Mr. Trang, a heartfelt belief

Some believe that a person’s worth is not measured in years, but it seems that with time and experience, some of us reveal treasures of humanity. Such is the case of Mr. Trang*, who in central Vietnam is fighting a relentless battle against injustice and poverty. He is surrounded by an army of young people with huge hearts, for whom he is a source of inspiration. Meet Mr. Trang.

Text and photo: Antoine Besson

“I would much rather help Mr. Trang than have more free time.”

So, what is this enigmatic activity that attracts Mr. Trang’s students and for which they are so grateful? ” I am in charge of coordinating the activities that enable Children of the Mekong to sponsor children in Vietnam. All these students help me visit villages, meet the people in charge and the families in need”, explains Mr. Trang, surrounded by his helpers. Tâm adds: ” I would much rather help Mr. Trang than have more free time. Thanks to him, I have met many poor families and I have realised that there are not only children who are worse off than I am, but more importantly, that I can learn a lot from them.” In one programme, Tâm met a little girl whose father had died after contracting AIDS. Deeply moved, she says: “Her life is extremely difficult, but she is brave and keeps fighting to survive. She is an incredible source of inspiration!” Amongst the group, a boy comments excitedly: ” What we do with Mr. Trang may not be a real job, but it helps a lot of people and it all makes sense because we are helping children to go to school. It is so important to help others!” Surrounded by all these enthusiastic young people, Mr. Trang is over the moon. There is no doubt he has achieved what he set out to do: to get students involved in his charity work so as to ” ‘nurture love'”, as he puts it. “It opens the hearts of these young people when they find out about the children we sponsor. It teaches them to love, and to love the poorest in particular.”

Having graduated from the University of Arts in Saigon, young Mr. Trang was an idealist torn between two legacies. “I was fascinated by the communist ideology: to fight for the poor. But at the time I was also involved in a Catholic student movement.” However, this period of hesitation was short-lived. It was history that would convince Mr. Trang once and for all: on 30 April 1975, Saigon fell into the hands of the Communists, and the young idealistic student who had by then become a French teacher, discovered the reality behind the ideals. “I gave up all illusions after the liberation of the South. The Communists were not the liberators I had hoped for. They took all we had and left us nothing but inequality and poverty.”

This disappointment was to weigh heavily on the life of Mr. Trang. Nevertheless, his enthusiasm to help young people build their future remained intact throughout his life as a teacher. However, he never succeeded in becoming a headmaster or holding a senior position because of his anti-communist convictions. “I was offered membership of the Party because my father had become a senior civil servant in Hanoi before he died in 1963. I refused without hesitation. Throughout my career, I have seen a number of incompetent people rise through the ranks because they had the right connections.” Having abandoned the idea of pursuing a career, Mr. Trang concentrated on a different ideal: “I had witnessed that our modern Vietnamese society generated a lot of poverty and misfortune. I made it my life’s mission to help those in need.”

He shares this calling with his wife. In 2007, when they both retired, they decided to dedicate themselves to Children of the Mekong.

“The only power I have is to help those most in need”, admits this frail old man with a radiant smile and unwavering determination. The tremors in his voice are a sign of indignation. Mr. Trang cannot stand injustice. “Over time, I have realised that humanitarian organisations are sometimes very biased. Instead of selecting people according to poverty criteria, they foster a form of communitarianism: some Catholic priests help Catholic families, while other organisations only help certain ethnic groups…”

“The only power I have is to help those most in need”

Mr. Trang’s happiness is simple: it is the happiness of all the children he helps, and this is precisely the joy he wants to pass on to the students around him. He only has one regret: “The problem with students is that they end up leaving me”, says he with a touch of melancholy, and yet he is so proud of the work carried out by his protégés. Just like this young girl who lost her father, mother and younger brother in an explosion while collecting iron from ammunition left behind after the war. “She lived in a miserable house,” whispers the old man, deeply affected by this child’s fate, ” and yet she stood her ground and even went to university. She was one of the students who helped me visit the programmes. Today she has a degree in marketing and economics.”

It is hard to imagine a prouder man than Mr. Trang. In the darkness of his old wooden house, he writes this story in his notebook, adding it to all those he has already written, and so many others yet to be told. ” When I was a teacher, I never imagined that a child could get into university without extra tuition, but the determination of the children I now look after has proved me wrong!” It just goes to show that even a retired teacher can still learn from the courage of the very young.

*Personal names and places have been altered to ensure the safety of witnesses.