Sharing love from a kind heart

On her free days, Ms. Dinh Thi Nga (32 years old), from Long Mon commune (Minh Long), travels on her old motorbike, passing more than 10km of mountain pass to Cho Chua town. Her familiar stop is the zero-dong stall, located at 342 Pham Van Dong street (formerly located near Ben Da bridge). This is where people in difficult circumstances like her can find essential items, especially free clothes.

When entering the booth, Ms. Nga could not help but be surprised by the clean clothes, carefully classified, neatly folded on the shelves, and neatly hung on the hooks. There were no price tags or money exchanges, the clothes here were all given away for free, with the desire to bring warmth and affection to those who really needed it.

Space of the booth is 0 VND.

Ms. Nga meticulously chooses each set of clothes for her child, her eyes shining with joy and gratitude. She shared that her family's life in the highlands is very difficult. She and her husband work as glue collectors, with unstable income. Some days, the family only earns 200,000 VND, but there are also times when they have no work for a whole week. The clothes from the zero-VND stall help her family save some money during difficult days.

"What impresses me is that the clothes here are clean and fragrant. Every month I come here a few times to choose clothes for my children and for my husband to work as a glue collector. Life is difficult, but I always feel the humanity through these simple items, with kind hearts always open, ready to help those in need," Ms. Nga shared.

Ms. Pham Thi Minh Thu (32 years old), in Cho Chua town (Nghia Hanh) arranges and classifies clothes to give to people in difficult circumstances at the 0 VND booth.

The zero-dong stall was initiated by Ms. Thu and a group of friends with the same charitable heart in April 2024. Initially, the group only collected old clothes, washed them and gave them to those in need. Although these were only small actions, the enthusiasm of the members spread to many places, attracting many supporters. From a few boxes of old clothes at first, the stall received more diverse essential items from many people, helping those in need have more choices for their daily lives.

To maintain operations, group members spare no time and effort to arrange and classify items and are regularly present at the booth to guide recipients; receive clothes and items from kind-hearted people; ensure the booth is open from Monday to Friday every week to serve the needy.

Not only the people of Nghia Hanh district but also the people of Quang Ngai city and neighboring districts also contributed to the booth. The previous owner was also willing to lend the space for free to maintain long-term charity activities. From a small booth at first, this place has now become a meeting place of love, connecting kind hearts and spreading good values ​​in the community.

In addition to the zero-dong booth, the group also carries out many other meaningful activities such as cooking charity porridge for the poor, organizing meaningful programs for disadvantaged students, donating and supporting the North during the 2024 flood;... These activities not only bring practical help to difficult circumstances but also contribute to building a close-knit community, full of love and sharing.

For over a year now, the zero-dong stall has become a destination for many people in need.

"The zero-dong stall is not simply a charity activity, but also a place to connect people together. What I want is not only to help those in need, but also to create a caring and sharing community. When giving love, what you receive in return is not only joy, but also the spread of good things," Ms. Thu confided.

The Orphan Girl's Willpower

Ms. Thu was born and raised in Hanh Nhan commune (Nghia Hanh). She is an example of overcoming difficulties and being full of determination. Since childhood, she lacked the love of her father. When she was in 10th grade, her mother passed away due to a serious illness. Since then, the sisters in the family have struggled in life. With no support, each person went their separate ways to make a living, while Ms. Thu left her hometown to start a career in Ho Chi Minh City.

“Without money or family, life in a big city was extremely difficult. However, fortunately, I met a kind acquaintance who taught me how to sew ao dai. I understood that this was an opportunity to change my life. That’s why every stitch of the scissors cutting the fabric, every stitch of the ao dai patching the first time I sewed an ao dai for a customer was filled with hope,” Ms. Thu recalled.

Ms. Thu is also passionate about sewing ao dai.

Regardless of day or night, she persistently honed her skills to make a living. After many years of hard work, she decided to return to her hometown to start a business, carrying with her the belief that the place where she was born could also be the place to build her future. At first, she only took on individual sewing jobs, mainly from acquaintances in Ho Chi Minh City. However, with her ingenuity and dedication, she quickly gained the trust of her customers.

Her reputation spread far and wide, and her ao dai became more and more popular, especially among teachers from schools in the district. With a stable job, she expanded her shop and hired more tailors, creating jobs for many local women.

Ms. Phan Thi My Lien (41 years old), in Long Son commune (Minh Long), is one of the people who have been working at Ms. Thu's tailor shop for a long time. Ms. Lien confided that in the past, her family's circumstances were still difficult, with three children of school age but an unstable income, causing her family to often fall into a situation of lack of money. Thanks to Ms. Thu's vocational training and job creation, Ms. Lien had the opportunity to receive regular orders, with a stable income of about 7 million VND/month.

"My income is not abundant, but this amount of money is enough for me to cover living expenses and send my children to school. As long as I work hard, I will have a job every day and have stable spending during the month," Ms. Lien shared.

Seeing women like Ms. Lien having jobs, Ms. Thu feels happy. For her, success is not only about building a foundation, a job, a career for herself, but also about helping people in the same situation. Because, she used to struggle to find opportunities to change her life. Now, she wants to be a part of that opportunity for others.

Many female members have stable jobs thanks to Ms. Thu's help.

“From an orphan girl who had to struggle in life, now Ms. Thu has a happy family, a stable career and a kind heart that is always open. Her journey is not only a story of her own determination, but also a source of inspiration for love and sharing; a testament to the power of kindness and perseverance, that if you always live kindly, life will definitely smile. Her kindness has contributed to multiplying noble actions and gestures among the young generation in the locality”, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cho Chua town Nguyen Thi Hoa shared.

Article and photos: THIEN HAU

                                                                                                                                                                                          

Source: https://baoquangngai.vn/xa-hoi/202503/san-se-yeu-thuong-tu-trai-tim-nhan-hau-90605a2/