Choose to stay in Da Lat to listen to happiness.

Sipping a cup of sweet and bitter coffee amidst the August rain, her gaze drifting towards the snow-capped valley, Dr. Choi Young Sook said that she chose to stay amidst the flowers and mist of Da Lat to listen to the voice of her heart speaking of happiness.

Dr. Choi Young Sook and her husband, businessman Kwon Jang Soo

Love for underprivileged children in a foreign land.

Dr. Choi Young Sook resigned from her position as a lecturer in special education at Daegu University, just as she was about to be appointed Vice President, to come to Vietnam, specifically to Da Lat.

She came to be a companion to children with disabilities, a job she considered her duty, her purpose in life, and the path she needed to continue until the end of her life.

In 2007, through a networking program, Dr. Choi Young Sook invited representatives from the Lam Dong Department of Education and Training, along with the principals of the Hoa Phong Lan School for the Deaf and the School for the Intellectually Impaired (Da Lat), to work with leaders of the education sector in Busan and Daegu University - one of the leading centers for special education in South Korea.

The lack of facilities, the difficulties in accessing specialized training curricula, and above all, her love for the children here, changed every decision in her life.

That turning point led her, after her trip to Da Lat, to return and persuade her husband, Kwon Jang Soo (affectionately known as Mr. Quan), a successful businessman in the automotive industry, to give up everything and come to this land.

“She told me about a meaningful job: helping underprivileged children, that’s what she wanted to do. Without much thought, I decided immediately, even though many people thought we were abnormal, and it would take some time to sort out the large assets and profitable business.”

"In mid-2009, she and I flew to Vietnam because I knew we had to always be together," Mr. Kwon Jang Soo shared about his noble decision.

For Dr. Choi, there was no need for much deliberation; her early retirement plan was already set. The rest of her time would occupy her entire mind as she spent time with the underprivileged children in this beautiful city.

Having dedicated her entire life to working with children with disabilities in South Korea, her love for these children has been recognized by the South Korean government, which awarded her an outstanding individual award for her work in education.

“When I turned 50, I started thinking about how I would live the rest of my life. I suddenly remembered that in 1995, while studying in Japan, there was an English teacher who did so much for deaf children in Japan. I wanted to do the same! Furthermore, my role model is Rosetta Sherwood Hall – an American medical educator who dedicated 44 years of her life to the development of education for people with disabilities, especially the deaf and blind, in Korea. I always wished to walk in her shoes on her broad path,” Dr. Choi recalled her journey to Vietnam.

Dr. Choi and his wife's journey began with dozens of packages, all containing textbooks, teaching aids, and school supplies purchased with their retirement and old-age savings.

The amount of supplies brought to Lam Dong was so much that the school for the deaf didn't have enough space, so the couple had to rent a house to store everything. At that time, the conditions for teaching deaf children in Lam Dong were still very difficult and lacking compared to the conditions of a developed country like South Korea, especially in terms of mindset and thinking about caring for and educating children with disabilities.

"It may have taken a long time, but I always thought I had to do everything I could to make a change," Dr. Choi Young Sook reminisced about the past.

That positive mindset energized her, keeping her vibrant. “I danced, sang, and talked to the children using every language I could: dancing, drawing, sign language… I taught them how to make soap, tea, cakes, flowers… I recorded these activities for the children to see, all with the hope of fostering closeness and encouraging them to respond to spoken language,” Dr. Choi shared.

The products made by the children at the School for the Deaf are offered for sale by Dr. Choi and her husband to friends and Korean businesses. According to her, these products don't sell for much money, but the important thing is that the children find them useful.

Lacking expertise, he faced many difficulties in helping his wife with the work. Mr. Kwon Jang Soo was determined to dedicate 8 hours a day to learning Vietnamese in order to become an interpreter for Dr. Choi.

He said, "She can also understand and speak Vietnamese, though not as well as I can. Therefore, I often have to act as an impromptu interpreter." In the eyes of this successful businessman, a smile shone with joy.

Helping hearing-impaired children hear music

She assured me of that seemingly impossible feat. She recounted: "In 1998, when I said I could intervene to help children under three years old with congenital hearing loss hear and speak, many people didn't believe me, thinking I was talking nonsense. When I expressed my opinion, even leading professors specializing in special education were indifferent and rejected it. Many people considered me abnormal, somewhat delusional, for intending to play music for hearing-impaired children."

Time has proven I can do it. Now in Korea, interventions to help hearing-impaired children under 3 years old hear and speak have become commonplace. “I can confidently say that a hearing-impaired child under 3 years old who receives proper early intervention can hear and speak. The success rate is now 80%,” Dr. Choi Young Sook stated with certainty.

Sitting with her in her small café called Chocolate Bear, filled with soothing sounds, where deaf children personally prepare drinks and interact with customers, I believed what she shared.

According to her, in Vietnam, parents of children with disabilities don't spend enough time with their children. "When children go to school, teachers don't have the right intervention methods, and many teachers lack specialized training in special education. These are things that need to change," she honestly replied when I mentioned this existing problem in special education institutions in Vietnam.

Dr. Choi and his wife have donated billions of dong to help disabled children in Lam Dong and throughout Vietnam. They possess a secret weapon: a notebook recording the pledges of prominent South Korean intellectuals and businesspeople who signed their names: that they would one day visit Vietnam, specifically Lam Dong, to join them on their journey. They are very proud of this weapon, as it serves as a testament to their commitment.

Dr. Choi Young Sook proudly told me that the teachers I mentored, or the less fortunate children, no longer called her "Ms. Choi," but instead addressed her as "Mom." She didn't say it explicitly, but I knew that this land, overflowing with flowers and mist, would surely be the final destination on her passionate journey.

Speaking about Dr. Choi Young Sook's special affection for disabled children and poor students in this region, Distinguished Educator Nguyen Xuan Ngoc - Chairman of the Provincial Association for the Promotion of Learning, former Director of the Department of Education and Training of Lam Dong province - enthusiastically shared: "Dr. Choi's love for underprivileged children is incomparable."

Responsibility, dedication, and all of it comes from the heart, like a mother who wholeheartedly cares for her children day and night.

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For the education sector in Lam Dong province and for the promotion of learning and talent, Dr. Choi and his wife have always been trusted companions, sharing the difficulties of education in remote and special education areas. No formal agreement was made, but what Dr. Choi has dedicated to this land deserves everyone's recognition.
He is a highly respected individual. The Certificate of Commendation awarded to Dr. Choi by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Lam Dong Province for his exceptionally outstanding contributions to promoting education and talent development is the clearest evidence of this.

Distinguished Teacher Nguyen Xuan Ngoc - Chairman of the Provincial Association for the Promotion of Learning, former Director of the Provincial Department of Education and Training.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/chon-o-lai-da-lat-de-lang-nghe-hanh-phuc-389308.html