An elderly man in Danang City collects clothes for the poor.
For over three months, 77-year-old Nguyen Cong Long has become a familiar face to many residents in the city. He always carries around a big box with sign calling on people to give away old clothes for the needy.
Long collects old clothes for the poor
Long said he lived on Hoang Dieu Street and worked as a truck driver. When his health deteriorated, he worked as a security guard. He has been thinking about how to do charity work long before. When he was still a truck driver, Long and his wife often gave free meals to disabled children at hospitals.
"Now that I'm old with little income, I think of this as a way to call for donations for poor people," Long said.
He has been to many places and witnessed many difficult situations. He said some people don't have enough clothes to wear while other families are throwing away good clothes. He bought a new bike to pull the box along and brings clothes directly to the poor people in disadvantaged areas, mostly in Quang Nam Province, and social protection centres.
Long goes around the city and stops at some fixed locations such as Dragon Bridge, March 29 Park or Phan Chu Trinh Street and waits for donors for 30 minutes. Donors can also call him if they can't go out.
The clothes are always washed and put into clean nylon bags. Clothes that are too old will be refused. "Poor people have their dignity. We have to prepare so that when we give them gifts, they would feel happy, not inferior," he said.
A woman donates clothes to Long
Before preparing the clothes, he already survey on the number and what kind of clothes in need at the moment so that the clothes won't be a waste. Sometimes, his children also help him transferring the clothes. Half of Long's VND3m (USD136) monthly salary is spent on petrol and bike repairs.
"Seeing him driving around the city for old clothes like that warms my heart and makes me want to contribute. My family is not rich but there are some clothes I can give him," said local Nguyen Phuong Thao.
Long said, "I don't know how much time I have left but as long as there are poor people in need of good clothes and there are people willing to give clothes, I'll do this job until I can't walk anymore."
