A brighter future for the most underpriviledged

If she had not taken up the opportunities that REACH provided Man’s dreams and talents would never have been realized.

As a child Man was always fascinated by art, color, and design. She loved to draw and showed much talent in drawing cartoon characters.

“I loved to draw, particularly cartoon characters, and wished that one day I would be a creator of some of those cuties,” Man recalled from her childhood.

Growing up in a very poor family in Hai Duong province provided few opportunities for Man to express her creative talents. Pencils, crayons, and sketchbooks were mostly unaffordable for her family. When she was lucky enough to obtain some of these items they were treasured. However, scarcity couldn’t prevent Man from chasing her dreams.

“I drew a lot, at any time and wherever I could. On the wall, on the ground. I used to do drawing with chalkstones that I collected from the countryside when I didn’t have a pencil,” Man remembered.

Man’s background and family circumstances prevented her from taking her talents to professional levels. Her parents couldn’t afford for her to take up higher education in art-related professions such as graphic design or architecture. When she completed school she was destined to work in a local electronics factory to contribute to the meager family income. The work was exhausting and very lowly paid and it frustrated Man because she knew that she had talents that needed to be further developed.

“There were days when I came back home from endless overtime work hours, with an exhausted body and a meager amount of money I was paid. I told myself that I was not meant to be there,” Man recounted about her past job.

A year after she left school Man saw a promotion for REACH’s graphic design program. She still remembered the mixed feelings of excitement combined with nervousness when she registered for the program.

“I hardly ever had a chance to use a computer before and the concept of drawing with a mouse sounded very strange to me,” she said. “What’s more, technical IT terms seemed very academic and complicated to me at that time,” she added.

Leaving her fears behind her Man entered the training program at REACH full of determination to conquer computers and the new ‘language’ of IT. Her training exposed her to various software programs that enabled her to design and edit graphics and photos. After only three months of intensive training, her talents were finally being realized.

Man’s newly acquired skills opened the door to her securing a design position in a communications and advertising company where she supports clients to develop their corporate branding.

“I have found myself a career”, Man said about her current job. “This is a good start for my pathway to become a professional graphic designer.”

Assisting disadvantaged youth like Man to develop skills and knowledge for long-term, sustainability is the mission of REACH. Supporting young people like Man to pursue their passion and realize their dreams is an exciting part of this mission, and REACH is so grateful to the many donors, sponsors, supporters, and staff who make this possible.

[The real name of the character was changed for the confidential purpose]

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