PV:As one of the 100 most inspirational and influential women in the world in 2019, top 50 most influential women in Vietnam, winner of the Red Star Award..., what motivation brought you to these titles?
Ms. Nguyen Thi Van:To answer this question, let me tell you a story. Although it happened a long time ago, I still remember it clearly. That time, I went out to the street to catch a taxi to go to work. In my wheelchair, I waited for a long time. During the waiting time, 4 taxis passed me, they stopped, looked at me with pity and then continued on. It was pouring rain, I was small, shivering, soaked like a drowned rat...
Like many other disabled people, every time I go out, I often receive curious looks from people around me. Even when I want to go to a coffee shop, get iced tea or get a beauty treatment, I am scrutinized and discriminated against. Because of this attitude, although Vietnam has 6.2 million disabled people, we still see very few disabled people in public places.
From this concern, I am determined to do more, to make people recognize me and to make all other disabled and disadvantaged people able to integrate into the community... That is one of the reasons and motivations for what I have done and achieved up to this point.
PV: With your determination, you have built many businesses and projects for the disadvantaged?
Ms. Nguyen Thi Van:From the starting point of the Will to Live Center, founded by my brother - the late IT Knight Nguyen Cong Hung, we have provided free training and supported employment for thousands of disabled people every year. In 2016, when I realized that financial difficulties were a barrier for disabled people in society, I founded Imagtor - an agency specializing in providing photo editing services with a team of more than 60% disabled people. The company is growing well and helping employees have money to cover their living expenses.
At the end of 2022, my colleagues and I established the social enterprise Will to Live Joint Stock Company. The company operates on the principle of using most of its profits to support people with disabilities and disadvantaged people. Specifically, we use maximum human resources from people with disabilities and disadvantaged people, and at the same time, invest profits in training and career guidance centers for people with disabilities and disadvantaged people.
Recently, we have launched a luxury goods care service run by disabled people and are calling for beekeepers to invest in a beekeeping project to support farmers in clean agriculture... Although I have many ideas, my health is limited, so I will consider them carefully and implement them one by one. I am willing to spend all my time helping people have a better life and create more value.
PV:Not only helping with specific actions, many people shared that they received a lot of useful and practical advice from you?
Ms. Nguyen Thi Van:I especially like being close to friends and relatives and always want to bring people closer to me. That is why, during the time I lived in Hanoi, I never felt far from home, because my relatives and close friends were all "pulled" here to live around me, so much so that many people teased us "building Nghe An village" on Linh Dam peninsula. I like to talk to them, spend a lot of time listening to them, solving problems with them and finding directions... One of the most effective ways to orient is to communicate in a spirit of respect. Through communication and conversations, we understand each other, influence each other and clarify issues to come to wise decisions in work, career, love... I always encourage young people to express their own opinions, create their own lives and in fact, my students and friends have done this very well.
PV:Is it from that strength of conversation and communication that you built a series of clips called “Van tells stories”? And this channel has developed very quickly and been well received by the online community?
Ms. Nguyen Thi Van:Actually, there was a time when I avoided the media and was afraid to share about myself. That time lasted for about 5 years. But now, when I feel that my sharing is useful, feels that my sharing brings something to everyone, I decided to create the channel "Van tells stories".
The clips on the channel are not too long, not too short, revolving around topics that young people are interested in such as love, entrepreneurship, healing, experience... They are all real stories, heartfelt, sincere words recorded naturally in familiar contexts in daily life, I filmed while traveling, sitting and hanging out with friends. Many people shared that watching the clips felt as if Van was sitting next to them, drinking tea, chatting with them. Perhaps it was that naturalness and authenticity that easily "touched" everyone.
I am glad that those views and shares have been well received by everyone. Up to now, the channel's facebook has reached 175 thousand followers, tiktok has 64.5 thousand followers with more than 762 thousand likes. Through everyone's support, my brothers and colleagues and I have been able to carry out many meaningful projects for the community.
PV: After 18 years of living far away from home and working in many places, do you still see yourself as having many characteristics of a Nghe An person? How are they expressed?
Ms. Nguyen Thi Van:I see myself as having many characteristics of Nghe An people, the most typical of which is fighting spirit. Once I want to do something, I will fight to the end to achieve it. With my starting point and health condition, I have to overcome both internal fears and external barriers. Moreover, my strength and determination lie in the most extreme moments, when I am rejected, abandoned, pushed aside... Without that characteristic, I probably could not be who I am today.
In addition, my way of speaking is also quick, concise, straight to the point with quite good flexibility. These things are shown very clearly. So clearly that many people who meet me for the first time, even though we have only had social contact, guess that I am from Nghe An. In my opinion, those personality traits are typical of the people of Nghe An - Uncle Ho's hometown and I am proud to have these characteristics.
PV: The Nghe An community around you seems very close-knit. Is it difficult to build that bond amidst the hustle and bustle of life?
Ms. Nguyen Thi Van:We are like a big family and always meet every week. Everyone is so close to each other that if one of us is sick and has to go to the hospital, the rest, instead of visiting, will take turns staying by and taking care of us. Every Saturday and Sunday, we don’t work but spend all our time together, drinking iced tea, chatting, cooking, and confiding in each other. It is a time of complete rest for truly quality, meaningful, and communal connections.
Not only me, all the fellow Nghe An people around me are proud of this community. We are proud to still maintain our industrious, hard-working, upright, honest and close-knit nature no matter where we are.
PV: Thank you for your meaningful sharing!
