A man has been dedicated to bringing aid, care and hope to local physically challenged, needy and terminally ill people in Vietnam for nearly 30 years.
Nguyen Dang Hoang, director of a construction company and chair of the Thien Tam Red Cross Fund, considers involvement in charitable activities his lifelong calling.
Hoang’s fund, which operates under Binh Thanh District’s Red Cross Society in Ho Chi Minh City, provides assistance to cancer and AIDS patients and physically challenged people, in addition to building civil engineering works and free homes and running classes in poor rural areas.
Annual donations amount to around US$100,000, which mostly come from his construction company’s revenue and philanthropists’ contributions.
Over the past 27 years, Hoang has spent around two thirds of his assets on charity projects.
At 60, Hoang has never had an entire day for himself, and invariably has his hands full with a wide array of charitable activities, including preparing and handing out free porridge in front of the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital at 4:00 am, and other whopping batches of free vegetarian lunch for needy people.
A lifetime pursuit
Hoang said he was born to a family of 12 siblings.
As his father passed away when he was a little boy, Hoang’s life and philosophy are heavily influenced by his mother, who taught him that his presence on earth means he is innately indebted and he is supposed to pay off his “debts” during his lifetime.
“Since I first joined my mother and others handing out free porridge at the Oncology Hospital 27 years ago, I’ve been haunted by the desperate look of the dying patients there and their smiles and glimmers of hope when they receive care and sympathy, no matter how little it can be,” Hoang recalled.
He has devoted a major chunk of his time and earnings to his charity pursuits since 1988.
“I used to be wealthy and enjoyed a good social status, but all these things vanished as soon as I went bankrupt. In my toughest time, I started all over from scratch and realized money no longer wields immense power for me as it did previously,” he revealed.
Since the time when he worked his way through college with menial jobs, including pedicab riding, he has further related to poor working people, orphans and the homeless.
Upon his university graduation, he landed a job and later founded his own construction company.
Hoang and his like-minded friends then embarked on numerous charity projects, including the Thao Dan program to help street children, an orphanage at Dieu Giac Pagoda in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City and church programs to care for kids with HIV.
A doctor is seen examining a poor elderly patient during a charity trip to the Mekong Delta province of Long An, which was jointly organized by the Thien Tam Red Cross Fund. Photo:
Tuoi Tre
He always makes sure he and his staff not only offer love, care and aid but also show respect for those in need.
Hoang also takes nutrition courses and invites chefs to hold training courses for his staff to ensure his meals are nutritionally balanced and delectable.
The philanthropist also makes it a point to call for donations from organizations and individuals, as “those who wish to help others should be allowed to make the most of what they have to offer.”
Hoang said his charity efforts will be ceaseless.
Around 10 years ago, the man and his team conducted a project to dig 18 wells in a poor commune in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.
As they had no metal gauging device, Hoang volunteered to drink the water sample to determine the water’s iron concentration.
After drinking it, he fell into a deep coma and the doctors were prepared to test his tissues for organ donation following his apparently imminent death.
“Fortunately, I came around and made a full recovery. The first thought that crossed my mind was that I had not paid off my ‘debts’ yet and could not die then,” Hoang recalled.
There were times when Hoang and his partners were overwhelmed by the hectic schedule and financial pressure, he said.
“However, I can’t stop or even do less of what I’m doing now, as many people still count on me,” he confided.
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