Take Off, November Edition: The Unwavering “Flames” Fueling Vietnamese Aspirations

As the month of gratitude and knowledge, November, arrives,  Take Off returns with the meaningful theme “The Flame Keeper”.   Nguyen Lan Hieu, Director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, presents three multi-dimensional, deeply human stories that represent beautiful values in modern society.

Engineer Nguyen Binh Nam - The Flame of Knowledge in Mountainous Regions

Nam and the volunteer "Caring Friends" Club embarked on a 15-year journey called "Building Schools in the Mountains" after seeing a  makeshift classroom in Tra Cang (Quang Nam) that was drafty, leaking, and vulnerable to harsh weather.  While working at the Central Power Corporation, Nam and his colleagues realized that education is the most sustainable and effective way to transform a community.

Their determination was further demonstrated through the rebuilding of Tak Roi School after the historic 2020 flood. Despite the difficulties, donations were raised in only two months, proving that the flame ignited by Nam had spread and gained strength  through national solidarity. His 15 years of action are encapsulated by the   motto “Living is giving, not only receiving,” and it serves as his most powerful message.

Musician Truong Quy Hai - The Flame of Love from a Soldier’s Heart

After leaving music due to multiple arm fractures, musician Truong Quy Hai joined the military and became a soldier. It was on the fierce battlefield of Vi Xuyen in 1984, among the graves of fallen comrades, that he found the true “light” of his life.

A blood-stained letter belonging to a fallen comrade reminded him of his mother and inspired him to sing again, leading to the emotional birth of the song “Letter to Mother”. This was not merely a musical return, but  also a spiritual awakening and a journey of empathy and healing.

Since then, Truong Quy Hai has devoted himself to humanitarian music. His music is meant not to resound on grand stages, but  also  to rekindle faith in goodness.

Dr. Tran Thi Le Quyen - The Flame of Inner Strength and Creative Aspiration

The final story belongs to Dr. Tran Thi Le Quyen, a Digital Art and Design expert whose flame was lit through resilience and self-renewal. Once labeled a stubborn and  overly opinionated child, she was deeply affected when she was  moved to another class in  ninth grade. She  nurtured a quiet determination to prove her worth  by “flying through them to pursue her passion,” , rather than avoiding them.

Her decision to pursue a PhD in Design at nearly 40 was not to retire, but to  be reborn  and  ensure that future students would not suffer from outdated pedagogy. Throughout her journey, she sends a message: happinesslies   in every step taken and  in every time we rise again,  not in the finish line or the diploma..

Three stories, three flames,   all illuminate the same principle: the greatest value in life is the power of meaningful influence. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Lan Hieu concluded with the perspective of a physician who confronts life and death daily: it is faith, kindness, and the will to live that keep hope burning, even in the harshest of realities.