Light is always magical, illuminating, giving life, and embodying faith and hope. It's not an exaggeration to say that "moving towards the light" is instinctual, something humans always strive for.
Light doesn't just come from the sun or stars; it radiates from the hidden hearts of characters of Act of Kindness. It represents the belief of those in need who realize they are not alone in the dark of life.
"Moving towards the light" is also the theme of the October episode of the Act of Kindness program.
Fas Angel - The Angels of the Night
Individuals from different professions gather when the city lights up, roaming the streets to assist those who have encountered accidents or difficulties in Hanoi.
The leader of this special rescue team is Mr. Pham Quoc Viet (born in 1987). Viet reveals that he was once "abandoned" in a traffic accident many years ago in Tuyen Quang province. Numerous people passed by without offering help. Finally, someone decided to stop, provided assistance, and took him to receive medical care, leaving a lasting impact on Viet's memory.
That fateful accident led him to give up his career in media and, along with a group of like-minded individuals, establish the First Aid Support Angel (FAS Angel) rescue team. During the day, Viet works as a technology motorbike taxi driver, and in the evening, he and his team wander the streets to help those who have encountered traffic accidents or problems in Hanoi.
Established in 2019, the team now consists of about 90 members. On average, they can support from 3 to 9 traffic accident cases per day.
In particular, during a fire at an apartment building in Khuong Dinh ward, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, in September 2023, FAS Angel quickly arrived to rescue the victims in cooperation with the firefighting police.
Hair salon offering hair donations in Ho Chi Minh City
Seven years ago, a female customer entered the salon of Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City), requesting her hair cut very short as she prepared for her battle against cancer. "When the first clipper went through her hair, she burst into tears," Tuan recalls.
Little did he know that four years later, the woman sitting on the chair with an identical request would be his mother. This time, Tuan broke down in tears.
As a result of his mother's incident, Tuan opened the first hair salon in Vietnam specializing in hair donation, preservation, and transportation to create wigs for cancer patients. After donating their hair, clients receive a 50% discount on styling services. Tuan uses the 50% proceeds from the service to support the processing and creating the hairpieces.
Over the past three years, Tuan has received hundreds of hair donations. Each strand of hair is cleaned, dried, sorted by length, and stored. At the end of the month, the hair is transported to the Breast Cancer Network Vietnam (BCNV).
On this recent trip to Hanoi, Tuan received an unexpected invitation from the program. For the first time on the Act of Kindness stage, five young women from different provinces were present to have their hair cut directly by Tuan and donate it to cancer patients.
Home for 500 Boys with special circumstances
Until this day, approximately 30 years, Mái ấm Ánh Sáng (Shelter of Light) (located at 80/76 Trần Quang Diệu Street, Ward 14, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) has been nurturing hundreds of homeless, disadvantaged, impoverished, and orphaned boys to become valuable members of society.
Perhaps few people know that the one who preserved and developed this shelter was Mr. Nguyen Thien Hai (born in 1974), originally from Ha Tinh province. In 1995, when he moved from his hometown to Ho Chi Minh City, Hai volunteered for military service. Three years later, he finished his military service and returned to Ho Chi Minh City, still unsure about continuing his education or seeking a suitable job. By chance, he followed an acquaintance to repair houses, which happened to be Mái ấm Ánh Sáng. At that time, the shelter had only been established for a short time, with just over ten boys living there and no educators. Hai quickly accepted the job, not knowing that this small house would become an enduring part of his life.
Through different ways, the characters of Act of Kindness have created a source of light and illuminated those darkened lives. Tune in to their stories in the Việc tử tế tháng 10 (October’s Act of Kindness): Bước về phía ánh sáng (Moving Towards the Light), airing at 8:10 PM and the VTVGo app.
