The Peace of Mind

In this life, some softly sing to themselves, some wander around dazed and lost, some get drunk on wine, while others endlessly chase money and fame… but as for Him, what is He searching for?!

Once, the clumsy ego uttered that self-confident question, and then repeated it until one day, the answer begins to be reveal, which is also the day Kien Binh Minh Company was established and the day the journey of "Haptic Eyeglasses" begin to reach the blind community.

Once, after I kept persistently asking, Mr. Nguyen Huu Qui—the founder of the Kien Binh Minh Fund—smiled gently and replied: 'My mother couldn't see either, back in the day.' And to this day, that is still how he answers whenever anyone asks.

And so, the journey of Kien Binh Minh began. Over a thousand 'Magic Eyes' have traveled across provinces and cities along the S-shaped strip of land to reach visually impaired individuals. The glasses went through 9 trial iterations; while the initial cost of this product back when it was still the 'magic hat' stood at 20 million VND, it has now transformed into a pair of glasses with a very low cost, serving as the most advanced supportive device for the visually impaired in Vietnam.

As the journey of Kien Binh Minh begins, more than a thousand of "Haptics eyeglasses" travel all over the provinces of Viet Nam to the blind community. The eyeglasses had gone through nine different versions with the initial price of the product was at a miracle of 850 usd, but now, it has been made much more approachable to support the blind community in Vietnam.

As the saying goes: 'A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved; a joy shared is a joy doubled.' Mr. Qui has spent long years quietly and humbly carrying out his work alongside the 'Magic Eyes.' He has helped shoulder the hardships borne by many in life, effectively bringing a dawn of hope to those facing misfortune. Truthfully, no one knows the exact number of people he has helped. Though many newspapers, radio stations, and television channels have requested interviews, he has usually declined. The numbers are not what matter; what truly counts is his spirit of social service, which can be seen from many perspectives. He has sacrificed and tirelessly pursued his commitment to helping others. Like a devout Christian, his actions reflect charity, altruism, and the deep tenets of his religious faith.

In his usual gentle tone, Mr. Qui said to everyone: 'Everything is complete.' That was the day the Prime Minister decided to officially order 300,000 pairs of glasses right away to be distributed free of charge to visually impaired people across Vietnam.

Beyond its implication of serving society, 'Everything is complete' deeply underscores the idea of repaying a debt that each of us owes to society. Kien Binh Minh has fully transferred the 'Magic Eyes' project to Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education to continue its development. The Ministry of Science and Technology and the university have signed a contract for an independent national-level project titled 'Research to refine the design and manufacture prototype electronic obstacle-warning glasses for the visually impaired.' The total budget for this enhancement project is 5.57 billion VND. In the near future, the 'Magic Eyes' will go wireless, feature phone-calling capabilities, detect colors, play music, and more…

'Everything is complete,' yet in Mr. Qui’s eyes, deep concerns, passion, and aspirations still burn brightly. From the depths of his gaze emerges a new Red Cross with fresh ideas and approaches—a new beginning for his ideal of serving society. Life is filled with friction and challenges, and we have every right to harbor doubt. A single swallow may not make a spring, but it has enough strength to awaken the world's memory…

As for me, I have come to a fascinating realization: doing charitable work is harder than doing business. In tribute to him and to all social workers, I offer the poem Not in Vain by Emily Dickinson:

If I can stop one despairing soul from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting Robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.