The rocky early days

As a disabled person, Le Viet Cuong understands the hardships of persons like him better than anybody else, particularly in seeking work. Understanding the feelings of disabled people when they become a burden to family and society due to joblessness, he aspires to accomplish special things to share with individuals who have similar lives to his, and Vun Art Cooperative was born.

Hiring employees for Vun Art Cooperative in its early days was a difficult task. Cuong worked hard to convince disabled people to take part in his project. Then, as a group, they divided the task into stages, each of which was assigned to a different person based on his or her ability. He also had to seek financial assistance in order to offer housing for project participants, as well as visit experienced painters to learn how to create a painting by gluing pieces of fabric together. He then meticulously trained his team members on each step of the process.

Cuong stated that he intended for his items to reach buyers because of their appeal and distinctive qualities, rather than because of the community's concern for people with disabilities. This motivated Cuong to look for ways to improve the items' endurance while also improving aesthetic aspects. Fortunately, Dang Thi Khue, a 74-year-old painter known for her installation displays both at home and abroad, stepped in to help.

Patchworks make the dreams work

Vun Art Cooperative has been a platform not only for Cuong to realize his ambition, but also for other disabled people to do so since its founding. Thuy An, a 21-year-old from Central Nghe An Province, moved to Hanoi in search of a better life. She had to put in a lot of effort to learn the job at Vun Art Cooperative because she had trembling hands. She is now employed as a designer at the business. "I have to practice a lot to cut the fabric pieces with accuracy since it is really difficult for my trembling hands," she explained, "but when I do it perfectly, I'm quite thrilled to see beautiful bags and t-shirts that I can make." Anh Minh, another member of the Vun Art Cooperative, has cerebral palsy yet stays at her computer eight hours a day to make unique models.

Mrs. Khue stated that, despite her experience teaching fine arts to amateur and non-professional students, she faced various challenges when it came to training for people with impairments. It is difficult to make a work of art, and the task is made significantly more difficult when performed by the disabled, notably individuals with visual impairment, hearing impairment, and Down syndrome. As a result, Vun Art not only provides career opportunities to its members, but also assists them in integrating into society through the arts.

Vun Art Cooperative was recognized by UNESCO in 2019 as a sustainable creative model in terms of cultural and product development, as well as sustainable job creation for underprivileged communities. Vun Art Cooperative's innovative and high-quality works have also been recognized as a four-star OCOP product (One commune – One product National Program).