One Dollar One Meal

Appreciation Words from A Student of Vi Thuy Home for The Blind

From Saigon, along National Road I, directly toward Can Tho Bridge’s west side, is the border of Hau Giang province. From the greeting gate of Hau Giang territory, continuing to travel futher 50 more kilometers, passengers will approach Vi Thuy town of Hau Giang, where we live and study in a full of love home. It is Vi Thuy Home for the Blind, a sub-branch of Nhat Hong Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

I am Le Van Giang. I am 16 years of age. I do not know exactly since when I become visually impaired. I hear from my parents that I was born with blindness. My family is currently living in Rong Gieng – Kien Giang Province. My parents have three children. I have one older sister. She was a nine grader last school year, and now she is no longer in school because my parents cannot afford her schooling. If she continued her education as a ten grader, she had to travel very far from home. The distance cannot be reached by bicycle.

I have a younger brother. His name is Le Van Truong. My brother also has congenital visual impairment like mine, but he has additional disabilities. When he was staying with my parents, his muscle was weak and body was skinny, he could not stand upright and walked. When he needed to move, he had to drag his legs hardly. In recent years, thanks to the sisters of Vi Thuy Home for the Blind who took him in their home, and with the support of BVCF, he is taken good care and rehabilitated well. He now can walk rather normally, scoop food and dress up by himself, talk more, tell stories, and communicate with other people friendly. Every day, the sisters help him stretch his muscle and massage his arms and legs so that his arms and legs are strengthened, as well his touching sense can be developed to help him learn about the surrounding more easily and learn to do basic personal things by himself. Beside that, Truong also have orientation and mobility lessons so that he can move around independently. Along with other young peers in this home, Truong is learning Braille, singing with fun. Thanks to these learning activities, Truong is developing and making good progress.

For me, I have been living in this house for nine years. The sisters has been assisted me and given me good opportunities to study. I am in seven grade of Nguyen Quoc Tri middle school. I have classes every day in the afternoon, and classes whole three days in a week. The sister takes me to and from school by motorbike. I always try to be good at school because I am well aware that to have today condition of living and studying, many generous individuals sacrify for me. Thanks to the awareness, I always get good standing at all school years.

After school and self studying hours, I help the sisters teach young friends Braille writing and reading, and mathematic with Soroban. On Sunday I take time to study how to play the organ. Now I can play many songs, thus I feel happy and I will try to spend more time on studying more.

After school, I usually go to the church to attend the daily mass to thank God for blessing us a peaceful and healthy day. I am taught to pray for benefactors and donors around the world who have been giving us this advantage condition. In the evening, other students and I finish our day with the liturgical hour and rosary recitation with the sisters. Then I prepare materials for the next day school before going to bed. I try my best in learning to become good person, be useful to myself and to family. My dream is to help young students study well. May Our Lord bless all benefactors and donors with His warm love and care.