Bac Giang ASHO was established in April 2006. As a specific provincial association, for over the past 18 years, the unit has well acted as a bridge to connect and appeal for resources to help the disabled and orphans in difficult circumstances.

Nguyen Van Quyet (born 1987), a disabled person in Tan An town (Yen Dung district) creates a guava growing model with high income.

Realizing that Bac Giang province has many people with disabilities (more than 30,000 people), many of whom need assistance in housing, transportation, employment, the provincial ASHO decided to choose 2023 as "Year for People with Disabilities".

Accordingly, along with developing more chapters in Hiep Hoa district and Viet Yen township, calling for long-term scholarship for orphan students living in difficulties, the ASHO mobilized resources from foreign investment enterprises, businesses inside and outside the province. As a result, in 2023, associations at all levels in the province called for donation of nearly 6.5 billion VND (274,000 USD) in cash and kind.

Such sources helped more than 9,600 disable people living in difficult circumstances. Particularly, the Provincial ASHO called for donations of more than 400 wheelchairs worth nearly 800 million VND while the ASHO in Yen Dung District and Bac Giang city mobilized nearly 200 million VND to support 4 families with disabilities to build and repair houses.

Among 30,000 people with disabilities in Bac Giang province, nearly 6,000 cases are able to work and want to find jobs but the opportunities for them are limited. Associations at all levels in the province have paid regular attention to connecting and supporting them to have jobs.

For example, the ASHO in Luc Ngan district maintains the activities of the bamboo toothpick production cooperative of people with disabilities so as to create regular jobs for 8 cooperative members. The ASHO in Bac Giang City coordinates to support 50 million VND to 10 impoverished households with disabilities.

The cultural and sports activities are accelerated to improve the spiritual life of people with disabilities, thereby creating a playground for them to interact, learn and practice physically.

In the province, there are more and more energetic people with disabilities who overcome difficulties and become inspirational examples for relatives and friends. For a long time, Than Ngoc Manh (born 1991) in Hong Thai ward (Viet Yen township) has been well known for his achievements in contributing to the community.

As a person with a particularly severe disability, Manh understands the value of each day he lives. Therefore, even though he is small and has to sit in a wheelchair, he keeps learning on his own with a smartphone. That "information technology knight" has had many initiatives in working with residential groups to establish the "Security Gong" model, install cameras to monitor security and order.

As Chairman of the Disabled Youth Club of Viet Yen township, since 2022, Manh and the club members have mobilized more than 100 gifts and scholarships worth 400 million VND for impoverished people with disabilities and their children. He also raised 94 million VND to help a disabled family build a house.

After being elected to the Executive Committee of the ASHO of Viet Yen township for the first term (2024-2029), he is very happy and promises to help many others in the coming time.

As one of the 4 typical examples of the Bac Giang province attending the 6th national conference praising people with disabilities, orphans and typical sponsors in Hanoi, Nguyen Van Lam (born 1984) in Thai commune Son (Hiep Hoa district) always smiles gently whenever someone asks about his achievements.

Due to measles at the age of 8 months, he suffered muscle atrophy in his left arm and right leg. As the only son in the family, he soon understood the pain and hardship of his parents, so he tried very hard.

Nguyen Van Lam (standing third from the right) at the wheelchair handover ceremony for people with disabilities in Hiep Hoa district.

After finishing 8th grade, his family was in difficulty. Lam asked his parents to let him study tailoring and open a shop to make a living. Up to now, he still pursues his career by processing garment products for factories near his home, earning a stable income of 4-5 million VND/month.

Feeling sorry for people in the same situation, especially young people, since 2019, he expressed his wish to the Commune and District Unions to establish a Disabled Youth Club. After 5 years of establishment, now the club has grown to 40 members from only 15 members at the first days.

After working hour, he uses the wheelchair or a homemade three-wheeled motorbike to visit many places and call for donation to the needy cases. At the same time, he connects with medical facilities to organize free medical examination and treatment for people with disabilities.

Besides the honored examples, there are many ordinary people with disabilities who are very admirable when they do not accept their fate and strive to learn to read, learn career to become an honest worker with simple, suitable jobs so as not to be a burden to the family.

Le Huyen