THE “WHEELCHAIRS OF LOVE” INITIATIVE

LSTF goes hand-in-hand with the disabled in Vietnam.

According to research conducted by the General Statistics Office (GSO) and UNICEF in 2016-17, Vietnam has about 6.2 million people with disabilities, of which more than 35% are mobility impairments. For people with disabilities, the loss of a body part does not mean losing their abilities and values, however, their inferiority complex as well as inadequate understanding by the public, make many of them difficult in social inclusion.

In order to make positive changes for the disabled, since 2009, our foundation has implemented the “Wheelchairs of Love” Initiative,  and until now more than 30,834 sets of wheelchairs have been distributed to support many with mobility impairments all over Vietnam, equivalent to the amount of USD 2.3 million (VND 50.7 billion). Through our continuous efforts in 63 cities and provinces, many people with disabilities have become more confident and improved their quality of life.

The case of Mr. Tran Anh Dung in Bac Lieu Province, a victim of Polio – a disabling and life-threatening disease. Despite of the disability, with his hands and his willpower, he learned to repair electronic devices to earn a living for his family. A wheelchair can help Mr. Dung to go around and to work easily. “A wheelchairs supports me a lot. I can go to people’s houses to fix their devices and go around to buy the electronic stuff by myself.” – Mr. Dung said.

Even though certain progress has been achieved over the past 13 years, the gap remains significant. Thus, we will continuously deepen our commitment to serving more people with disabilities via various public or private partnerships as well as more genuine initiatives, thereby broadening the impacts and accelerating the progress.

♥ Please join us on the journey to make people with disabilities be integrated into the society!