• Refreshing folk songs and nursery rhymes with rap lyrics
  • Lighting up dreams for young talents in Ca Mau

- Hello NomNom, what opportunity brought a disabled TikToker like you to quite famous art projects recently?

TikToker NomNom: Every job opportunity comes to me quite easily. I modeled for the graduation project of Nguyen Chau Phuong, a fashion design student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, because she knew me through the channel I built on social media platforms. Chau Phuong turned her personal experiences into a meaningful project. It was a collection of clothes for girls aged 18-25 with disabilities. I felt happy when I performed Chau Phuong's designs with friends in the disabled community.

As for the role of singer Cao Thai Son's younger sister in the MV "Just Cry All, My Dear" is a working relationship that I created a long time ago. A guy in singer Cao Thai Son's crew knew me, so when he read the script and saw a suitable role, he called to invite me to participate.

NomNom at the launch of the MV "Just cry all out, baby" by singer Cao Thai Son.

- Do you feel that more job opportunities and openness are opening up for people with disabilities?

TikToker NomNom: Nowadays, society offers many opportunities for disabled people like me. For example, many fashion shows recruit disabled people as models; or the Miss Crescent Moon program for disabled people that I am participating in also gives me and the disabled community more confidence. A few years ago, I looked at life with a sad lens. Because I did not see a bright future for disabled people like me, but now everything has changed in me.

Before, I thought I would only do odd jobs to make ends meet, as long as I had enough money to support myself and my family. I never dared to dream of having many opportunities to collaborate in the arts, nor did I think that people would give more opportunities to people with disabilities. But now, I see more and more individuals paying attention to the disabled community. It must be emphasized that this positivity is due to the spread of social networks, starting from one individual, then spreading strongly to many individuals, then developing in an entire community.

NomNom wants to build an optimistic and positive image of disabled people in the eyes of the community.

- Is life in the big city easier for disabled people like you or does it require more effort?

TikToker NomNom: I'm lucky to have many people coming, so I can use my personal image to make it easier to work. But somewhere in my community, many of you are still having difficulties.

- Currently, what do you wish for yourself and people in your situation?

TikToker NomNom: I wish to have good health to do more things for myself and have a more positive influence on the disabled community. When I participate in any art program or social activity, I share it on social media, people in the community are very happy and motivated to try harder. For example, when they knew I was in a MV with singer Cao Thai Son, everyone was very excited and said "it is a very proud thing for someone in our community to be in a MV with a famous singer".

NomNom (second from left) and disabled friends model for the fashion collection.

- Has your approach to making TikTok clips changed since you had a more positive outlook on life?

TikToker NomNom: There have been many changes. In the past, when I first became a TikToker, I thought I had to do things so that people would like me and have a good impression of people with disabilities. But now, I no longer care about views on TikTok. I realize that the follow button that people give me is because they want to follow my journey, want to see how my daily life goes. This means that people love me and want me to be happy with life, want me to overcome my inferiority complex to find better things for myself. Therefore, the topics on my channel are more diverse.

- What are the topics you are interested in and sharing now?

TikToker NomNom: I often do personal topics that have an impact on my community, and can help you like me. I want to build an image of disabled people in the eyes of everyone, even though they have a certain part of their body that is disabled, they still have enough skills and knowledge, and can still develop and shine like other normal people.

However, in order for us to be recognized, I and other disabled people want to be empowered to do things. For example, when I go to a workplace, the employer thinks that because I am in a wheelchair, I can only do certain jobs. I once interviewed for a job as a leader with a requirement of walking a lot. But because I am in a wheelchair, they did not hire me. I hope they can give me the opportunity to prove my ability.

Even though she is in a wheelchair, NomNom still tries her best to perform well as a model.

- How have you and other disabled people tried differently than before to get what you dream of?

TikToker NomNom: What is different from before is the change in the thinking of disabled people. There are paralyzed people who, even though they are bedridden, still try to livestream to sell goods to earn income, so as not to become a burden on their families and society. They do not use their disabled bodies to make money on people's pity and sympathy like in the past. They try to take advantage of emerging trends on social networks to make money with their own intelligence. This is a very commendable effort.

- Thanks NomNom!

Performed by Lam Khanh

Source: https://baocamau.vn/toi-mong-muon-nguoi-khuet-tat-duoc-trao-co-hoi-de-phat-trien-va-toa-sang-a121160.html