Give me a pen, I will write the light by my eyes!

Despite being "disabled", Nguyen Thi Thu Huong still did not give up her desire to study and became the first blind student of Literature and Linguistics Teacher Education at Hanoi National University of Education.

(Image: Huong at her dreamed school - Photo by Hong Nhung)

Thu Huong comes from a family of 4 members in Hai Duong. Her family is normal, but unfortunately she was blind when she was born. People often say that people with disabilities are unhappy but that is not true. With great fortitude and determination, she overcame her shortcomings.

22 years living in the dark...

From an early age, Huong showed an interest in learning. For 9 years in a row, she won the title of excellent student at school level. Despite the difficulty of integrating into the classroom environment, Huong finds an efficient learning approach by herself. Huong enjoyed studying in high school and was excited to pursue Literature. As a result, in order to learn Literature, she had to convert to Braille.. There were many days when Huong had to stay up all night struggling with each word. However, the girl still did not give up.

(Huong's daily life - Edit by Quynh Anh)

She then shared the same as many other students in having an ambition of attending a university. She worked tirelessly and succeeded in receiving the Nguyen Truong To scholarship, which allowed her to enroll right away at the Hanoi National University of Education. She is a shining example of the blind for everyone to follow.

(A short interview with Huong - Edit by Quynh Anh)

She grew up in a family with 2 children, while her younger brother was completely normal, she was less fortunate. Her father was a soldier, her mother was a farmer, and her father was the breadwinner for the whole family. The day she entered college, her family burst with happiness. But it also comes with the anxiety of her first time away from home, to a new environment, a crowded and unfamiliar city, a new school, a new place to live, new friends. Everything is foreign to her. Huong had thoughts of giving up but…

Huong is not lonely...

A close friend, even though far away, is always a source of encouragement and motivation to move on in a new environment.

Additionally, when she first went to Hanoi, her parents stayed with her for three months. This helped her adjust to the city and made her feel less lonely. And with the help of her roommate, the little girl finally gets used to her new environment.

(A special event with friends in faculty - Photo by Hong Nhung)

She pays close attention to the lectures in class and actively engages with the subject. Her teacher and fellow students will occasionally help her take notes. She was granted the go-ahead to type on a laptop during the tests while her colleagues scribbled on paper. She is also exempted from Physical Education and Defense Education subjects.

(A teamate - work day - Photo by Phuong Anh)

She also has a number of close friends who have been of great help and encouragement to her, and roommates who often support her with the move. They are very friendly and helpful. It's like an infinite source of encouragement that gives her strength every day.

Towards the bright future…

(Huong is writing braille - Photo by Phuong Anh)

Sharing about herself, she has a dream to be a teacher of Literature at a special school in her hometown, she empathizes with people with similar circumstances and wishes to help them access knowledge. Becoming a teacher is also her way of proving to society that people with disabilities do not deserve to be discriminated against and can pass on the fire of enthusiasm to the next generation and society will have a look fairer to the blind

(A pedagogical training session-Photo by Phuong Anh)

Although she has a disability, deep inside she is a person full of energy and self-respect. Hopefully, Huong is always full of enthusiasm and determination to pursue her passion, becoming a good teacher to teach the next generation.

(A day at school with Huong - Edit by Hong Nhung)

Braille is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. One Braille letter is used for each Latin letter. Tone letters (transcribing the diacritics ◌̉ ◌́ ◌̀ ◌̃ ◌̣) are written immediately before the vowel.

If your classmate is a blind person, what would you do?

• 0%Enthusiastically help him/her in study
• 0%Maintain a normal relationship
• 0%Ignore, discriminate against him/her