Fw: BlindNews: The iron will of less fortunate women

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Leon Gilbert" <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Blind News Mailing List" <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2005 9:35 AM
Subject: BlindNews: The iron will of less fortunate women


> Voice of Vietnam
> Saturday, April 16, 2005
>
> The iron will of less fortunate women
>
> By Nguyen Thuy Hoa
>
> According to an incomplete report from the World Health Organisation,
Vietnam now has about 7 million disabled people, accounting for 8-10 percent
of the entire population. Though the country's policies regarding them have
been very progressive, the implementation of these initiatives has not yet
been fully achieved. As a result, their living conditions and opportunities
to integrate into the community are facing numerable difficulties and
challenges, particularly for women.
>
> Disabled women living in Hanoi
>
> Ms Dung was a dancer before her legs were amputated after a serious train
accident in Kham Thien Street. The misfortune also happened to Huong, or Kim
Oanh, during a traffic accident.
>
> For many other misfortune women, their disability came at birth. A case in
point is Ta Bich Huong.
>
> "I don't want to meet other people, particularly disabled ones," she
confided. "I feel depressed about my own image."
>
> Life is just a like a train, it keeps running, and if you don't hurry
you'll miss the train. These disabled women finally have found an
inspiration in their life. They have gathered into groups to share their
feelings and experiences in life. There are 10 such self-reliance groups in
Hanoi, including Hope, Integration, For a Bright Future, Aspiration and For
Tomorrow. These names themselves have expressed the group members' desire to
have a better life.
>
> Ta Bich Huong today is different from the Ta Bich Huong of the past. With
a wheelchair, Huong takes the initiate to meet with her peers to talk to
them about her future plans and persuade them to join the groups.
>
> According to statistics from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social
Affairs, the number of male disabled people is higher than women. But the
female membership in such groups is higher than men. The ratio reflects
their high determination to overcome their own misfortune. Participating in
such social activities may have helped them look at life in a more positive
way and support each other.
>
> Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, born in 1983 in Kim Lien residential area, has
suffered from a very serious bone problem from birth. Though she is now over
20 years, her height is merely 70 cm. She cannot walk, stand or sit and the
only movement she can do is to roll on the ground. But Huong has found a
light at the end of the tunnel since joining the group "For Tomorrow". And
now she feels comfortable to talk with the other members. She also has a job
to do at home.
>
> Another member of "For Tomorrow" group is Nguyen Thi Ha. Her misfortune
occurred in her late teen years. After finishing upper secondary school,
Ha's eyesight became weaker and weaker and finally disappeared because of a
serious eye disease. At that time, Ha thought of committing suicide. But
with help from her friends, she has joined one of the groups and realised
that life is still meaningful for her.
>
> Do Thi Thai Hang, a member of the group "Hope" is now a popular designer
in Hanoi. She became disabled after an accident. Hang has recently organised
several tailoring training courses for her peers and has a very happy
family. Her children are all doing well at school and one of her daughters
has won a scholarship to study abroad.
>
> Ta Bich Huong, 22 year old, lives in Nam Dinh province, some 90 km from
south of Hanoi. Her parents said that when she was six months old she caught
a draft and her legs became shrivelled. As she grew up, Huong had problems
with her walking. But her parents have taught her to stand on her own feet.
She is a self-confident woman and is now following a course on business
management at university. Huong is a member of the group Green Dream. It was
her idea to create a group for disabled students at her university, which
now has 15 members.
>
> Nguyen Thi Huyen is a third year student at the University of Social
Sciences and Humanity. Her only difference from other students is that she
uses Braille.
>
> "When I did my university entrance in Braille, my father was called to
translate it into normal language," she recalled. "But you know, I live in
the countryside, and people in my village confuse the two letters "l" and
"n". That's why my father made many spelling mistakes in his translation for
my papers. Luckily, I got 18.5 points in total for my exam papers while the
admission score was only 15."
>
> Now in her study she gets help from her friends who record news stories or
articles on tape for her. Huyen has four brothers and sisters, and three of
them have problems with their eyesight, only the youngest sister remains
unaffected. Perhaps the reason leading to the familial problem is that her
father was a soldier who fought in the war against American troops in South
Vietnam.
>
> Jobs for the disabled
>
> Once Ta Bich Huong went to a job bazaar. Whenever she tried her luck, the
only answer she received was "the company has never thought of employing a
disabled person. Just leave your dossier here and we'll consider it".
>
> Huong always thought that if she or her peers got recruited, no doubt they
would work hard because they want to keep the job.
>
> Lien Huong, a telephone switchboard operator at Vietnam France Hospital,
is also a disabled woman. She totally shares Huong's opinion.
>
> In reality, just about half of disabled women in self-help groups find
jobs. Though their incomes are not much, they are able to feed themselves.
Their difficulties in finding a suitable job can be attributed to either
their low educational level or their physical fitness.
>
> Le Minh Hien, a member of the group "For Tomorrow" wants the government to
"adopt appropriate policies regarding disabled people. For example, laws on
leasing land to establish a workshop for disable entrepreneurs, credit
access or health care card, etc."
>
> Hien also called on concerned agencies to help such self-reliance groups
formed by the disabled to operate more efficiently in the care and
protection of their members.
>
> http://www.vov.org.vn/2005_04_16/english/xahoi1.htm
>
>
>
>
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