Nguyen Thi Van and her "mission" to the disabled community.
In 2019, Nguyen Thi Van was selected by Forbes as one of the 100 most inspiring and influential women in the world… For her, helping and supporting people with disabilities and the disadvantaged is a noble mission in her life. “Van believes that if she does her best, she should always radiate an energy that desires to help people with disabilities. Thinking about it, acting on it, will connect her with people who have a desire to serve…” (Nguyen Thi Van)
Le Xuan -Technique:Hong ToaiOctober 17, 2025
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In 2019, Nguyen Thi Van was selected by Forbes as one of the 100 most inspiring and influential women in the world… For her, helping and supporting people with disabilities and the disadvantaged is a noble mission in her life. “Van believes that if she does her best, she should always radiate an energy that desires to help people with disabilities. Thinking about it, acting on it, will connect her with people who have a desire to serve…” (Nguyen Thi Van)
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Ms. Nguyen Thi Van was born in Dien Hoa commune, Nghe An province. Just a few months after birth, she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy. While her friends grew older, she felt as if her body was shrinking. Like many other people with disabilities, Ms. Van had a childhood filled with haunting, invisible fears. She recounted: “Until I was 11 or 12 years old, I didn’t like interacting with people. Going out felt like a battle… The whispers of others were so invisible, they played on my fear. In my mind, there was only one thing: leave me alone, don’t stare at me for too long…”
Van's house is near the church in Doai commune. Every time there's an important religious service, many disabled people gather there. They beg for food or sell something. People told Van that if her parents were no longer around, she would end up like them. At that moment, Van told herself: "I must try. Since I haven't accepted this future, I must persevere; there's no other way!"
In her childhood, having a friend was a dream come true for her. Therefore, when she finally got a computer, she was overjoyed. She believed it was the gateway connecting her to the outside world..Nguyen Thi Van bravely left her parents' embrace at the age of 15, moving to Dien Chau (30 km from home) to open an internet cafe, balancing her studies with business to earn a living. However, the harsh realities of life deeply wounded her. The area was volatile; some days, drug addicts would come in to inject drugs right in front of her, or people would steal bicycles to use the cafe, and arguments would erupt… Coping with all of this made Van feel like she had aged.
Once, because she stayed up until 1 or 2 in the morning, she fell asleep in class the next morning, and the teacher threw a piece of chalk at the disabled student. Van cried, and it was as if she suddenly woke up:"I can't live like this forever."She thought it was time to embark on a new journey and hand over the internet cafe to her brother. However, the principal of the private high school near the internet cafe changed her mind. Sympathizing with Van's situation, the principal encouraged her to return to school. Van still remembers his words: "You should consider going back to school. I will waive your tuition fees, and if you can't come, I'll have your friends pick you up." And so, with the help of her teachers and friends, Van completed her three years of high school, igniting in her a strong desire to move forward.
Turn disadvantages into advantages, turn weaknesses into strengths.
People with disabilities are no different.
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In 2008, Nguyen Thi Van arrived in Hanoi, a place that felt incredibly familiar, like she belonged. She decided to settle there. She and three friends rented a room in the teachers' dormitory of the National University. Back then, after meals, she would leave her room because she was afraid of wasting electricity. She would only go to the market at 1 PM, hoping to find some cheap food or leftovers that her family would give her. Van lived like that, her meals mostly consisting of traditional dishes like roasted peanuts and dried fish sent from her family. Those days passed when she found a better job at a Danish company. From there, she and her brother, Cong Hung, continued to help young people with disabilities in rural areas. Sometimes, her apartment housed up to 14 people, sharing rice and vegetables, studying together, and learning about computer science.
Van and her brother gained more companions. Initially, they were friends and volunteers supporting the center, then they became co-founders of the Center for Living Strength. Together, they did everything from part-time jobs, making handmade items to sell, designing and managing websites, to writing articles for companies… to raise money to keep the center running. Amidst these difficulties, a major shock struck them. Information knight Nguyen Cong Hung suddenly passed away during a business trip to the South. While grieving for her brother, Van felt empty and worried about how to manage the center in the coming days. On one hand, she struggled to raise funds for the center's activities, and on the other hand, she focused on promoting the Living Strength brand, opening more classes, and continuously updating the official fan page with new information.
During difficult times, Ms. Van had an idea: Why not start a business or do something to earn extra income? With money, she could help more people. While working, she saved 100 million VND for emergencies, but she decided to use that money, along with contributions from friends, to build Imagtor Company - a company specializing in photo editing for international real estate and e-commerce businesses.
Imagtor's standout feature is its speed and consistent quality. Imagtor delivers finished products to customers within 24 hours of receiving an order. Customers are loyal to Imagtor because of its price and quality, and they also partner with Imagtor in creating positive value for disadvantaged communities. Therefore, just one year after its establishment, Imagtor ranked among the top 25 best social enterprises in Asia, and was valued at $2.4 million USD by an organization in Singapore, 480 times its initial value. In 2018, at Asia's largest social innovation competition, Social Venture Asia, Imagtor won three awards: Social Enterprise in Technology, Social Enterprise in Education, and Asia's Most Promising Social Enterprise.
With 40% of Imagtor's workforce being people with disabilities, Ms. Van has proven that products made by people with disabilities can be perfect, and they can absolutely earn a decent living. In Imagtor, everything from the hallways and doorways to the workstations, meeting rooms, and even the smallest restrooms are designed to suit the needs of people with disabilities. Van has opened a path filled with sunshine, allowing people with disabilities to confidently assert themselves and fully pursue their dreams.
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New chapters in the lives of disabled children have opened up since they came to the Center for Living Strength and were introduced to work at Imagtor. Nguyen Manh Dung, from Hoa Binh ward, Phu Tho province, is one such story.
For over 10 years, Dung didn't dare leave the house, afraid of meeting people, afraid of being called: "That cripple!" Dung locked himself within four walls and only looked at his phone. Many times, Dung didn't know what he was living for. But, he was afraid of hurting his parents, so every day he endured, enduring a life without light, without hope.
Then he went to the Center for Living Strength, where he started learning the first letters of the alphabet and began practicing writing. Holding a pen was very difficult. With effort, he managed to write. At first, it was stroke by stroke, then letter by letter, and now, Dung writes as fluently as everyone else, becoming a diligent employee of Imagtor Joint Stock Company. Dung's life has stabilized, igniting joy and a desire to live within him.
In 2019, after receiving the prestigious Red Star Entrepreneur Award, Ms. Nguyen Thi Van shared her desire to serve and help people with disabilities and those less fortunate with members of the Red Star Entrepreneur Club. Love from the heart connected hearts. In October 2022, the Nghi Luc Song Joint Stock Company – a social enterprise – was established. From then on, across Vietnam, more centers, training programs, and new jobs have opened up for people with disabilities, providing them with new opportunities. To date, from its predecessor, the Nghi Luc Song Center, the Nghi Luc Song Joint Stock Company – a social enterprise – has trained over 1,500 people with disabilities in computer skills and life skills, with a 70% employment rate for its trainees.
In this shared home, the children have shared meaningful, innocent, and peaceful days of youth together. Gone are feelings of inferiority, self-doubt, and shyness; everyone shares all the joys and sorrows of life. With the goal of connecting the community and creating new spaces and experiences for people with disabilities in their integration process, the "Living Strength" program has organized many meaningful programs such as: the annual fashion show for women with disabilities: "I am beautiful. You are too!", the "You rase me up" running competition, the "Living Strength" student singing competition… There, there is no longer any inferiority complex, lack of confidence, shyness, or hesitation; people with disabilities are free to confidently showcase their strengths and talents.
Many trainees, after finding employment, have returned to the "Living with Determination" program, as an inseparable part of it. Vu Phong Ky recounted: “In 2014, becoming a trainee of 'Living with Determination' was a turning point that changed my life. From being a severely disabled person with no future and no job, here I was able to reconnect with life and have the opportunity to find employment. Returning to 'Living with Determination', I am ready to share my story so that others in similar circumstances have more opportunities to change their lives.”
Through her tireless efforts, Ms. Nguyen Thi Van has been realizing her aspiration for a happy and fulfilling life for disadvantaged people in general, and people with disabilities in particular. Her aspirations and successes open up dreams for people with disabilities, giving them faith and motivation to continue striving.
There are no limits for people with disabilities in pursuing their dreams. Ms. Nguyen Thi Van believes that:"No matter who you are, man or woman, rich or poor, with or without a disability, everyone is born equal in self-respect and rights, with the right to be treated with respect and to develop their own values.”.Van believes that a good life will come to those who are determined and have noble souls, who aspire to improve themselves, and who seek to learn and surpass their own limitations.
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Seeing Neil Bowden Laurence, a cheerful, handsome Australian engineer, always by his wife's side, attentively helping her with even the smallest tasks, many initially wondered: how did they manage to be so happy together? The story begins with a change in Van's perspective.
In 2014, Van won a scholarship from the Australian Government, and while studying there, she unexpectedly met a couple where the husband was a college lecturer and the wife was a visually impaired woman. They met, got married, and lived happily together like normal people. The love story of this unfamiliar couple made Van realize that when she changed, opened her heart, and overcame her insecurities, the opportunity to receive love would also come. Therefore, she became more active in "flirting" online.
As for Neil, before meeting Van, he was a telecommunications engineer specializing in building emergency call centers for the government. His divorce 15 years ago left him withdrawn; outside of work, he occasionally browsed the internet for information.
One day, Van's radiant smile caught his attention. They got acquainted, and through their text messages, they developed feelings for each other. One time, seeing Van post a picture of herself drinking tea alone, he casually teased, "Is anyone interested in drinking tea with me?" Neil immediately commented, "How about me?" Van joked, "Come to Vietnam, I'll make tea for you every day." Three weeks later, the man quit his job and flew to Vietnam. The moment Van saw Neil at her doorstep, she was deeply moved.
They spent three weeks together, walking side-by-side. Three months later, Neil decided to quit his stable job in Australia and move to Vietnam, starting a new journey with Van. In June 2018, they officially became husband and wife.
Neil is very cheerful; he humorously tells his fairytale story, in which Van is always the queen and he is her servant. He often wakes up early and travels everywhere with his wife. Neil supports her in all her tasks, from cooking and cleaning to driving and acting as her constant bodyguard. And Neil is happy because, being with Van, he feels a spiritual connection, as if they are one. Despite being busy, he feels free to do the things he likes. Van and Neil live simply, respect each other, and their lives are filled with laughter.
Every morning, upon waking, Neil would whisper in Van's ear, "I love you. Today, I still love you." They would start their day together at Imagtor Company or meet with partners, attend seminars… They would walk hand in hand to the most romantic beaches in Phu Yen or gaze at the mist-shrouded peak of majestic Phan Xi Pang… They talked to each other every day like close friends, and Neil always felt warm because Van was always subtly attentive to his feelings, always doing everything to make him happy. His wife could inspire him and do so many meaningful things for the disabled community. That energy seemed to radiate to Neil, so much so that sometimes, he would quietly wait for his wife to finish work, silently watching her from afar with eyes sparkling with affection.
Neil loves his wife, and even though he could afford to hire a housekeeper, he wants to do everything he can to spend more time with her. Taking care of his wife is also a source of happiness for him; he doesn't find it difficult at all.
As for Van, even though she doesn't handle her personal or family matters herself, she always maintains a proactive attitude. She values independence, and even before Neil came along, she always had loving companions who were ready to support her.
They continue their journey through life like this. Respecting and understanding each other, each day is a new day, with new tasks, sometimes new trips, and new experiences. "Each person only lives once, so cherish yourself and live happily," that's also the key to happiness, the message Van wants to share, to erase all distances and differences, leaving only a shared path, an ideal, and a warm love in their lives.
