Nghi Luc Song, Two Decades of Empowering Dreams
The late first IT Knight, Nguyen Cong Hung, founded the social enterprise (SE) Nghi Luc song (Will to Live) that has, for over 20 years, provided educational opportunities and paved sustainable career paths, empowering people with disabilities to achieve self-reliance.
Ngo Thi Huyen Minh, CEO of Nghi Luc Song SE, recalls the early days when Nguyen Cong Hung came to Hanoi to receive his IT Knight award and expressed his deep desire to create job opportunities for people with disabilities. At that time, Minh was still a student and joined Hung and others to open a small class.
"Back then, everything was incredibly challenging. Everyone pooled money to rent an apartment, and turned the living room into a classroom. Hung also built websites for a few companies to generate extra income to cover the class expenses. In 2009, the group secured 10 old computers to use as teaching tools. A few years later, thanks to the Ministry of Information and Communications' support, especially Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hong, the class received over 10 new computers. This was a crucial milestone, as the class then had stable equipment and began operating more systematically," Minh said.
Minh further explained that in 2010, the group decided to build the Nghi Luc Song website and collectively purchased its own domain name. By 2016, the Nghi Luc Song Center was officially established. The center then transitioned into a social enterprise model in 2022 to continue its mission of helping disadvantaged individuals integrate into life through technology and education.
From initially accommodating only 15 students per class, Nghi Luc Song SE now teaches 60 students per class in information technology over a six-month period. Nghi Luc Song's students include people with disabilities, those who have family members with disabilities, and vulnerable groups such as children from policy-beneficiary families, victims of domestic violence, street children, and orphans.
During our visit to Nghi Luc Song, we met teacher Vu Phong Ky in a wheelchair moving around to instruct students in an IT class. Ky, a student at Nghi Luc Song in 2009, is a rare case, living with both leg and arm disabilities due to osteoporosis. Yet, after just three months of study, Ky successfully passed the entrance exam for Esoftflow Co., Ltd., part of the Esoft Systems Group - one of Denmark's leading corporations. After four years of working and accumulating valuable experience, Ky returned to Nghi Luc Song to become a teacher, training others with similar circumstances.
Beyond its IT training classes, Nghi Luc Song SE has also opened a traditional silver - making workshop, guided by artisans from the Dinh Cong Village (Hanoi). After just one - two months of training, students can produce items and earn one to two million dong per month. After six months of mastering the craft, they can work at production workshops in Dinh Cong Village with a monthly salary of six million dong.
Nghi Luc Song SE not only provides career and job opportunities for people with disabilities but also helps students build self-confidence by participating in life skills classes.
Dang Nguyen Hong Hanh, a volunteer for the life skills class, said, "The students learn about positive thinking, developing a growth mindset, planning specific goals, and how to stick to those goals. Through this, they can step outside their comfort zones, dare to try new experiences they wouldn't have before, confidently learn new skills, and inspire others”.
Speaking about Nghi Luc Song SE's long-term strategy, Minh said that Nghi Luc Song will collaborate with Omicare (Japan) to open a model retail outlet and develop micro-sales points by investing in facilities and goods, allowing vulnerable individuals to participate in work and generate income for themselves.
Story: Ngan Ha Photos: Tat Son/VNP & Files Translated by Hong Hanh