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|  Tran Duyen Hai, at his center for disabled children, teaches girls to sew. |
Tran Duyen Hai is a homeland hero who is changing the lives of Vietnamese children with disabilities. Read about his work below, then share your essays (250 words or less) about him and how he is making a difference. We'll post some of your writings on our site.
Tran Duyen Hai is changing the lives of disabled children one stitch at a time
What started as a routine walk around Hanoi's Hoan Kiem (Hwahn Kyim) lake turned into a lifelong journey for Tran Duyen Hai (Tchrahn Zwee-un Hi). In 1996, while strolling along the lake, Tran came across two teenage girls in tears. "They looked so miserable, I went over to talk to them," he says. As he approached, he noticed both had deformed legs and couldn't walk. "They told me they'd been to a government job-training center nearby but had been turned away because of their deformities."
Instead of just feeling sorry for the girls, Tran thought of a way to help them. For 30 years, his job had been to train people in a garment factory. Tran offered to give the girls free sewing lessons. It was work they could do sitting down. So Tran rented a room and bought a couple of used sewing machines. To his surprise, not two but seven disabled girls showed up for his first class. A month later, it was 12, then 25. Soon his rented room was far too small.
Today Tran, 63, runs a center for disabled children. He has helped find jobs for 320 disabled teenagers. Some live at the center. About a third of Tran's students are believed to be victims of Agent Orange, a chemical the U.S. military sprayed during the Vietnam War. U.S. troops used Agent Orange to strip leaves from trees so that soldiers could spot the enemy hiding in Vietnam's forests. Many scientists believe that children of people exposed to this chemical have a high rate of birth defects.
A Pattern for Success
For years Tran worked alone. He paid for the original center, which cost about $1,500, mostly with his own savings. "At the time, my friends protested and my family was angry at me for spending all our money," he says. "But they are all supportive now." Tran's center has also received financial help from charity groups. Tran is grateful, but he still refuses to take a salary. "I never dreamed that I would have such a big facility as this. I just did what my heart told me that day by the lake."
Do Thi Toan (Doh Tee Twahn), 17, is one of Tran's former students. She was born with a crooked back and can't stand up straight or walk easily. Toan used to worry about finding a good job-but not anymore. She has stayed on at the center and now works in its shop. "I even earn enough to send some money back to my family," Toan says. "I'm very happy here."
By Kay Johnson
