Attendees at the event included Mr. Ngo Sach Thuc – a member of the delegation of the Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and Chairman of the Vietnam Association for the Support of Children with Disabilities; Ms. Đo Thi Hue, Vice-Chairperson along with several officials from the Association; Mr. Duong Tan Long, Vice-Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee; Mr. Thai Vinh Lieu, Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial Association for Persons with Disabilities, Agent Orange Victims, Support for Persons with Disabilities, and Protection of Children's Rights; as well as 100 children with disabilities and disadvantaged children who attended with their parents and teachers.
Contributing to Helping Disabled Children Achieve Their Dreams
At the program, the organizing committee distributed VND 100 million along with gifts to 100 disabled and disadvantaged children from Quảng Trị Province. This sum was allocated from funds raised by the Vietnam Association for the Support of Children with Disabilities in cooperation with the National Humanitarian Electronic Information Portal, through donations collected via QR code as part of the “Wings to Dreams for Children with Disabilities” program in 2025.
Most of the 100 children receiving this support come from extremely challenging family situations. Some have lost one or both of their parents, or live with elderly grandparents who are no longer capable of working yet must still shoulder the responsibility of caring for their grandchildren.
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| Chairman Ngo Sach Thuc encouraged the family of Nguyễn Van Minh Chi. Although he writes with his foot on unruled paper, his handwriting is remarkably neat and well-aligned. |
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| Mrs. Le Thi Thuy - a grandmother, explained that Le Hai Yen survives thanks to medication; without it, she would suffer from headaches, resort to screaming, and become destructive. |
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| The family of Nguyen Ngoc Quynh Anh was also present. Quynh Anh faces significant challenges with speech and mobility. |
Mrs. Le Thi Thuy, from Vinh Thanh Commune in Vĩnh Linh District—about 30 km from Dong Ha City—attended accompanied by her granddaughter, Le Hai Yeu, a 12-year-old girl who is fair and pretty but was born with congenital deaf-mutism, mental retardation, weak limbs, and a gradually deteriorating brain. She must take her medication regularly; otherwise, she will erupt into screams and cause damage.
Nguyen Ngoc Quynh Anh, a 15-year-old eighth-grade student, is very shy when meeting strangers due to her difficulties in speech and mobility. When writing, she has to lie on the table, use her right hand to press firmly against the surface, and write with her left hand. Her mother, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong from Dien Sanh town in Hai Lang District, manages both to take her to school and perform household duties every day.
Nguyễn Văn Minh Chí, a 14-year-old student at PTCS Gio Việt. Despite being born with disabilities affecting both his arms and legs and being unable to walk, his intellect shines and he speaks fluently. He even strives to write using his foot and consistently earns school commendations, bringing joy to his parents. His father works far from home, while his mother, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Lan Hương, devotes herself to homemaking, taking him to school, and caring for him and his two siblings.
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| The Vietnam Association for the Support of Children with Disabilities also presented gifts on behalf of the Quảng Trị Provincial Association for Persons with Disabilities, Agent Orange Victims, Support for Persons with Disabilities, and Protection of Children's Rights. |
According to Chairman Ngo Sach Thuc, this year’s “Wings to Dreams for Children with Disabilities” program is primarily geared toward the Central region, with the aim of helping disabled children realize their dream of attending school like their peers, motivating and assisting them to overcome challenges, become productive members of society, and thereby ease the burden on their families.
He noted, “Among these disabled children, many possess great potential. If their talents are recognized and nurtured, they can advance, progress through various educational levels, attend university, and later even become teachers, doctors, engineers, and more. The Vietnam Association for the Support of Children with Disabilities has helped numerous cases where disabled children received treatment, rehabilitation, vocational training, and subsequently became shining examples of overcoming adversity to become beneficial members of society.”
Chairman Ngo Sach Thuc also urged the Quang Tri Provincial Association for Persons with Disabilities, Agent Orange Victims, Support for Persons with Disabilities, and Protection of Children's Rights to select five outstanding disabled students who have overcome academic challenges before the new school year begins, so that the Association can provide them with scholarships and laptops as learning tools.
Future Challenges in Helping the Vulnerable
In recent years, before merging into a single organization, the various associations in Quảng Trị—the Association for Persons with Disabilities, Agent Orange Victims, Support for Persons with Disabilities, and Protection of Children's Rights—mobilized about VND 18 billion annually from domestic and international benefactors. These funds have eased the suffering of Agent Orange victims, brought hope to those in unfortunate situations, aided their integration into the community, and significantly contributed to local social welfare efforts.
The associations have organized numerous rounds of gift distribution, healthcare support, and livelihood assistance for 25,864 vulnerable individuals. Notable initiatives include the distribution of 10,850 gift packages with a total value of nearly VND 9.7 billion; the construction of 7 new houses and repair of 8 houses for families of persons with disabilities and Agent Orange victims at a combined cost of VND 580 million; and assistance with transportation, rehabilitation devices, and essential household items valued at billions of dong. These efforts have greatly contributed to helping persons with disabilities, Agent Orange victims, and disadvantaged children overcome hardships and actively integrate into their communities.
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| Chairman Ngo Sach Thuc also paid a visit to Ms. Tran Thi My Le and her 10-year-old son, Nguyễn Huu Tinh, who suffers from Down syndrome and has weak arms and legs |
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| Chairman Thai Vinh Lieu distributed gifts to the children and said: “In the near future, our work supporting vulnerable people at the local level will face many challenges because the district-level associations—which have served as an essential bridge between our organization and the vulnerable communities throughout the province—will no longer exist.” |
According to Chairman Thai Vinh Lieu, there are currently 40,000 persons with disabilities in Quang Tri Province, including around 6,000 children. Quang Tri, once a fierce battleground during the war against America, still bears severe war legacies, including the devastating effects of Agent Orange. Many disabled children are the third or fourth generation of Agent Orange victims.
He added, “The Quang Tri Provincial Association for Persons with Disabilities, Agent Orange Victims, Support for Persons with Disabilities, and Protection of Children's Rights was formed by the merger of four to five associations. Although the number of individuals needing support is quite high, our organization currently has only three staff members. In one month, when the district-level associations — the vital links between us and the vulnerable people in the local communities—cease to operate, our work will become extremely challenging.”