The massage and acupressure profession has helped Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (on the left), from Ba Che neighborhood, Thieu Trung commune, to have a more stable life.
Ms. Thuy shared: “When I was little, my house was near the school. Every time I heard my classmates chattering and talking on their way to school, I felt sad and self-conscious, thinking that my life was tied to darkness. The turning point in my life was when I was 17, my family sent me to the Association of the Blind in Thieu Hoa District (formerly) to learn Braille, allowing me to integrate and live happily with everyone. It was also in this environment that I learned massage and acupressure at the Provincial Association of the Blind, and from then on, my life took a new turn.”
In the early days of her apprenticeship, feeling the pressure points and accurately locating acupuncture points was a difficult challenge for Ms. Thuy. However, with the dedicated guidance of her teachers following the "hands-on" approach, she persevered and meticulously practiced each movement. After six months of apprenticeship at the Provincial Association of the Blind, she returned to work as a technician at the Association of the Blind in Thieu Hoa district (formerly). In 2008, Ms. Thuy decided to rent a space to practice her trade. Starting a business is difficult for ordinary people, but for someone in her situation, the hardships were multiplied many times over. However, with continuous effort, after 18 years of dedication to her profession, she has been able to buy a spacious house and also guide her visually impaired younger sister to find stable employment.
Like Ms. Thuy, Mr. Pham Ba Chuyen, from Ne Cam village, Dong Luong commune, also experienced a period of crisis after a traffic accident caused him to lose his sight. From being a healthy person, Mr. Chuyen initially felt self-conscious and lacked confidence, constantly grappling with the question: "What can I do to support myself?" With the encouragement of his family, he regained his spirits and went to the Provincial Association for the Blind to learn massage and acupressure. Today, he is proficient in the craft and can guide and share his experience with others in similar situations.
"Holding my first monthly salary of nearly 5 million dong in my hands, I was deeply moved and overjoyed. I felt I was no longer a burden to my family and could stand on my own two feet. Currently, I am working at a massage and acupressure center in the provincial association, where I can integrate with others and also earn a living," Chuyen shared.
Many other visually impaired people in the province are still striving every day to improve their lives and integrate into society through vocational training and suitable job creation programs. The province currently has 2,900 members, of which over 30% are of working age. Recognizing that providing suitable vocational training for the visually impaired is the "key" to helping them overcome their inferiority complex and thrive in life, the Provincial Association of the Blind has implemented many practical and effective initiatives. Over the past five years (2022-2025), the province has maintained and developed 55 massage and acupressure establishments managed by the association and its members, with total revenue exceeding 92 billion VND. Most establishments are regularly upgraded and renovated to be clean and well-maintained; emphasis is placed on investing in equipment, improving techniques, enhancing skills, and improving service quality to meet the increasingly high demands of customers. The traditional massage profession is gradually establishing itself as a community health care service that is trusted and accepted by society.
In addition, the provincial association continues to maintain and develop the production of bamboo toothpicks, receiving coordinated support from the education sector, political and social organizations, and many other associations. Each year, millions of toothpick packages are brought to market, generating billions of dong in revenue and creating stable jobs for many members. The concentrated production facilities have provided regular employment for nearly 400 members, with an average income of 4-6 million dong per person per month; many members earn 6-10 million dong per month, significantly improving their material and spiritual lives. Along with job creation, the movement to develop family economies has been actively promoted. The association has supported nearly 200 member households in borrowing capital from the National Employment Fund and the Provincial Social Policy Bank with a total revolving capital of over 4.1 billion dong to help members invest in livestock farming, crop cultivation, small-scale trading, and develop their family economies to achieve sustainable poverty alleviation.
Practical experience shows that the lives of many visually impaired people have gradually changed since they gained access to and found suitable livelihoods. Despite their diverse circumstances and destinies, they are writing new chapters in their lives through willpower and perseverance. These silent efforts, along with the involvement of the entire political system, have instilled hope, helping them move forward and build increasingly better lives.
Text and photos: Trung Hieu
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/mo-loi-sinh-ke-cho-nguoi-khiem-thi-287819.htm
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