People who overcome adversity

Try to "have enough to eat".

Following in the footsteps of Ms. Nguyen Thi Van - President of the Association for the Protection of the Needydisabilityand orphans from Vinh City came to visit.homeThe home of Mr. Tran Khanh Duong (born in 1979), residing in Yen Son Hamlet, Ha Huy Tap Ward, is truly astonishing. Mr. Duong's new home is a spacious, newly built three-story house located on Ly Tu Trong Street. It is known that the house is nearly complete, with an estimated construction cost of over 2.8 billion VND… Mr. and Mrs. Duong's new home has been, is, and will continue to be the dream of many people.

Mr. Tran Khanh Duong's spacious new three-story house. Photo: Thanh Chung

Speaking about overcoming adversity, personal growth, and building his family, Mr. Tran Khanh Duong smiled gently: "My life isn't anything special, I just kept trying and then added a bit of luck..." Mr. Duong is the eldest of three brothers. At the age of four, after an illness, he unfortunately became paralyzed in both legs. He couldn't go to school during his childhood, but that didn't stop him from learning and pursuing his dreams. He taught himself to read and write by secretly learning from his younger brother. Not wanting to be a burden to his family, at the age of 15, Mr. Duong asked his parents to let him go to Hanoi to learn electronics repair. After more than a year of studying, he started working and gradually established his reputation thanks to his honesty, diligence, kindness, and efficiency.

Tran Khanh Duong's career path was slow and gradual, like the wheels of a rolling cart navigating rough, rocky terrain, step by step. At 16, Duong worked as an electronics repairman for a shop in Vinh City that specialized in buying second-hand goods from Cua Lo Port, repairing them, and reselling them. After four years, his salary was barely enough to live on. In 1999, with the support of the Red Cross in his ward, he opened his own repair shop. Being both a repairman and a business owner gave him more control, but things didn't improve much. In 2003, he joined a company specializing in computer repair and internet installation. In 2004, Duong returned to open a mobile phone repair shop in front of the Nghe An University of Economics.

Having started as a mechanic and then becoming his own boss, Tran Khanh Duong accumulated a lot of experience and some capital. He also learned many things during his journey of building his career, such as: “If you are at a disadvantage, you can't progress quickly on your own. If you have companions or partners, things could be very different. To develop yourself, you need a bolder, more decisive shift.” In 2008, Duong officially left the electronics and phone repair business, which was “no longer relevant and highly competitive,” to open a coffee shop at home and establish a company specializing in car interiors on Nguyen Sy Sach Street. At this point, Duong was already a “boss.”

It was also thanks to this career change that Tran Khanh Duong met and fell in love with his wife, Vo Thi Luong (born in 1983). Ms. Luong worked as an accountant at Duong's company. From a professional relationship, she gradually developed feelings for and loved him. In 2010, they got married, and in 2011, their love blossomed with the birth of their first son… With a wife and a child, Tran Khanh Duong planned for a stable and long-term business. He stopped running his coffee shop and started a car interior repair business. From 2011 to the present, his company has become an official distributor for a beer company, distributing its products in Vinh City. Currently, his company has nearly 10 employees.

The family of Mr. and Mrs. Tran Khanh Duong and Vo Thi Luong is always filled with love and laughter. Photo: Thanh Chung

Mr. Tran Khanh Duong shared: “That's a summary of the work, but in reality, there are many difficulties, setbacks, and hardships. If you act slower than others, you need to try twice or three times as hard, and the same goes for thinking and reasoning. I've also experienced painful failures. For example, in 2017, I bought an 18-ton truck and started a transportation business carrying goods from Hue to Hanoi. But then, the price of oil was high, and labor costs were high. This business venture resulted in a loss of about 1 billion VND. Losses and setbacks did happen, but they didn't discourage me. If you lose one battle, you try again. Fortunately, I received a lot of love and support from many people, so life gradually improved… Now, life is much better; we have a house and a car; my wife and I just make do and make ends meet.”

Raising children to be good people.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Van, President of the Association for the Support of Disabled People and Orphans in Vinh City, said: "In Vinh City, Mr. Tran Khanh Duong is a shining example of overcoming adversity to develop himself and build a warm and happy family. Currently, in addition to focusing on developing his family's economy, Mr. Duong actively participates in social activities, such as leading the 'Disabled People of Nghe An' group (which includes many disabled people from Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa provinces). The group regularly organizes many activities to support and help each other develop."

Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu talks about her studies with her two younger siblings and her parents. Photo: Thanh Chung

Not far from Mr. Tran Khanh Duong's house is the home of Mr. Nguyen Huy Hai (43 years old) and his wife, Ms. Nguyen Thi Vinh (40 years old). Their tailor shop, which also serves as their home, is located on Tue Tinh Street in Yen Son Hamlet, Ha Huy Tap Ward (Vinh City). Though small, it is very cozy and filled with love… Mr. Hai and Ms. Vinh are both deaf and mute due to complications from serious illnesses. They met while studying literacy and vocational skills at the Nghe An Provincial Center for Education and Vocational Training for People with Disabilities. They got married in 2001 and have three children together. Remarkably, all three of their children are very well-behaved and academically successful. Their eldest daughter is currently a second-year student in the Faculty of Foreign Language Pedagogy at Vinh University.

Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hai and Vinh, said: “My parents love and care for all three of us sisters very much. Understanding our family's circumstances, all three of us sisters try our best in our studies. I also try my best to help my parents teach my younger siblings…” Through sign language, Mr. Hai asked his daughter to share his feelings: “In life, each stage has its own difficulties. However, my wife and I always try to overcome them. Thanks to our good skills, we have a steady stream of customers ordering custom-made clothes. Now that our work is stable, ‘food and clothing are eternal needs,’ my wife and I have no intention of changing jobs. We only have one wish: to try our best to provide our children with a full education, so they don't have to miss out; and we hope all three of our children will graduate from university.”

Thanh Chung