This is a vivid testament to unwavering effort, demonstrating that with community support, all difficulties can be overcome, opening up a bright life filled with laughter.
A "risky" decision to build a home.
There are heartwarming stories of overcoming adversity, not only because of the extraordinary resilience of the main characters but also thanks to the warm companionship and timely support from social organizations. The story of Ms. Vu Thi Loan (born in 1964), a woman who makes gloves in Thu Lam commune, is a prime example.
In her newly built, spacious two-story house in Hamlet 13 (Thu Lam commune), Mrs. Vu Thi Loan still diligently works at her old sewing machine, which she has used since her youth. Unable to hide her emotion as she recalls the time twenty years ago, she points to the wall that still smells of fresh lime. "Before, five members of my family crowded into a small, single-story house with a corrugated iron roof," Mrs. Loan recounts.
Those were days she could never forget. Their house was located in the lowest part of the residential area, and the water couldn't drain properly, frequently flooding whenever there was heavy rain. The flooding not only affected their daily lives but also damaged many essential items, lasting for many years and causing her family to be classified as a poor household in the commune.
Although the family worked hard and escaped poverty in 2017, the worry about housing remained constant. The dampness and dilapidation were a long-lasting mental burden. The pressure became even more urgent when the eldest son (born in 1989), a graduate of Hanoi University of Technology, was preparing to get married.
"My son is about to get married, and the bride's family will be coming. How can a dilapidated, leaky house be a place where he can build his happiness with peace of mind?" This was not only a nightly worry about the financial burden but also a powerful motivation that drove her to act, determined to escape her precarious situation.
From her youth until now, Mrs. Loan's "means of livelihood" has been her old Juki sewing machine. She takes on freelance glove sewing jobs, a work that requires patience and meticulousness, but the income is unstable, only about 100,000 VND per day when she finds cheap fabric.
In 2018, Ms. Loan made the bold decision to demolish her old, single-story house and build a new one on a 61m² plot of land. With an estimated cost of half a billion dong, and only a small amount of savings, she had to borrow money from relatives to start construction.
Ms. Loan shared: "I made it clear that I was borrowing the money to build a house, not for anything else, so people believed me and were willing to help. Luckily, my relatives and neighbors understood my situation and believed in my hard work. Some contributed a little, some contributed a lot, and some even wondered if my glove-making profession could handle it, but I told myself to just keep doing it, that with perseverance I would be able to repay it."
With interest-free loans from her siblings and maternal relatives, and the belief that "having a support system gives you the courage to move forward," she began construction. During the day, she closely supervised the construction, and at night, she worked tirelessly at her sewing machine to manage the expenses. Just a few months later, the spacious two-story house was completed, in time for her and her husband to hold their son's wedding in August of the same year.
In her new home, pride sparkled in the eyes of the petite mother. However, the completion of the house also meant she had to face the burden of a 500 million dong loan, interest-free, but a huge sum compared to her income from making gloves, which was a source of constant worry.
A new lease of life from 100 million VND in preferential capital.
After building her house, Mrs. Loan's only tools for paying off her debts were her sewing machine and her modest income from making gloves. She maintained a work schedule of 12-14 hours a day. The strenuous, repetitive work caused her joint pain, requiring frequent massages and painkillers. But due to financial pressure, she persevered and refused to quit.
Ms. Loan's health gradually deteriorated over time. Her own efforts were immense, but to truly break through, she needed a boost in capital. Just then, Ms. Loan received attention from the Women's Association of the commune, and representatives from the loan group came to learn more about her circumstances and needs.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Chanh, Head of the Loan Group (Groups 12 to 17, Thu Lam commune), the difficulty for many women is not only a lack of money but also "information poverty." They don't know which preferential loan sources they can access or what the procedures are, and the Women's Union has become the most important bridge to bring this information to those in need.
Ms. Chanh stated that the group currently manages 49 households that are borrowing policy loans, with loan amounts including 100 million VND for the employment program and 50 million VND for the clean water and sanitation program. Every month, she personally collects interest from these households and submits it to the Kim Market Cultural Center (Thu Lam commune) – where the Social Policy Bank operates. She also monitors, encourages, and assists with procedures for the women's association members.
"Ms. Loan is one of the exemplary members who overcame difficulties. The Women's Association and the neighborhood committee recognized her situation and included her in the list of impoverished households so that she could access preferential loans to develop her economy ," Ms. Chanh said.
Ms. Loan's journey to access capital has been a long one, continuously supported by the organization. Since 2011, Ms. Loan has borrowed microcredit through the TYM Fund (Tinh Thuong Microfinance Limited Liability Company). The initial loan was only a few hundred thousand dong, then gradually increased, building a reliable credit profile thanks to consistently on-time repayments.
Therefore, when Ms. Loan needed a larger amount of capital to expand her glove manufacturing business (buying fabric, investing in equipment) and pay off her house construction debt, the Women's Union of the commune and the loan group proactively advised and guided her through the procedures to complete her loan application under the Social Policy Bank's employment loan program.
Ms. Chanh explained: "Whenever there's a new funding round, the Women's Union of the commune will notify the Head of the Loan Group. The group will then hold a meeting to review the households in need. Before proposing loans, I usually visit the members' homes to understand their loan purpose, economic situation, and repayment capacity, before submitting the applications to the Women's Union for approval."
Thanks to Ms. Chanh's close supervision, Ms. Loan's application was quickly approved. In April 2024, she received a disbursement of 100 million VND, with a repayment period of 3 years.
Ms. Loan excitedly said: "My family and I are very happy. That money is like a breath of fresh air, helping me to proactively purchase raw materials in large quantities, no longer passively accepting high prices from small-scale suppliers. As a result, work efficiency has increased, and income is also better."
Ms. Loan's success is due to her own efforts, her determination to escape poverty, and her tireless hard work day and night, along with the unwavering support of the local Women's Association, which served as a bridge connecting this small but resilient woman with access to capital.
The story of Ms. Vu Thi Loan is a testament to the effectiveness of policy funds when they are allocated to the right places and given to the right people.
Now, in her spacious 61m² house, the sound of the Juki sewing machine still resonates steadily. But that sound is no longer the heavy breathing of making a living, but the rhythm of a stable life full of hope. Mrs. Loan says her greatest wish right now is to maintain her health and pay off all her debts. What she cherishes most is a dry, warm, and happy home filled with the cheerful laughter of children.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/thoat-ngheo-nho-chiec-may-may-va-nguon-von-uu-dai-726735.html
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