+ Related Reading: + Thương nhớ Nguyễn Công Hùng của Người Buôn Gió
Today, I had a conversation with Van Theresa – aka Nguyen Thao Van, the younger sister of Nguyen Cong Hung. Nguyen Cong Hung was a popular figure; the IT hero who had recently passed away at the end of 2012, barely 6 months after his 30th birthday. Through that conversation, I learned that the responsibility to run the Will To Live Center (WTLC), which was Hung’s brainchild, now falls squarely on Van’s shoulder.
Like her brother Hung, Van is also a person with disability. She intimated to me the dream that she and her brother Hung shared, “Aside from providing skills training for the handicaps we have two more important tasks, namely: changing society’s perception about the capability of the handicaps and changing the handicap’s perception about their role in society.” A very humanitarian dream indeed.
The WTLC relocated to Ha Noi from Nghe An province in 2008, and since that time, they have had to move every 4 to 6 months. For ordinary people it would have been a difficult task already, let alone for members of WTLC, the majority of whom are physically handicapped. In 2012 the Center had to relocate 6 times! Imagine, moving 6 times with 40 wheelchair bound individuals (stricken by polio). And not only that, the computer systems also have had to be moved, the internet connection rewired and reconnected, all of these tasks had to get done, all by themselves. At the end of this month the Center have to be moved again because the landlord has sold the property.
The WTLC’s current housing requirements with capacity for 60 handicapped individuals to live and work comprise of 3 housing units, each measures about 900 sq. ft. (83m2) of which 2 units are used as living quarters and the remaining unit functions as office and training center. These three housing units are all leased at the moment.
According to Van, when her brother Hung was running the center, most if not all activities were done on voluntary basis; and as a result, things were not running very smoothly and that Hung and Van had had to make all the decisions. Only the director earned 5 million dong (240 USD) per month, and the training manager earned 2.5 million dong/month (120 USD). After Hung passed on Van was elected Managing Director of the Center, overseeing all its operations.
Since the beginning of this year (2013) Van has decided to put all WTLC employees on payroll in order to increase efficacy of the Center’s operations, sharpening focus and devoting more time for WTLC activities, also to improve the standard of living for WTLC employees at the same time. The WTLC total monthly expense is about 4,800 USD of which 2,300 USD is for rent, utility and office supplies. The rest is earmarked for salaries and compensations for employees and trainees who are paid on piece-work basis. It is indeed quite a remarkable will and energy for a person with disability as Van!
Currently the income of WTLC comes from 4 sources: 40% comes from donations from various projects run by foreign NGOs; 30% comes from contributions by families of WTLC trainees, with each family contributes 1 million dong (~50 USD); 25% derives from WTLC’s business; and 5% comes from individual donations.
When Hung was still alive he had made a deposit to purchase an apartment in Ha Dong, 7 kms from the current location. According to Van, the Ha Dong apartment is not safe in terms of security and operation, also in term of being close to health facilities in case of an emergency, especially for people with disability. The Ha Dong apartment costs 32,000 USD, and has to be paid in full by this October according to the contract; otherwise there would be a penalty. Yet up till now the fundraising effort has only reached 15,500 USD.
Also according to Van, the best solution given the current situation is to sell the Ha Dong apartment and to use the money to make a deposit towards buying a 1,300 sq.ft. unit in Linh Dam near the current location, which should afford better security and near proximity to medical centers. The 1,300 sq.ft. apartment will cost about 86,500 USD with a fixed term of 24 monthly equal instalments. It seems to be a more feasible goal, in terms of meeting the fund raising objective than the Ha Dong apartment for which Hung has made the deposit.
In short, a handicapped girl on wheelchair, who may also need some help herself, is taking care of 60 other people with disability at the cost of nearly 5,000 USD a month, to live and to demonstrate that physical disability does not entail mental disability, and that they can lead their lives with their ability. With 15,500 USD already raised there remains 71,000 USD of contribution to be raised in the next 24 months, which works out to the sum of roughly 3,000 USD per month. Let’s suppose each person contributes 4.80 USD (100,000 dong) then we will need the contribution of 14,790 people. How would it NOT be possible a goal, when we have a population of 90 million, and a sizable Diaspora?
Nick Vujicic – the most recognizable person with disability in the world – a product of Australian media and marketing, has been trained and coached to become an inspirational speaker with hefty appearance fees, and subsequently Nick has used that money charitably to help other people with disability. Why then, a Person of the Hour like Nguyen Cong Hung, who had met the General Secretary of the VCP, the president, the prime minister, was given various awards and honors yet not one of them has given any thought of supporting WTFC with an office, a place to live and work. Why is it that we and the whole system of government have not come up with an affordable amount that is well within everyone’s means? The amount we are talking about is the equivalent of 2 bowls of Pho in the big cities, and less than 1/10 of an average get together meal.
In homage and gratitude to the deceased Nguyen Cong Hung, in recognition of the wisdom and the managerial capability of Nguyen Thao Van, I am writing this article with the hope that the readers shall make a contribution – contributing a brick, to make that small yet great humanitarian dream of Hung and Van, come true, so that the people with disability of this country shall become disabled no more.
P / S: I will stop blogging until donation to the WTLC has reached the amount enough to buy the 1,300 sq.ft facility.
(*) The title comes from an article in the Van Te Nghia Sy Giuoc of Nguyen Đinh Chieu
Asia Clinic, 12h29' Wednesday, 05/6/2013Nguyen Cong Hung when he alive and operates at the Will to Live Centers
Like her brother Hung, Van is also a person with disability. She intimated to me the dream that she and her brother Hung shared, “Aside from providing skills training for the handicaps we have two more important tasks, namely: changing society’s perception about the capability of the handicaps and changing the handicap’s perception about their role in society.” A very humanitarian dream indeed.
Instead Hung, Nguyen Van Thao operates the Will to Live Center. Nguyen Phu Cuong, eChip Journal’s representator works with Ms. Van. He said, this afternoon to take advantage of the visit Will to Live Center (Office 1008, the ribbon 7A, Linh Dam Peninsula) because hearing it is moved, but to hire one apartment with >80m2 for continue job "Training information technology for people with disabilities." Working with Hung in the day before and now with Thao Van ... hehe, just crawled on the floor, Photo: Huyen Minh
The WTLC relocated to Ha Noi from Nghe An province in 2008, and since that time, they have had to move every 4 to 6 months. For ordinary people it would have been a difficult task already, let alone for members of WTLC, the majority of whom are physically handicapped. In 2012 the Center had to relocate 6 times! Imagine, moving 6 times with 40 wheelchair bound individuals (stricken by polio). And not only that, the computer systems also have had to be moved, the internet connection rewired and reconnected, all of these tasks had to get done, all by themselves. At the end of this month the Center have to be moved again because the landlord has sold the property.
The WTLC’s current housing requirements with capacity for 60 handicapped individuals to live and work comprise of 3 housing units, each measures about 900 sq. ft. (83m2) of which 2 units are used as living quarters and the remaining unit functions as office and training center. These three housing units are all leased at the moment.
According to Van, when her brother Hung was running the center, most if not all activities were done on voluntary basis; and as a result, things were not running very smoothly and that Hung and Van had had to make all the decisions. Only the director earned 5 million dong (240 USD) per month, and the training manager earned 2.5 million dong/month (120 USD). After Hung passed on Van was elected Managing Director of the Center, overseeing all its operations.
Since the beginning of this year (2013) Van has decided to put all WTLC employees on payroll in order to increase efficacy of the Center’s operations, sharpening focus and devoting more time for WTLC activities, also to improve the standard of living for WTLC employees at the same time. The WTLC total monthly expense is about 4,800 USD of which 2,300 USD is for rent, utility and office supplies. The rest is earmarked for salaries and compensations for employees and trainees who are paid on piece-work basis. It is indeed quite a remarkable will and energy for a person with disability as Van!
Nguyen Thao Van is meeting with foreigners to finance the Will to Live Centers
Currently the income of WTLC comes from 4 sources: 40% comes from donations from various projects run by foreign NGOs; 30% comes from contributions by families of WTLC trainees, with each family contributes 1 million dong (~50 USD); 25% derives from WTLC’s business; and 5% comes from individual donations.
When Hung was still alive he had made a deposit to purchase an apartment in Ha Dong, 7 kms from the current location. According to Van, the Ha Dong apartment is not safe in terms of security and operation, also in term of being close to health facilities in case of an emergency, especially for people with disability. The Ha Dong apartment costs 32,000 USD, and has to be paid in full by this October according to the contract; otherwise there would be a penalty. Yet up till now the fundraising effort has only reached 15,500 USD.
Also according to Van, the best solution given the current situation is to sell the Ha Dong apartment and to use the money to make a deposit towards buying a 1,300 sq.ft. unit in Linh Dam near the current location, which should afford better security and near proximity to medical centers. The 1,300 sq.ft. apartment will cost about 86,500 USD with a fixed term of 24 monthly equal instalments. It seems to be a more feasible goal, in terms of meeting the fund raising objective than the Ha Dong apartment for which Hung has made the deposit.
In short, a handicapped girl on wheelchair, who may also need some help herself, is taking care of 60 other people with disability at the cost of nearly 5,000 USD a month, to live and to demonstrate that physical disability does not entail mental disability, and that they can lead their lives with their ability. With 15,500 USD already raised there remains 71,000 USD of contribution to be raised in the next 24 months, which works out to the sum of roughly 3,000 USD per month. Let’s suppose each person contributes 4.80 USD (100,000 dong) then we will need the contribution of 14,790 people. How would it NOT be possible a goal, when we have a population of 90 million, and a sizable Diaspora?
Nick Vujicic – the most recognizable person with disability in the world – a product of Australian media and marketing, has been trained and coached to become an inspirational speaker with hefty appearance fees, and subsequently Nick has used that money charitably to help other people with disability. Why then, a Person of the Hour like Nguyen Cong Hung, who had met the General Secretary of the VCP, the president, the prime minister, was given various awards and honors yet not one of them has given any thought of supporting WTFC with an office, a place to live and work. Why is it that we and the whole system of government have not come up with an affordable amount that is well within everyone’s means? The amount we are talking about is the equivalent of 2 bowls of Pho in the big cities, and less than 1/10 of an average get together meal.
In homage and gratitude to the deceased Nguyen Cong Hung, in recognition of the wisdom and the managerial capability of Nguyen Thao Van, I am writing this article with the hope that the readers shall make a contribution – contributing a brick, to make that small yet great humanitarian dream of Hung and Van, come true, so that the people with disability of this country shall become disabled no more.
All donations please follow this link: http://www.nghilucsong.net/gop-gach/chi-tiet/11/
Specifically as follows:+You can support directly at: TRUNG TAM NGHI LUC SONG – THE WILL TO LIVE CENTER
+ Address: Room 1008, the No7A, Linh Dam Peninsula, Ha Noi Tel: 04 36419700 - 0936 240 399 * Email: nghilucsong@gmail.com
+ Donation by bank account: Account holder: Nguyen Thi Van, Account Number: 0491000018424 Vietcombank branch Thang Long, Hanoi
* With the charity overseas, adding SWIFT CODE: BFTVVNVX (including 8 alphabets, with two consecutive V – it’s NOT a W)
*By bank transfer, please provide: Your full name – Notation: Contribution to TT Nghi Luc Song
* You can help support WTLC by fundraising among groups of friends, companies, ...
* Information updated daily on the website: www.nghilucsong.netOn behalf of WTL center, I sincerely thank all those who have read this article; it being a tribute to the golden heart of Nguyen Cong Hung and Nguyen Thao Van and all members of the Will to Live Center.
P / S: I will stop blogging until donation to the WTLC has reached the amount enough to buy the 1,300 sq.ft facility.
(*) The title comes from an article in the Van Te Nghia Sy Giuoc of Nguyen Đinh Chieu
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