From Doctor to Hairstylist: Vietnamese Ding Thi Hai Achieves Her Dream with the Dream Building Project
The "Dream Building Project for New Immigrants and Their Children," organized by the Immigration Agency, has entered its 11th edition this year. The project is now open for applications, providing up to NT$300,000 in Dream Realization Funds. The Tainan First Service Station of the Southern District Affairs Brigade invited Ding Thi Hai, a 10th edition awardee from Vietnam, to share her journey of pursuing dreams and tips on writing project applications to encourage new immigrants to boldly chase their dreams.Ding Thi Hai said she was inspired by her mother, who was a nurse, and aspired to become a doctor from a young age. After graduating high school, she was admitted to a medical school in Vietnam and obtained her medical practice license upon graduation. However, due to financial difficulties, she couldn't realize her dream of practicing medicine. To support her family, she turned to selling handmade snacks but eventually moved to Taiwan as a caregiver due to insufficient income, seeking a new opportunity for herself and her family.In Taiwan, with her cheerful personality, Ding Thi Hai found happiness and settled in Tainan with her husband. After marriage, her husband fully supported her in learning new skills. She managed a restaurant during the day, taught Vietnamese at night, and hosted cooking and weaving classes on weekends, demonstrating her passion for life and determination to pursue her dreams. Last year, she moved to Yunlin to take care of her elderly mother-in-law and joined the "Dream Building Project," using the funds to establish "Dexin Beauty Workshop." The workshop not only provides regular free haircut services but also serves as an essential space for Vietnamese community interaction and mutual support. She said, "If you sincerely want to do something, many forces will come to help you."Ding Thi Hai participated in the "Dream Building Project" and used the startup funds she received to establish the "Dexin Beauty Workshop." (Image/Source: National Immigration Agency website)Tainan First Service Station Director Lin Zhi-Hong stated that through the "Dream Building Project Sharing Session," they aim to inspire new immigrants to realize their dreams. Applications for the 11th Dream Building Project close on November 25, 2023. For more information, visit the New Immigrant Empowerment Development Information Network. It is hoped that new immigrants will boldly pursue their dreams and embark on a new chapter in their lives.By hosting the "Dream Building Project Sharing Session," it is hoped that new immigrant participants will be more motivated to turn their dreams into reality. (Image/Source: National Immigration Agency website)
