Warm “Orange” houses

Gratitude

Quang Nam province currently has 35,000 people exposed to toxic chemicals/dioxins. Thousands of victims have died and thousands more are suffering from serious diseases. For many years, Party committees and authorities at all levels of the province have paid attention, together with the departments, branches, Fatherland Front, mass organizations, agencies, units and schools in the province to coordinating in mobilizing businesses and benefactors in the province and outside the province to “Join hands to alleviate the pain of Agent Orange" by concrete and practical actions, helping the victims of Agent Orange.

Over the past time, the Association at all levels has mobilized over 60 billion VND to take care of and help the victims. In particular, focus is placed on building the Centre for part-boarding, rehabilitation, vocational training for victims of Agent Orange, housing, granting scholarships, job facilitation, supporting production capital, and giving gifts to members on holidays and Tet occasions, etc. The Association for victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin and the Association of Veterans at all levels have coordinated to propose the authorities and functional sectors to settle the regimes and policies for nearly 5,000 resistance activists infected with Agent Orange/Dioxin and the 2nd and 3rd generation victims. At the same time, they have called for preferential loans from the Bank for Social Policies and other sources for the victims and members of the association to create jobs, and renovate houses. In addition, the association has also mobilized organizations and individuals to support and create livelihoods for more than 2,900 members to stabilize their lives; donated 333 savings books worth more than 1.5 billion VND; supported more than 1,300 members in medical examination and treatment; sponsored students who are children of Agent Orange victims and presented 12,787 gifts, more than 4.8 billion VND on holidays and Tet...

The house of love

The Center for fostering and taking care of Agent Orange victims and disabled children has been operating for more than 7 years, and has nurtured, trained and treated 45 children with rehabilitation, thereby helping them regain their function and helping their families relieve the burden, have more time to work and improve life, and overcome difficulties.

Mr. Vo Van Ai, Vice President of the Provincial Association and Deputy Director of the Center said that: The Center also teaches children to make incense, and sell the products on the market, grow clean vegetables and cook them into their meals to raise funds for the Center. On average, the fund generates about 1.5 million each month. The center's incense products are favored and consumed by many consumers. This has made practical contributions to sharing with the AO victims and children with disabilities. The center is really a warm communal house.

Rise up

Many examples of efforts to integrate into the community, as well as economic production can be seen at the center. Typically, wounded soldier Vo Van Chau (born in 1937, in Tam Ky city) who has 2 AO-affected children, has been praised and rewarded by the Veteran Association for developing the household economy. Mr. Dang Dinh Tam in Hiep Duc district is only about 0.6m tall, sitting in a wheelchair but has made great efforts to run his own business. So far he has earned quite a large fortune with his family. Healer Phan Mai Huy, a second-generation victim, whose parents are both resistance activists, has overcome adversity to become a healer and save the lives of others…

Victim Truong Thi Thuong in Dai Loc district, born in 1989, only 0.7m tall and unable to walk on her own, but with her own efforts and the help of her family and society, she became an Information Technology student of Danang Pedagogical University. Nguyen Thi Thuy Phuong, born in 1983 in Hoi An, is a second-generation victim who overcame all barriers, guilt, and overcame herself to pass the entrance exam of two universities. Due to the legacy of Agent Orange passed on by his father, when he was born, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Phuong in Que Son was disabled, only nearly 1 meter tall. With his will and energy to overcome difficulties, he learned the job of motorcycle fixer to help his family and earn a living. He also imparted his career to other unfortunate children. Mr. Le Xuan Thuy, the owner of an electronics repair shop in Tam Ky city, is well known for his skill and determination to overcome difficulties. Paralyzed in both legs since childhood, he was still very eager to learn. After graduating from Vocational High School, he made a career by opening an electronics repair shop. As for Mr. Hoang Thanh Thu, after receiving care at the Center and being trained in incense making, so far he has mastered the job, invested in machinery and materials to produce incense at home to sell it on the market...

Veteran Nguyen Thanh Binh in Tien Phuoc district has 2 children who are both infected with Agent Orange, but volunteered to donate more than 100m2 of land to open a traffic road, despite his family difficulties, old age, and war wounds which often hurts them when the weather changes. His 40-year-old son infected with Agent Orange has to be treated regularly with medicine. Because he could not spend a large amount of money for study promotion at one time, he did it with a piggy bank. Every day, Mr. Binh puts his money in the piggy bank. At the end of the year, he uses that money to reward good students with difficult circumstances, so as to support their schooling…

Besides the initial successes, the Center still faces many difficulties. The prolonged Covid-19 pandemic and difficult economic conditions have significantly affected the mobilization of resources for raising the children at the Center. Meanwhile, the Center's operating budget depends mainly on donations from benevolent individuals and organizations. Therefore, the Center needs more support and contribution from the community to alleviate the pain of the children who are victims of Agent Orange in the area.