Starting from nothing and building a fortune

This is the story of Hoàng Văn Thàm, a disabled veteran of the Nùng ethnic group, born in 1960, originally from Cao Bằng, currently residing in Ward 5, Tiến Thành Commune, Đồng Xoài City, Bình Phước Province. He is a prime example of overcoming hardship in his locality.

Overcoming challenges

Mr. Tham's family home is located in a small, clean, concrete-paved alley. While not large, the house is solidly built and spacious. The property also includes a vegetable garden, a fish pond, and a peaceful setting.

When we arrived, Mr. Tham was out in the rubber plantation, his clothes stained and covered in sap. He was 62 years old and a war veteran, but he seemed to be in fairly good health. "Hard work and the results I achieve help me stay healthy and feel more cheerful." Mr. Tham smiled.

Mr. Tham recounted that in mid-1977, upon turning 18, he volunteered to join the army. After six months of training, in August 1978, he and his comrades set off to fight to defend the northern border, and he was immediately sent back to his hometown of Cao Bang. At this time, the Chinese army was still continuously organizing military activities, engaging in armed provocations, and encroaching on Vietnamese territory. “On February 17, 1979, China officially launched a large-scale invasion of Vietnam along the entire northern border. I was wounded in this attack with several shrapnel fragments in my head, chest, and leg, so I was taken to Military Hospital 91 for treatment and it took me more than half a year to recover.”"That's when Mr. Tham recalled."

In November 1979, after a disability assessment, he was found to have lost 36% of his health (level 4 disability) and was discharged from the army. Returning to his hometown with numerous injuries, he would suffer whenever the weather changed, as his unhealed wounds would flare up again. Despite this, Mr. Tham still considered himself fortunate. “Although the Northern border war didn't last long, its consequences were immense; many of my comrades never returned. So, I'm still lucky. Thinking that gives me more strength, and the wounds on my body don't discourage me. I also think to myself, I must live in a way that is worthy of my fallen comrades, even though my body is no longer whole, I must overcome it.”"That's what Mr. Tham confided."

In 1982, he married a girl from the same village who had also returned from the battlefield, and later they moved out to live separately with a few acres of land given to them by their parents. “In the mountainous region, a few acres of rice paddies were barely enough to feed us, let alone leave any surplus. I kept thinking about what I could do to escape poverty and ease the suffering of my wife and children. While I was still trying to figure it out, I saw on TV scenes of people going to the New Economic Zones in the South. The land was vast, fertile, and sparsely populated, so I started thinking about moving south to start a new life. After careful consideration, I discussed it with my wife, and she agreed. So, in 1984, I sold all my assets, gathered some capital, and the whole family moved south to start a new life under the New Economic Zone program.”

But this marked the beginning of another difficult period in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Tham. “Khi đó, vào đến đây là chúng tôi chẳng còn gì trong người ngoài mấy bộ đồ cũ. Chúng tôi được một người đồng hương cho mượn một góc vườn nhỏ để dựng căn chòi che nắng che mưa, tiếp theo là những năm tháng đi làm thuê, ai thuê gì làm nấy. Mặc dù vậy, tôi vẫn thấy “dễ thở” hơn ở quê, vẫn dành dụm được ít bạc lẻ. Tích tiểu thành đại, đến năm 1992, chúng tôi gom hết tiền để dành bao năm qua, rồi vay mượn thêm người quen, mua được 1,3ha đất, chính là cơ ngơi này. Có đất rồi, vợ chồng tôi hạnh phúc vô cùng. Bởi vì, chỉ cần có đất, tôi chắc chắn gia đình mình sẽ sớm thoát cảnh khó khăn và sẽ đủ khả năng lo cho các con ăn học”, Mr. Tham continued. "My family is just barely making ends meet, not exactly well-off, but I have many things that are more important to me. These include good health, a warm and loving family, children who are grown up and respectful, and neighbors who care about them... That's all a person hopes for in life.""Mr. Hoang Van Tham confided."

A happy family is the greatest asset.

Leaving behind his days as a hired laborer, Mr. Tham cultivated his 1,3-hectare plot of land, engaging in various activities: growing beans and vegetables, raising pigs, and digging ponds for fish farming. Not only did he farm, but seeing the growing vegetarian population and the high demand for tofu, he and his wife diligently traveled to many places to learn and then, through trial and error, opened a tofu production factory supplying retail stalls in the Dong Xoai area. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, their efforts paid off. Farming and the tofu factory brought his family a stable income of hundreds of millions of dong annually. Once their lives were stable and they had savings, in 2008, Mr. Tham decided to convert almost all of his land to rubber plantations, finding that this crop required less care and provided a stable income. He only kept a few hundred square meters of land to grow vegetables for his family's meals.

At 62 years old, Mr. Tham is still very healthy; every day he wakes up early to go to the plantation to tap rubber and sell it. “To achieve what we have today, my wife and I have worked tirelessly for many years. We would wake up at night to make tofu to deliver to markets early in the morning, then rush to the vegetable garden, pigsty, and fish pond… transporting our produce to sell everywhere. We worked tirelessly all day, but we still felt healthy and happy because we were working effectively and earning money to provide for our children's education.”, Mr. Tham said.

He recounted: “I have four daughters and one son. They are our greatest asset and source of happiness. The children understand how hard their parents work, so they are very well-behaved and study hard. After graduating, they have all moved out and have stable jobs.”

Despite working tirelessly and saving every penny, he didn't hesitate to donate over 2.000 square meters of land worth billions of dong to build a road. That's a significant asset, and he regularly helps his neighbors in their daily lives. His philosophy is: “I'm happy when I can help someone and see them happy. Money and material things come and go; as long as you have good health, you don't have to worry about not being able to earn money. Like my wife and I, when we first came here, we didn't have a penny. If we work hard, we'll have white rice to eat. I'm also grateful to many people who shared the difficulties with my family when we first arrived here. Back then, everyone was poor, but occasionally I still received a can of rice, a bunch of vegetables, or a fish. Back then, thanks to a kind person who lent us a corner of their garden to build a shack, my children had a place to shelter from the rain and sun. That was truly a 'helping hand in times of need' in the literal sense. So why shouldn't we share with others when we have the ability?”

Mr. Bui Thanh Liem, a close neighbor of Mr. Tham's family, recounted the following about him: “He’s so sweet. He’s a workaholic, always working until the day is over. But if anyone asks for his help, he’ll drop everything and rush off to assist. I remember, a while ago, a neighbor was busy and asked him to pick up their grandchild, and he immediately got in his car and drove off without a second thought. Only when he got home did he realize he hadn’t picked up his grandchild. So he rushed off again, leaving the grandchild waiting with a miserable expression.”

“Mr. Tham is a prime example of a disabled veteran overcoming hardship and becoming wealthy. Despite his numerous injuries, he works just as hard as young people. When he first came here, he and his wife toiled year-round as laborers. From having nothing but their bare hands and not a single plot of land, Mr. Tham's family is now one of the most economically stable households in the area. And most importantly, they have raised five children who have all received a good education and are all well-behaved and obedient.” Mr. Le Thanh Hoan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tien Thanh Ward, Dong Xoai City, said.