From scratch, Mr. Phung Van Minh has created a future not only for himself but also for the disabled community.
Born in 1994 in Ba Vi (Hanoi), Phung Van Minh grew up in a poor family. Since birth, Minh suffered from impaired vision and could only see with one eye. Despite this, he was still a good student and nurtured the dream of becoming a teacher.
The incident happened when Minh was 10 years old, his eyesight gradually became blurred. He could not see what his teacher wrote on the board, the words in his notebook had to be written three times larger than normal to be readable. But Minh's efforts could not save his dream of going to school.
At the end of third grade, Minh could not even read the words he had just written in large letters in his notebook. Forced to drop out of school, the sky seemed to collapse. There were days when he stood in the fence, listening to his friends calling each other to go to school, Minh felt infinitely sad.
Minh's story became even more tragic when his mother disappeared. At that same fence, Minh had stood waiting for his mother to return many times, longing for a hug, encouragement, and comfort.
When Minh was 13, his father passed away in a work accident. With no father or mother, Minh and his brother were forced to separate and rely on the care of relatives. Minh lived with his aunt and grandmother, while his younger brother lived with his uncle.
However, loss and poverty did not make Minh fall. At the age of 18, Minh decided to go to Hanoi to learn massage, hoping to use his hands to support himself and help other disabled people.
After many years of effort, Phung Van Minh established Linh Dan blind massage facility, creating jobs and bringing hope to many blind people.
“I try to train myself to always accept what I have and think in the most positive way. Adversity is not a stumbling block, but a driving force for us to move forward,” said Phung Van Minh.
The blind man also said that he not only learned a trade to support himself, but also wanted to help many other people. Phung Van Minh participated in many volunteer activities, opened free classes for the blind, and instructed them on how to use computers to increase their chances of finding a job.
In 2024, Phung Van Minh was one of 38 outstanding young people with disabilities honored in the program "Shining Vietnamese Willpower". He also participated in many community projects, spreading the spirit of "giving is forever".
When asked about his future dreams, Phung Van Minh shared his desire to develop Linh Dan into a comprehensive support center for the disabled, including vocational training and psychological counseling. He hopes that other visually impaired people will find the light in their own hearts and have enough confidence to overcome the darkness.
In addition, Phung Van Minh plans to replicate the model of free classes on music, art, and technology for the visually impaired, helping them discover their hidden potential.
The program “Love Station” with the theme “Light in the Heart” will tell the emotional story of Phung Van Minh, broadcast at 10am on December 21 on VTV1 channel.
