Giving without expecting anything in return

At noon on a day in late 2025, during an event to provide livelihood capital support to people with disabilities, organized by the Disability Research and Capacity Development Center under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations in Long Thanh commune, Dong Nai province, while participants were resting and having lunch, Nguyen Van Thinh, Head of the Long Thanh Club for People with Disabilities, took the time to complete the remaining tasks to prepare for the house-handover ceremony for a member’s family in the afternoon. Thinh himself mobilized funding, in-kind contributions, and directly oversaw the house construction.

The man who “builds homes and nurtures kindness”

In recent months, Thinh has devoted considerable time and effort to building a temporary house for the family of Tran The Cao, a resident of hamlet 9, Long Thanh commune, and a member of the Long Thanh Club for People with Disabilities who is facing difficult circumstances. Unfortunately, Cao suffered a workplace accident that resulted in a spinal fracture, leaving him in poor health and unable to walk, and completely dependent on his wife and those around him for daily care. Seeing Cao’s family living in precarious conditions, Thinh decided to help them by mobilizing support to build a temporary house, giving the family a safer place to live.

Thinh said he has worked as a construction contractor for more than 25 years, and has built many connections within the industry. In recent months, as land clearance for the expressway project required the dismantling of many residential structures, he visited these sites to ask for intact corrugated iron sheets to use as wall panels, collected debris to level the foundation, and repurposed usable materials to build a kitchen, helping reduce costs for Cao’s family. He also went to construction material shops to seek support in various forms, such as requesting a few bags of cement, several cubic meters of sand, or buying steel purlins at prices lower than the market rate.

“I approach anyone who can help as soon as possible. I do it for people in difficult circumstances, not for myself. Fortunately, whenever I raise the issue, people are willing to help, whether a lot or a little, and that gives me more motivation.”

“In recent months, as Head of the Long Thanh Club for People with Disabilities, Thinh has maintained close coordination with the commune’s Division of Culture and Social Affairs in implementing policies related to disabled people in the locality. He has made many contributions to supporting and assisting the local disability community. We are currently continuing to update and review the list of persons with disabilities in the locality. Based on that data, we will advise on timely and appropriate policies to help persons with disabilities improve their lives. In this regard, the division will also continue to enhance the role of the Club for People with Disabilities to ensure its increasing effectiveness.”

LE HUY THE, Head of the Division of Culture and Social Affairs, Long Thanh commune, Dong Nai province

Nguyen Van Cu, Deputy Director of the Disability Research and Capacity Development Center in Ho Chi Minh City, said: “I visited Cao’s family in person, and witnessing what Thinh has done was truly moving. We mobilized donations and, together with Thinh, provided support for Cao. I believe that if Thinh alone can do so much, then there is no reason for the rest of us not to join hands in supporting such a meaningful act. And within just a few days of launching the effort, we raised 67 million VND.”

With a total budget of 162 million VND, including contributions from benefactors and the savings of Cao’s family, Thinh organized the construction over a period of 35 days. Those directly involved in building the house also contributed in their own ways, with some offering 5-10 days of labor or reducing their daily wages.

Lighting the flame of hope for the visually impaired

Serving as Head of the Long Thanh Club for People with Disabilities for more than 17 years, Thinh has always cared for people in difficult circumstances. Depending on his abilities, he offers support in appropriate ways. After completing the house for Cao, Thinh continued assisting the family of Do Van Binh, a resident of Van Hai hamlet, Long Thanh commune, by repairing their facilities, helping Binh create better conditions to continue his work in acupressure, massage, and physical therapy.

Binh is visually impaired, and his wife has a mobility disability, leaving the family in difficult circumstances. With funding provided by the Disability Research and Capacity Development Center, Thinh directly carried out the work to upgrade the room’s foundation and repaint the walls to prevent rainwater seepage, ensuring a safer and cleaner environment. He also replaced the signboard at the front gate to make it easier for people to find the location.

Nguyen Van Thinh measures the dimensions to repair the advertising sign for the Binh An massage facility for the visually impaired, owned by Do Van Binh. Photo: Quang Minh

Binh said: “Because I am blind in both eyes, acupressure, massage, and physical therapy have been suitable for my health condition over the years, helping me earn a living for my family. Most of my clients are elderly people with joint pain, patients recovering their health, and especially traffic-accident victims who need physical therapy. When I received funding for repairs, I asked Thinh for help, because from the very first day when I decided to pursue this job, he has supported me in many ways and continues to do so until now.”

As for Thinh, when asked about the meaningful things he has done, he shared: “I think that if I can help someone, I should do it. I give without expecting anything in return. I only hope to ease the hardships of people with disabilities as much as possible, because they face many disadvantages.”

By Quang Minh – Translated by Huyen Trang, Thu Ha