Pham Thi Huong Giang (Jang Keu) - Chairwoman of the Living Fund Management Board: "I have a debt with the word Green"

From the green color of the tree

At this time, people often talk about Green Living , as a therapy to "heal" the soul. This concept for the founder of the Living Fund, after 10 years of persistently delivering sustainable value to the community, must be different from the "green living" trends called "Leave the city to the forest", "return to the sea". .. suddenly became a hot trend online?

- I believe I must have a certain "debt" with the word Green, right in the name my parents chose for me: Giang. A green river has probably always flowed in my mind! From the time I was a little girl, I was passionate about making tiny "garden plots" in front of my house to plant small trees in the vast green space of my grandmother's hometown, to the time when I was excited to create cool green spaces for my family. The small balcony in my apartment in the heart of a city where green space is increasingly scarce.

Unconsciously, the names I gave to the projects and programs I founded right from the early days of my business, when the concept of Living Green was not yet as popular as it is now, were all unintentional and related to the word Green. such as: Green 360 degree television program (which has won many television awards about the environment), a company specializing in producing television programs called Green Community, one of the three key programs of the Living Fund as well named Green Happiness with the desire to increase green areas in urban areas and make efforts to save forests, restore forests..., or more broadly, reconnect the fading connection between humans and nature. ... Or as the better known program "House Against Floods" is also deeply rooted in the fact that we have lost the green, lost the forest... which leads to natural disasters and floods.. .

But after 10 years of working with the Living Fund, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, will that blue tone ever turn gray? Why, after 10 years, did the Fund decide to transform to a new positioning: From "Community Action Fund" to "Community Action Fund"?

- Entering the 10th year of operation, the difficulties that the Living Fund encounters are in the context of general difficulties of the domestic and foreign economies, during and after the pandemic. The continuous and complex fluctuations of global politics, economics and society have significantly impacted the health and stability of businesses as well as the daily lives of each individual. The Living Fund's programs and projects are therefore also indirectly influenced by this gray picture.

For that reason, after a 10-year journey with the community to create sustainable values ​​through programs to support disadvantaged families in building safe houses, building happy villages, or planting coastal forests, on high mountains, Living Fund has decided to transform to a new positioning, from "Community Action Fund" to "Community Action Fund" with a compact model, focusing on networking to have can extend its arms and leverage more resources for the fund's activities in localities in a more flexible and effective way. We believe that the initiatives that have been successfully implemented by the Living Foundation have been spread and created a stronger impact in the community through volunteerism and on-site spirit from action groups and organizations. localities, social enterprises, and local governments. Together, the community joins hands to help people in areas affected by natural disasters have a better life; Minimize impacts and improve capacity to adapt to climate change to proactively create a sustainable life for your community, connect more closely with nature and focus on preserving indigenous culture.

Since then, many members of the two Flood Resistant Houses and Green Happiness programs of the Living Fund have pioneered the establishment of social enterprises on the basis of inheriting the models, processes and methods summarized by the Fund to continue. deployed to localities. In particular, the Fund plays a consulting role, connecting resources and promoting the spread.

To the Green philosophy of water

In its Green development strategy, which step is the Living Fund currently at?

- After successfully transferring two models of Flood-Proof House and Green Happiness, Living Fund has now entered the third step in its Green development strategy with: Sustainable Community (Flood-Proof House) - Sustainable environment (Green Happiness) - Sustainable people (Oi River!), also known as "Flow, River!". The program was conceived in the summer of 2016, after survey trips to the West to build flood-resistant houses. Those were the days of unprecedented severe drought in the West, and saltwater intrusion occurred, completely changing the ecosystem of rivers and river basins. The rivers no longer flow, everything dries up, both nature and people. The people working on the Flood Resistant House project then exclaimed: "Flow, River".

“Flow, River” is not only an earnest plea, hoping that rivers will have water to flow, but also a call for people to think, to act, to let the river in their minds flow. flow, for the community, for society, for nature, for rivers, fields, orchards...

Choosing the English word "river", we want to emphasize that the story "Flow, River" is not just a Vietnamese problem. The name "River" is also consistent with the Living Foundation's Water philosophy. Water is persistent, silent, pervasive, synergistic, and powerful. Water forms streams, rivers, streams and forms the vast ocean - an extremely valuable resource and habitat for all species. This third program towards the goal of Sustainable People has brought the Living Fund to a new level: It is no longer just activities to cope with and cope with climate change, but also initiatives and projects that bring initiative, leadership, creativity and creation of new values. By preserving, preserving and promoting cultural values, "River" weaves a tapestry of cultural identity and progressive knowledge.

After 10 years of diligently pursuing sustainable values ​​for the community, overcoming everyday challenges as a single mother raising an autistic child, which color of green makes her the strongest hope?

- On a bad day in the context of a pandemic, in a place where I thought my soul would be at peace because of its blue picture, Hoi An, that was when I received two consecutive gifts. Bad news: My son, who is already autistic, also has a rare incurable disease and a number of other serious health problems that always threaten his life; That was also the time when I was discovered to have heart disease and needed urgent surgery due to brain overload and impact on the heart. Those were the days when I really no longer saw blue, only gray around me. Fortunately, my health is now stable, I feel more peaceful, more connected to my child, and perhaps thanks to that, my son's health is also better and he is making more progress.

I remember one time, I saw my son sitting peacefully in front of our green balcony, in the middle of a hot Saigon day and below was a noisy highway, I suddenly wanted to be "autistic". like you. Because only in that innocent world can people have such pure and carefree joy.

Having gone through illness with my child and 10 years of running the Living Foundation in an effort to bring sustainable value to the community, with many challenges and sometimes making mistakes, today, the fundamental thing I realize is that , to Live Green - in its most positive sense, first and foremost, must keep green in your mind; If you want to connect with the community, you must first connect with yourself. Only if we are truly calm and peaceful can we give that positive green energy to the community in the calmest and most profound way.

- Thank you!