A journey of overcoming adversity.

Never surrender to fate.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (residing in Lang hamlet, Can Duoc commune) said that she has been working as a seamstress for more than 5 years, thanks to which she has a stable income and the work is also easy, not requiring her to stay up late and wake up early like in the days when she used to sort shrimp.

“Since Lien opened her garment manufacturing business in Ho Chi Minh City, I went there to work with her. Now that Lien has returned to our hometown, I've followed her back to work here. Every morning, after finishing my housework, I come to sew, and in the evening I take care of cooking and other chores. Thanks to Lien, several women in the hamlet have jobs, allowing them to look after their homes while also earning extra income,” Mrs. Thuy shared.

Despite her weak legs, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lien has always persevered, and thanks to that, she has been able to make a living from sewing.

The person Ms. Thuy was referring to was Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lien, a woman with a disability in her legs but full of courage and determination. She has a pleasant face, a radiant smile, and a strong will; the more challenges she faces, the more resilient she becomes.

Born with a disability in her legs, Lien had to learn to accept and overcome her physical limitations from a young age. Her weak legs made walking extremely difficult. The short distance from home to school was the first major challenge in the life of this small but determined girl.

“My legs are weak, so walking a lot hurts a lot. Sometimes, I can't stand it anymore halfway there, so I throw my bag down and crawl all the way to school,” Ms. Lien recounted. On lucky days, she would meet friends or relatives who would help and carry her to school. Thanks to that persistent will, she completed five years of primary school. When she moved to the next level, the road to school became longer and the journey more arduous. Unable to conquer it alone, Ms. Lien had to drop out of school.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lien's processing facility currently provides employment for approximately 9 local female workers.

At home, she spent her time gardening, and she took on any odd jobs she could find because she didn't want to be a burden to others. Then she asked her family for permission to learn sewing, hoping to acquire a skill to support herself.

Learning the trade was more difficult than for others, but she persevered. After learning the trade, she bought a used sewing machine and started taking on jobs ranging from repairing clothes to sewing face masks and carpets.

"I just want to have a job, a source of income. Since I don't have the same starting point as others, I have to work hard," Ms. Lien shared. Her greatest aspiration is simply to live a normal life and earn a living through her own labor.

For her, her disability was never something to be ashamed of; instead, she always strived to overcome it and rise above it. But life in her hometown was difficult, and despite her hard work, she couldn't escape a precarious existence. In her twenties, full of ambition, she decided to follow an acquaintance to Ho Chi Minh City to seek new opportunities.

Career journey

When she first tried using an industrial sewing machine, she worried she wouldn't be able to do it. But after trying, she knew she could. And from then on, she began her journey of building her career far from home.

After facing work pressure and low wages, she decided to quit her job to find another opportunity. "At that time, I often read newspapers, saw classified ads for jobs, and I found a new job, which later led to me opening a garment manufacturing business," Ms. Lien recounted.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lien has a pleasant face and a radiant smile (In the photo: She is preparing to pack ornamental fish for delivery to customers).

After changing jobs several times, she accumulated a lot of experience and became more skilled at sewing. This was also when she started thinking about "doing it herself." Through classified ads in newspapers, she found businesses that needed garment manufacturing services.

With the money she saved while working away from home, she bought two sewing machines to help with her work. Gradually, the number of orders increased, so she invited other women in her boarding house to work with her. She then invested in more sewing machines and called relatives and friends from her hometown, as well as other women who needed work, to come to Ho Chi Minh City to work with her.

At this time, her small rented room became too cramped, so she rented another, more spacious and convenient place. Her garment manufacturing business began to thrive. "At its peak, my business had 20 workers, sewing on-site and taking work home. Everyone had a stable income, and I was very happy," Ms. Lien confided.

As a coordinator, she received orders, instructed the women on how to sew, and delivered the goods to the facility on time. Her work went smoothly, and her personal life also blossomed when she met her husband, a man from Ca Mau who sold ornamental fish at school gates in Ho Chi Minh City.

Starting from mutual understanding and shared feelings, they decided to get married and had a son together. Life seemed to be peacefully flowing along, but then the Covid-19 pandemic struck, bringing all their businesses to a halt. With finances again in difficulty, they decided to return to their hometown.

“When I first returned to my hometown, I didn’t think I would be doing garment manufacturing again. My friends and old acquaintances encouraged me, so I continued,” Ms. Lien said. Few could imagine that despite her mobility difficulties, she still manages to deliver and receive goods on her three-wheeled vehicle. It seems that no difficulty or challenge can bring down this resilient woman.

According to Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Can Duoc commune and Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Can Duoc commune, thanks to Ms. Lien's garment processing facility, many women in Lang hamlet have gained additional income and improved their lives.

“The women in the hamlet can both receive orders for processing and take care of their families, including dropping off and picking up their children from school. Ms. Lien is a prime example of someone who has strived to overcome difficulties and rise above adversity,” commented Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh.

Currently, she has just given birth to her second child. Besides her work, Ms. Lien also helps her husband take care of ornamental fish. Having experience, when they returned to their hometown, her husband started a business breeding and selling ornamental fish, which has attracted interest and support from customers everywhere.

Despite the hardships of life, and the aching feet on cold days, Lien and her husband are persistently building their lives with the belief that "as long as we don't give up, the future will open up new doors."

Guilin

Source: https://baolongan.vn/hanh-trinh-vuot-len-so-phan-a209384.html