Doan Quang Tuan - Portfolio 2024

My Family Inspiration

Growing up in a loving and safe family, I have always been grateful for the warmth and security surrounding me. From a young age, I became aware of the care and privilege I received and sincerely appreciated it.

While my father taught me about family traditions and customs, my mother has inspired me with her dedication to community projects. She dedicates time and resources to social initiatives.

I still remember my first trip with my mother when I was 7. My mom's old friends organized a program at a care center for children with disabilities in Bac Giang Province. Everyone cleaned, repainted the classrooms, and hosted a small celebration with mini-games for the children there. This was the first time I met children my age who were different and unfamiliar, unlike my classmates or school friends. Back then, I couldn't define what made them different, but there was something unique about them. Some weren't as agile or lively; some could not speak, hear, or walk like typical children. At first, we were the kids following our parents - we looked at each other with some hesitation. However, as we joined activities, cleaning, playing games, and celebrating together, the distance between us gradually disappeared. We were no longer cautious but shared joyful laughter while playing. During that trip, I was proud to add a few strokes of my own to the mural painted by the entire group.

Another memorable trip with my mother was when I was 8, and we spent two days in Thach Son, Son Dong District, Bac Giang Province. My mom's group provided free medical check-ups, distributed medicine, and gave haircuts to the locals. They also gave gifts to disadvantaged students and poor households in the area. Although I and the other kids couldn’t help much, we eagerly carried light items, helped distribute gifts to students, and accompanied our parents to visit and present gifts to impoverished families and elderly people living alone. Watching the crowd go home with smiles on their faces, I too felt a deep sense of happiness, even though I hadn’t done much.

When I was 9, I accompanied my mother to Dong Mam Village in Son Hai, Luc Ngan District, Bac Giang Province, an isolated "oasis" on Cam Son Lake - a large hydropower lake in northern Vietnam. This village is secluded from neighboring areas, and the children row boats to school. During the flood season, attending school becomes a significant challenge. My mom's group also visited this area to offer free medical check-ups, medicine, and haircuts for the residents. They organized a lively Mid-Autumn Festival program with lion dances, music, and a festive gift exchange. I was part of the lion dance group along with a few other children in the group. The gifts for the students here included not only sweets and books but also life jackets to ensure their safety when crossing the lake to school. It was the first time I saw a unique Mid-Autumn gift like that. But the kids there and their parents loved it.

Through these journeys with my mother, I may not have been old enough to understand thoroughly everything she and her friends were doing. However, it felt as if I had glimpsed a world different from my own - a world where I was sheltered by my parents and teachers, where, though I didn't always get everything I wanted, my parents always created the best conditions for me to learn, play, and enjoy life without material shortage. On the other side were kids my age lacking food, clothes, and school supplies - items that, at school, my teachers would immediately notify my parents if I was missing any. They lived in simple houses, without electric fans, air conditioning, gas stoves, or electric stoves - only enduring the summer heat with hand fans and winter chills without warm clothes, cooking in shabby kitchens with wood and leaves, barely enough food. There were even children whose bodies were not whole or whose minds lacked the usual playfulness and innocence typical of children. And I thought to myself how fortunate I was compared to those children and the residents there. It felt like I was joining my mom in sharing a bit of luck and happiness with the people we met. Perhaps I had gradually become more mature, more understanding of life, learning to love and share more with those around me.

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My Family Inspiration

Growing up in a loving and safe family, I have always been grateful for the warmth and security surrounding me. From a young age, I became aware of the care and privilege I received and sincerely appreciated it.

While my father taught me about family traditions and customs, my mother has inspired me with her dedication to community projects. She dedicates time and resources to social initiatives.

I still remember my first trip with my mother when I was 7. My mom's old friends organized a program at a care center for children with disabilities in Bac Giang Province. Everyone cleaned, repainted the classrooms, and hosted a small celebration with mini-games for the children there. This was the first time I met children my age who were different and unfamiliar, unlike my classmates or school friends. Back then, I couldn't define what made them different, but there was something unique about them. Some weren't as agile or lively; some could not speak, hear, or walk like typical children. At first, we were the kids following our parents - we looked at each other with some hesitation. However, as we joined activities, cleaning, playing games, and celebrating together, the distance between us gradually disappeared. We were no longer cautious but shared joyful laughter while playing. During that trip, I was proud to add a few strokes of my own to the mural painted by the entire group.

Another memorable trip with my mother was when I was 8, and we spent two days in Thach Son, Son Dong District, Bac Giang Province. My mom's group provided free medical check-ups, distributed medicine, and gave haircuts to the locals. They also gave gifts to disadvantaged students and poor households in the area. Although I and the other kids couldn’t help much, we eagerly carried light items, helped distribute gifts to students, and accompanied our parents to visit and present gifts to impoverished families and elderly people living alone. Watching the crowd go home with smiles on their faces, I too felt a deep sense of happiness, even though I hadn’t done much.

When I was 9, I accompanied my mother to Dong Mam Village in Son Hai, Luc Ngan District, Bac Giang Province, an isolated "oasis" on Cam Son Lake - a large hydropower lake in northern Vietnam. This village is secluded from neighboring areas, and the children row boats to school. During the flood season, attending school becomes a significant challenge. My mom's group also visited this area to offer free medical check-ups, medicine, and haircuts for the residents. They organized a lively Mid-Autumn Festival program with lion dances, music, and a festive gift exchange. I was part of the lion dance group along with a few other children in the group. The gifts for the students here included not only sweets and books but also life jackets to ensure their safety when crossing the lake to school. It was the first time I saw a unique Mid-Autumn gift like that. But the kids there and their parents loved it.

Through these journeys with my mother, I may not have been old enough to understand thoroughly everything she and her friends were doing. However, it felt as if I had glimpsed a world different from my own - a world where I was sheltered by my parents and teachers, where, though I didn't always get everything I wanted, my parents always created the best conditions for me to learn, play, and enjoy life without material shortage. On the other side were kids my age lacking food, clothes, and school supplies - items that, at school, my teachers would immediately notify my parents if I was missing any. They lived in simple houses, without electric fans, air conditioning, gas stoves, or electric stoves - only enduring the summer heat with hand fans and winter chills without warm clothes, cooking in shabby kitchens with wood and leaves, barely enough food. There were even children whose bodies were not whole or whose minds lacked the usual playfulness and innocence typical of children. And I thought to myself how fortunate I was compared to those children and the residents there. It felt like I was joining my mom in sharing a bit of luck and happiness with the people we met. Perhaps I had gradually become more mature, more understanding of life, learning to love and share more with those around me.

CLOSE

My Family Inspiration

Growing up in a loving and safe family, I have always been grateful for the warmth and security surrounding me. From a young age, I became aware of the care and privilege I received and sincerely appreciated it.

While my father taught me about family traditions and customs, my mother has inspired me with her dedication to community projects. She dedicates time and resources to social initiatives.

I still remember my first trip with my mother when I was 7. My mom's old friends organized a program at a care center for children with disabilities in Bac Giang Province. Everyone cleaned, repainted the classrooms, and hosted a small celebration with mini-games for the children there. This was the first time I met children my age who were different and unfamiliar, unlike my classmates or school friends. Back then, I couldn't define what made them different, but there was something unique about them. Some weren't as agile or lively; some could not speak, hear, or walk like typical children. At first, we were the kids following our parents - we looked at each other with some hesitation. However, as we joined activities, cleaning, playing games, and celebrating together, the distance between us gradually disappeared. We were no longer cautious but shared joyful laughter while playing. During that trip, I was proud to add a few strokes of my own to the mural painted by the entire group.

Another memorable trip with my mother was when I was 8, and we spent two days in Thach Son, Son Dong District, Bac Giang Province. My mom's group provided free medical check-ups, distributed medicine, and gave haircuts to the locals. They also gave gifts to disadvantaged students and poor households in the area. Although I and the other kids couldn’t help much, we eagerly carried light items, helped distribute gifts to students, and accompanied our parents to visit and present gifts to impoverished families and elderly people living alone. Watching the crowd go home with smiles on their faces, I too felt a deep sense of happiness, even though I hadn’t done much.

When I was 9, I accompanied my mother to Dong Mam Village in Son Hai, Luc Ngan District, Bac Giang Province, an isolated "oasis" on Cam Son Lake - a large hydropower lake in northern Vietnam. This village is secluded from neighboring areas, and the children row boats to school. During the flood season, attending school becomes a significant challenge. My mom's group also visited this area to offer free medical check-ups, medicine, and haircuts for the residents. They organized a lively Mid-Autumn Festival program with lion dances, music, and a festive gift exchange. I was part of the lion dance group along with a few other children in the group. The gifts for the students here included not only sweets and books but also life jackets to ensure their safety when crossing the lake to school. It was the first time I saw a unique Mid-Autumn gift like that. But the kids there and their parents loved it.

Through these journeys with my mother, I may not have been old enough to understand thoroughly everything she and her friends were doing. However, it felt as if I had glimpsed a world different from my own - a world where I was sheltered by my parents and teachers, where, though I didn't always get everything I wanted, my parents always created the best conditions for me to learn, play, and enjoy life without material shortage. On the other side were kids my age lacking food, clothes, and school supplies - items that, at school, my teachers would immediately notify my parents if I was missing any. They lived in simple houses, without electric fans, air conditioning, gas stoves, or electric stoves - only enduring the summer heat with hand fans and winter chills without warm clothes, cooking in shabby kitchens with wood and leaves, barely enough food. There were even children whose bodies were not whole or whose minds lacked the usual playfulness and innocence typical of children. And I thought to myself how fortunate I was compared to those children and the residents there. It felt like I was joining my mom in sharing a bit of luck and happiness with the people we met. Perhaps I had gradually become more mature, more understanding of life, learning to love and share more with those around me.

CLOSE