Wheelchairs for disabled youth at Hold the Future

Wheelchair Ceremony at Hold the Future

Wednesday 18 August was a festive day at Hold the Future. A presentation had been planned and many people were looking forward to this day. The reason for this excitement was that with a generous sponsorship by Latter-Day Saint Charities wheelchairs would be handed over to some very lucky recipients.

Latter-Day Saint Charities is a private, nonprofit, charity agency registered with the Vietnamese Government and the US Agency for International Development. LDSC offers humanitarian relief throughout approximately 150 countries world-wide. One hundred percent of all donations go to relief and development programs.

The way it works is that volunteers who are primarily retired couples administer the funds using their own financial resources to fund their volunteering work. This is also true in the case of the wonderful couple in charge of the Vietnam operation. Country Directors Ardell and Julie Anne Talbot have spent their money and time in working in Vietnam.

Ardell & Julie Anne Talbot at the Wheelchair Ceremony at Hold the Future

An impressive array of wheelchairs!

Some time ago Hold the Future had completed the paper work required to request wheelchairs for its members. This process was being facilitated by Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation or VVAF. Much careful thought went into the application. Especially those who had never before received a wheelchair needed to be selected.

It was a short ceremony of speeches which was a very good thing as the expectant faces of wheelchair recipients showed that they were struggling to wait for their turn to come.

Finally the moment had arrived and one by one the wheelchairs found their new owners. It was a wonderful moment as each nominated disabled person was awarded their chair.

Vu Thi Dung is overwhelmed by the occasion.

But one often forgets that it’s not just a blessing for the disabled person to get that set of wheels to help their mobility. There were many many thrilled care takers too. Their life had just been made so much easier.

In Vietnam many disabled people who are unable to move on their own accord are carried. They are carried every where unless the floor lends itself for a disabled person to slide themselves along. But transportation generally depends on another person having the strength and mobility themselves to offer to be the pack horse.

A wheelchair therefore in Vietnam serves many purposes. It helps the disabled person but it also provides much needed relief to the care takers.

Tipping water requires skill too!

Summer in Hanoi spells rain. And the rain wasn’t going to let this ceremony go by without making an appearance.  The presentation area needed to be covered and a tent like structure was put in place. Drainage was a slight issue and water had to be tipped out of the cover every now and then.

A further entertaining aspect was that the cover has seen better days and many holes made the weather protection not quite as effective. But then in the warm climate, a bit of damp is not really a major problem. It certainly didn’t dampen the spirit of disabled people, their carers, visiting dignitaries and Hold the Future staff.