Story of Change
Le Thi Sau was born in a big family, with seven children and living in extremely difficult circumstances in Thua Thien - Hue Province. Due to the impacts of toxic chemicals, by the age of 8, Sau’s disability had become more evident. She turned out to be a hunchback, with slow physical development and unstable health. Her father passed away when she was little, and her mother is old. Her family’s main source of income is growing rice and crops. As a person with a disability, she was often discriminated by others. She always thought that she was the burden of her family and the society, which led to her depression, low self-esteem and reluctance to communicate with other people. Although she was eager to study, she dropped out of College of Information Technology when she was a sophomore due to her family’s difficult circumstances.
After many incidents, Sau became less communicative. “No words could describe me at that time. I was always sure that the society discriminated against me because of my disability. I myself have a low self-esteem and want to deny it.”
Then everything gradually changed for her.
In 2016, Sau met Lan Anh, Director of ACDC, in a training session in Thua Thien – Hue Province. Seeing Lan Anh, a happy and confident woman in a wheelchair, also a leader of a reputable organization, Sau was inspired to change her self-awareness and actions to assert herself. She has realized that persons with disabilities also have the same rights and obligations as people without disabilities. And she feels lucky to know more about District’s Organization of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) where she met people having similar circumstances. Having been a shy and depressed person for many years, Sau has actively participated in many training activities and conferences, speaking up, gradually asserting herself and stepping out of her “shell” of self-deprecation.
Le Thi Sau actively participate in the Training on Prevention of Gender-Based Violence against People with Disabilities in Thua Thien Hue
Since 2017, Sau has become a member of Executive Committee as well as permanent secretary of OPD in Quang Dien District, where she lives. Overcoming her inferiority complex, she has taken part in a lot of competitions and gained different achievements. In particular, she won a consolation prize with her “Doing business and creating jobs for women with disabilities” start-up project in the “Women’s Start-ups II – 2020” competition organized by Thua Thien – Hue Province Women’s Union. Besides, with her knowledge acquired from her participation in the OPD’s activities and projects, she is always willing to share with people in similar circumstances in the hope of helping them build their self-esteem and seek opportunities for themselves.
Le Thi Sau became the chairman of the Club of Disabled Women in Quang Dien District, Thua Thien Hue
The more she learns, the more she opens her heart and the more positive she becomes, the more she desires to establish a Women with Disabilities’ Club in the district to create a “home” for women with disabilities to do activities together, share with each other and help each other develop. Ultimately, the women with “little body, great mind” made it. With support from USAID’s “Raising Voices, Creating Opportunities” project, on September 25th, 2020, Quang Dien District Women with Disabilities’s Club was officially founded, and Le Thi Sau is its first chairwoman. She said: “When seeing people in similar circumstances, I feel as if I have seen myself in the past thinking that I was discriminated by the society because of my disability and torturing myself. Therefore, I want to help them overcome and assert themselves. Our Club was officially launched on September 25th, 2020 with 25 members. I hope more women with disabilities will join us in the upcoming period. I hope this will become a place for them to meet, talk to and share with each other, join self-employment activities together and increase income through small business and production activities.”
Currently, after many years of being self-contained, Sau has found joy, happiness and hope again. She has confidently worked as a tutor for kids in her neighborhood to earn money, support her family and bring joy to herself.
Sau’s story of stepping out of “the darkness” will always inspire women with disabilities to have stronger motivation to break barriers and seek development activities for themselves.
Source: "Saying yes to change" - Project Publications "Raising Voices, Creating Opportunities"
