A cooperative in Hanoi not only turn rags into works of art, but also helps people with disabilities have a stable income, find joy and meaning in life.
Ms. Hoang Thi Hau skillfully cut fabric to make bagsPHOTO KHANH HUYEN
Optimistic, love life, stable income
Bon Art Cooperative (Ha Dong District, Hanoi) has been in operation since August 2018, and has now become a training and working place for 21 people with disabilities . Mr. Le Viet Cuong, Chairman of the Association of People with Disabilities in Ha Dong District (Hanoi) said, from the idea “each disabled person is like a small piece of rag, reconnects so that they are no more debris, back to integrate. for the community, living more usefully and happily ”, so the association established this model. Here, not only accepting people with disabilities but also receiving training and employment support for those with relatives who are people with disabilities.
Taking raw materials from the excess fabric after sewing, the cooperative has transformed folk paintings into lychee paintings. Thanks to the use of rags, each picture is a different color of Vietnamese culture, creating a unique feature for Bon Art. Some large companies such as Bao Viet Insurance, Arena Multi … have also cooperated to produce souvenir products.
When talking about the output of the product, Ms. Nguyen Thuy Trang, the manager of the cooperative shared: “There are months when businesses place orders of more than 1,000 bags … During difficult epidemic times, the cooperative still keeps working. job, because this is also the livelihood as well as the joy of people with disabilities ”.
 Happiness returns for people with disabilities joining the Vun ART Cooperative.PHOTO KHANH HUYEN |
Creating a canvas, it takes many stages. These stages are mainly done by hand. The first is to sketch pictures on the cardboard to shape and then cut off the details. Previously prepared rags must be cleaned and then flattened. To ensure the strength of the cloth as well as the color fastness in the future, the rags will be coated or coated with a thin layer of milk glue and then allowed to dry. In addition to the canvas painting, VILLA Art also uses the non-fading natural silk of Van Phuc village to make more high-end products such as shirts, bags, wallets.
Each member of the cooperative is a different unhappy life, but under the bond, they love, embrace each other and become more optimistic in life. Besides, they do not have to depend on relatives as before but can take care of themselves with an income of 1 to several million VND / month (depending on time).
Beautiful picture from unhappy life
Ms. Hoang Thi Hau (55 years old) pityingly shared her own situation. She has a disability in her feet since she was 3 years old, and her mobility is difficult because she cannot walk with her feet like everyone else. Before joining the cooperative, she often went to the fields to help her sister, and to work in the village forging. By 2015, she joined the Ha Dong Association of People with Disabilities. She is one of the longtime staff at the Department of Art.
Sharing about the early days of apprenticeship, she met many difficulties because she was old, with poor eyesight, it was difficult to do meticulously handcrafted details. After a period of persistent study, she overcame difficulties to participate in the production of the Department Art. Since joining the cooperative, she has been happier and more relaxed, and being able to interact with people every day also helps her to lessen her guilt about herself. The economic conditions have also improved a lot.
 Painting Mouse Wedding folk made from ragsPHOTO KHANH HUYEN |
Bui Thu Dung (Van Phuc, Hanoi) is another piece of Bon Art’s life. This girl has a disease that makes her limbs weaker than normal. Dung has been working for more than three years, still in the apprenticeship stage and making simple motifs but also contributes a lot to the cooperative.
The Department of Art is not only a workplace but a second home for people with disabilities to help them integrate into the community and be more active in life. A piece of rags contributes to an artistic painting if placed in the right place. A person with a disability can also contribute his wonderful qualities to beautify life if he finds the right position. That is probably also what the Dong Art Cooperative wants to send the message to life.
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