by David Mann Imagine not being able to see. Then imagine living in a remote village, your survival entirely dependent on another person, unable to go to school or have the opportunity to interact with other human beings. Now imagine that is your life for eight years. This was everyday life for Ha Minh Quan, a young man from a village three-hours drive from Ha Noi. Quan’s eyesight began deteriorating in the fifth grade because of an undiagnosed and untreated condition. There were limited medical services available for the once-enthusiastic student, who had loved reading and playing in the schoolyard. A chance meeting in 2007 between Quan and Australian mother-of-six Alison Vidotto would become a major turning point in both their lives. Vidotto, chief executive officer of the Brisbane-based, family-run engineering business, Vidotto Group, had visited Viet Nam the previous year on a family vacation. After spending time with underprivileged children at a local orphanage, the family returned home determined to do more. That year, the Australian Charity for the Children of Vietnam (ACCV) was born. A former English language teacher, Vidotto saw an opportunity for vocational education to help break the cycle of poverty for disadvantaged young people, both blind and sighted. “For some, it is only their eyes that don’t work. Their brains are healthy, individual and amazing and, like my own children, I want to see them reach their potential,” says Vidotto. “If there is a teacher, a lawyer, a social worker inside those minds, then let’s… [Read full story]
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