The elderly are resilient and persistent.

At an age when they should be resting, many elderly people in Da Nang choose to start a business, turning their passion and experience into effective economic models.

Ms. Tran Thi Thong (right) successfully started a business with the "Twelve Cups" powder product at the age of 71. Photo: NQ

With their perseverance, they not only enrich themselves but also spread the spirit of living beautifully and usefully, giving strong motivation to the community.

Late Start-up Journey

At the age of 76, instead of living a leisurely life with her children and grandchildren, Mrs. Tran Thi Thong (Hoa Xuan ward) was busy starting a business from the “Twelve grains” powder product. In 2004, the doctor diagnosed her with lung cancer and had to remove one lung. The family sold their house to pay for treatment, and their finances became increasingly difficult. During this period, she roasted and ground her own grains to drink every day for nourishment. Miraculously, after 5 years, her health gradually stabilized and her hair grew back.

In 2021, the Women's Union of Hoa Xuan Ward supported her to bring cereal powder products to participate in the contest "Women's ideas for starting a business - innovation - creativity" in the old Cam Le district and won third prize. This was a turning point for her to officially start a business at the age of 71. Currently, "Twelve grains" nutritional powder is processed from 16 types of grains, certified for food safety. Each month, the facility produces about 30kg of powder for the market. Not only does she have a stable source of income, she also creates jobs for 4 middle-aged workers with an income of 300,000 VND/day.

Ms. Thong shared: “I started my business not to get rich but because I wanted to overcome illness, maintain my health and share with the community. Many people do not have the conditions to use ginseng and bird's nest, so reasonably priced cereal powder can also help them become healthier. At any age, if you still have the strength, you can still do useful work for society.”

Meanwhile, at the age of 71, Ms. Ho Thi Thang (Hai Chau ward) is still actively running Phuoc Duc Thang Import-Export Company Limited, specializing in trading agricultural products. Few people know that when she was young, she was a special forces soldier in Hoi An, responsible for communication, supply, and delivery of documents to the army. In 2001, she established her own business, persistently building a reputation in the market. The company not only brings in a stable source of income but also creates jobs for many workers, including children of war veterans.

What makes many people admire the most is Mrs. Thang's kindness. Every year, she donates 500 - 800 million VND to charity work. She has taken care of 11 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers in Da Nang , and supported the construction of 3 - 4 houses of gratitude for people with meritorious services. For her, doing business is not only to get rich but also to share and spread love and responsibility to the community.

A support for the elderly to start a business

Starting a business in old age has never been an easy journey. For the elderly, the biggest obstacle is still capital. Many people have knowledge, experience and determination, but when borrowing capital to do business, they encounter many obstacles. In this difficulty, the Intergenerational Self-Help Club model of the Elderly Association has become a bright spot, helping them access loans to develop suitable small economic models.

Mr. Tran Van Huong (76 years old, Hoa Tien commune) started his business with a chicken and fish farming model, earning nearly 100 million VND/year. Photo: NQ

A typical example is Mr. Tran Van Huong (76 years old, Hoa Tien commune). Joining the Phu Son 1 Intergenerational Self-Help Club in 2023, he was able to borrow 7 million VND to buy a flock of chickens to raise in his home garden. Thanks to his diligence, he sells them twice a year, earning about 80 million VND, not to mention the additional income from raising fighting chickens at 1-3 million VND/chicken. He also uses the capital to dig a pond to raise fish, earning an additional profit of nearly 20 million VND each year. For Mr. Huong, the small capital has become a support for him to be financially independent, not depending on his children and grandchildren.

At the age of 74, Ms. Le Thi Gai (Cam Le ward) is still working hard to earn a living to take care of herself and her disabled child. Thanks to the support of 5 million VND from the Binh Hoa 3 Intergenerational Self-Help Club in 2021, she opened a small grocery store at home, has a stable income and soon paid off the capital in 2022. The business was effective, in 2024 she borrowed another 10 million VND to expand her goods, earning more than 7.5 million VND per month. From a small capital, Ms. Gai has become financially independent, not depending on her children and grandchildren.

Currently, Da Nang has 218 Intergenerational Self-Help Clubs, contributing to the health and mental well-being of the elderly and providing financial support. This model is proving to be humane and effective, helping the elderly live happily, healthily and usefully, while continuing to affirm their self-worth even in their old age.

According to the City Elderly Association, there are nearly 25,000 elderly people directly involved in labor, production and business in the area, with 1,707 enterprises and 3,042 individual business households, contributing to creating jobs for 49,284 workers. In addition to contributing to the budget, many individuals actively participate in charitable and humanitarian activities, contributing to ensuring social security in the locality.

Mr. Thai Dinh Hoang, Vice President of the City Elderly Association, said that the elderly's start-ups bring many values, contributing to the economy and affirming their role and position in society. In the coming time, the Association will expand the Intergenerational Self-Help Clubs, open training courses, connect preferential capital and support technology applications. "We hope that more and more elderly people will not only live happily and healthily, but also continue to promote their intelligence and experience to contribute to society," Mr. Hoang emphasized.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/nguoi-gia-ben-suc-ben-chi-3306074.html