Flower products made from clay by Ms. Hoa. Photo: Lam Hong
Efforts to prove "disabled but not useless"
Introduced by Ms. Vu Thi Nguyet Anh - President of the Association of People with Disabilities of Bao Loc City (Lam Dong), we met Ms. Tran Thi Hoa (42 years old, residing in Di Linh town, Di Linh district, Lam Dong).
In Ms. Hoa's small house, the first thing that caught our eyes were many pots and baskets of flowers of all kinds, fresh and full of life.
Ms. Hoa said that she was born plump like any other normal child. At the age of 4, after a severe fever, her legs gradually atrophied. When she grew up, she could not walk.
Despite her disability, she always tries her best and is passionate about her work. Photo: Lam Hong
This year, she is 42 years old, and for that long, Ms. Hoa has been in a wheelchair and using wooden crutches. However, she always tries and makes efforts to rise up with the determination of "disabled but not useless".
Her legs cannot stand but she has skillful hands. Ms. Hoa is determined to research and learn to “stand up” with her own strong will.
Ms. Hoa shared that people with disabilities often have low self-esteem. As for her, since childhood, she has encouraged herself to make efforts so as not to become a burden to her family and relatives.
"After researching, I found that making flowers from clay was suitable for me, so I was determined to learn. The more I learned, the more I loved it, and I quickly mastered making clay flowers. Now, I can make many different types of flowers such as roses, orchids, hydrangeas, succulents, lotus flowers, or strawberry pots...", Ms. Hoa confided.
According to Ms. Hoa, to make beautiful, lifelike flowers, you must love them, be meticulous and persistent. The main ingredient is white clay, mixed with safe additives.
After mixing colors to suit each type of flower, the craftsman uses a rolling machine to thin the petals to the desired thickness. Next, the craftsman uses wire to shape and form the flower.
According to her, the coloring stage is the most important. This is the step that tests the craftsman’s skills. When the color is dry, the flowers will be placed on a pedestal or in a pot, depending on the customer’s request.
For her, making clay flowers is both a way to earn money and to practice patience and carefulness. Compared to fabric flowers or real flowers, flowers made from clay are more expensive. That was also a difficulty when she first started this profession.
But gradually, customers saw the advantages of clay flowers and bought more. When the flowers are dirty, just use a brush or paper towel to clean them. If used carefully, they can be kept for up to 5 years without being damaged or fading.
Hope to pass on the profession to people in the same situation
Every customer who orders clay flowers from Ms. Hoa is enjoying a work of art, not just buying and selling.
On average, depending on the size, each clay flower work takes her from 4 days to 1 week to complete. There are large works that customers order, Ms. Hoa spends more than 1 month to complete.
Ms. Hoa sells each flower work for between 300,000 VND and 10 million VND. Some works are ordered for tens of millions of VND.
Strawberry pot made of clay. Photo: Lam Hong
It is known that Ms. Hoa is a single mother. Because her clay flower products do not have a stable output, she sells breakfast to students.
Ms. Hoa hopes that the local government will create conditions for accessing preferential loans. She also hopes that her products will be connected and supported to find outlets. Her dream is to build a facility to make flowers from clay. That way, she can teach the profession to people in the same situation as her.
Source: https://laodong.vn/chuyen-nha-minh/hoa-dat-set-tuyet-dep-cua-nguoi-phu-nu-khuet-tat-1474219.ldo
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