Farmers from "Nhut land" have a talent for turning scrap into useful items.

Part-time job

Mr. Nguyen Huu Quy’s Quy Dong toy production facility is located right in town and used to be an old kindergarten building. Although the facilities are still quite poor, the working atmosphere is always cheerful and bustling. Coming to the workshop, it is easy to meet young customers who are always eager to come and play after school hours. The boys and girls are also the first “customers” to evaluate and give their opinions on the products that have just been released from the factory.

The factory attracts many workers in the area with stable jobs and income. The products are completely handmade, so they are very unique and different. Photo: My Ha

Mr. Quy was born into a farming family and, like many other young men in the village, had to struggle with many jobs to make a living. Looking back on his 40-year journey, he considers himself a “multi-skilled” person, from a paper mill worker, to a trader, to a welder, aluminum and glass worker. However, despite having gone through many jobs, he never thought he would become a designer, manufacturer, or maker of toys for students.

Talking about this opportunity, he said: My wife is a kindergarten teacher, so sometimes at the beginning of the school year or before toy design competitions, she would come back and ask her husband to "process". At that time, I had a workshop at home, so this was quite simple, I did whatever my wife asked me to do. After that, sometimes I saw some scraps and old items that could not be used, so I researched and created more to help my wife have teaching aids at school.

Funny animals made from bamboo tubes. Photo: My Ha

Up to now, each year, they produce hundreds of toy sets, but they still can't forget the first toy set they made together. Those were lovely animals made from bamboo - a material found near their home. The idea at that time was not new, but thanks to the friendly, safe, familiar and easy-to-find materials combined with the creativity and cuteness, they conquered the judges in the grassroots toy competitions. Later, the bamboo toy set was also selected to participate in the provincial competition and won third prize... At the end of the competition, many teachers from schools were curious about this toy set and offered support and help.

Happy to bring joy to everyone

The first time he received an order from a kindergarten teacher, Mr. Quy was very happy but did not dare to accept it because he was "nervous". Moreover, he also thought a lot, because this job has an unstable income and is seasonal. "At this time, my wife and I have two children, and my wife's kindergarten salary is very low. If I change jobs, it will definitely be very difficult" - Mr. Quy confided.

Flowers made from seashells. Photo: My Ha

When he decided to switch to making toys, Mr. Quy also made a bet with himself and determined that everything would have to start from zero. The biggest motivation for him to stick with the job was when he saw the excited, eager eyes of children, every time he completed a new work. This is also the dream of boys and girls in poor rural areas because for him, about ten years ago, toys for rural children were still a luxury and few people spent tens or hundreds of dollars to buy toys for their children like families in the city.

With the same concerns, when changing careers, Mr. Quy's first goal was that the toys must be beautiful, cheap and safe. To meet these criteria, he chose scrap as the main material for production. Regarding the designs, he decided to design all the models himself to be suitable for preschool age and ensure quality.

After more than ten years in the profession, Mr. Quy cannot remember how many toy models he has made. He only knows that as the products are produced, they are consumed, no two models are alike, and the customer base is expanding day by day.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Quy and his wife with the products they created together. Photo: My Ha

Currently, during peak seasons such as the time of the school year, Mr. Quy's workshop has 8-10 workers. During the year, the workshop only takes about 1 month off at the end of the year, the rest of the time they work 30/30 days a month. Mr. Quy also said: His workers only need 2 days of training to be able to do the job proficiently and if they are diligent, they can earn from 3.5 - 5 million VND/month.

Mr. Quy admits that it is not easy to be truly attached to the profession. Therefore, despite having many years of experience, he always requires himself to constantly change to adapt to the profession. For example, when he used to work as an aluminum and glass worker, the designs were often simple and not sophisticated, but when he switched to making toys, he had to make beautiful products while at the same time demonstrating the goals and professional tasks of the industry.

Talking about this, he shared: I mainly make toys for preschools, so I have to study each new policy of the industry carefully, even have to look at my wife's lesson plans and programs. This profession, to put it simply, is constantly changing. For example, in the past, toys were just visual teaching aids, so it was enough to make them look like chickens, birds, or airplanes. But now, the new requirements are that toys must also be creative to encourage children's development. Therefore, when making an airplane, it must be designed so that children can disassemble and grasp each part...

During his struggle with the profession, Mr. Quy still had to learn a lot. Fortunately, he was hard-working, diligent, and skillful by nature (his grandfather was a carpenter, his father was the former director of the Dai Dong barber cooperative), so he caught up with the work very quickly.

Anyone who enters his workshop will be surprised because with just a few old cardboard sheets, he can instruct workers to make elaborate houses and musical instruments. Or with just a few screws, a bunch of straw, reeds... he can also create shrimps and elaborate flower vases. With his talented hands and endless creativity, this worker can also turn tires into funny smiley animals, bottles into flower pots, and extremely adorable chickens.

Products of Quy Dong production facility are brought to schools. Photo: My Ha

Due to the demand of large schools, in addition to providing toys and equipment, he also designs and decorates school gardens and makes fairy gardens. His customers are not only in Thanh Chuong, Do Luong, Con Cuong districts but also in provinces such as Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh...

Talking about his "start-up" story, Mr. Quy shared more: My job, compared to many other jobs, is not rich, but I am happy because this is an honest, close job and it helps me create stable jobs for many other people in the district...

That simple philosophy is also the reason why he is able to stick with his job and gain the trust of his customers. His story is also the story of a poor, determined farmer who knows how to rise up and take control of his own life./.

My Ha