Igniting hope in the lives of the visually impaired.

"I'm blind, so I don't need any lights, sir." These words, spoken by Mrs. Le Thi Dung in her small room—where daylight was no different from nighttime—stirred our hearts.

• Many organizations donate gifts to the poor and the visually impaired.
• The "Spring of Love" program donated 30 Tet (Lunar New Year) gift packages to visually impaired people.
• "Community outreach" to support the visually impaired.

For over five years, residing at the Hoa Binh commune center for the blind ( Ca Mau province), Mrs. Dung and her visually impaired husband have diligently earned a living through massage, supporting themselves and contributing to the well-being of their shared home for 20 people in similar circumstances.

Even though their eyes can no longer see the light, with their resilience and kindness towards one another, the people here are still writing a beautiful story about the spirit of "disability but not defeat." When hands find each other, the darkness seems to recede, giving way to the warmth of human connection.

Massage and acupressure have become the livelihood of Ms. Le Thi Dung's family.

Gathering strength from the hands of those working silently.

Mr. Trinh Van Bui and Mrs. Le Thi Dung are one of the visually impaired couples living at the Hoa Binh commune facility for the blind. Mrs. Bui lost her sight over 30 years ago, and Mr. Bui has lived in darkness for more than 10 years. Here, they learned massage and acupressure – a profession that has become their main source of livelihood.

With a price of 80,000 VND for over an hour of service, each person voluntarily contributes 20,000 VND to a common fund to maintain the establishment's operations.

Each massage ticket costs 80,000 VND, and the workers contribute 20,000 VND to a common fund.

Those carefully saved coins represent not only the sweat of hard work but also the self-respect of people yearning for self-reliance. Ms. Dung shared that here, people rely on each other, "eating whatever they can find," as long as they can still work and contribute so as not to become a burden. The skilled hands that massage and apply acupressure are also their way of finding a path to their future.

Nearly 20 years have passed, and this facility has become a home for those less fortunate. However, after the Covid-19 pandemic and financial difficulties due to changes in its operating mechanism, this shared home has at times been unstable. Mr. Le Quoc An, Vice Chairman of the Association of the Blind in Ca Mau province, said that the facility currently has to manage its own finances under extremely difficult conditions; income from massage services has to cover all living expenses for 20 people, and "months with enough, months with little" is a frequent occurrence.

In the darkness of fate, they still choose to ignite hope with their own hands. Massage and acupressure are not just a profession, but have become the "breathing rhythm" that sustains life for the entire family.

These small rooms, where the light is the same day and night, still provide a warm home that ignites hope for Mr. Bui and Mrs. Dung's family.

Family support during difficult times

Amidst the difficult times, the support of the "Community Outreach" initiative from the Ca Mau Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital served as a bridge of love. Nearly 20 million VND raised brought essential gifts and new electric fans, contributing to improving the living conditions of the members.

The gifts from the "Spread the Word in the Community" campaign are a practical source of encouragement.

Ms. Hong Cam Thuy, Deputy Head of the Social Work Department at Ca Mau Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, shared: “We hope that even the smallest acts of empathy and sharing will become a driving force for them to integrate better, affirm the spirit of ‘disabled but not defeated,’ and feel more clearly the spread of love from the community.”

Concerned about the future, Mr. Cao Thanh Quy, Chairman of the Association of the Blind in Ca Mau province, expressed his hope for more sustained attention from all levels of government, relevant agencies, and society as a whole. The Association is striving to find solutions to maintain its facilities and create conditions for visually impaired people to have a place to live, learn a trade, and affirm their self-worth.

Warm smiles and shared experiences instill hope in the visually impaired.

The gifts, the fans to ward off the heat, or the bags of rice contributed to the communal kitchen—these are not just material gifts, but also a testament that they are not alone. In the darkness, the meals cooked by the blind themselves become even warmer because of the sharing.

This shared home needs the support and long-term assistance of charitable activities.

The light here doesn't come from the eyes, but from the empathy of the community and the sharing of hearts. It is these pillars that help them stand firm, believing that as long as human kindness continues to spread, the darkness will stop behind the door.

Trinh Hai

Source: https://baocamau.vn/thap-sang-niem-tin-tu-nhung-phan-doi-khiem-thi-a128076.html