3 months of training, they were ready to start up their profession, and with a new wheelchair of their own, they had the means to both work and to visit their suppliers and customers. I really hope this was their start for a better and simpler life. I wish them all the best!
Before we left, I received a gift. They asked me to pick one of the artworks that were displayed in the workshop. I chose a beautiful peasant painting. It turned out that one of the girls that just had received a chair was the artist. It was very moving for me, being a former art & craft teacher at an education centre. I knew this was a gift with a lot of effort and heart.
It was very moving for me, being a former art & craft teacher at an education centre. I knew this was a gift with a lot of effort and heart. It was great to see the joy when all the girls received their chairs. In order to give them a chance, they need education and a wheel chair, and that’s what they got here at this centre.
But, there are still so many people who need a wheelchair in Vietnam, and I ask you of all my heart to give a Christmas gift that moves this year.