Nguyen Minh Tri grew up in a rural village in An Giang Province (South Vietnam). As he was born without arms, it required him to use his feet to perform daily activities. Testament to his determination to live independently, despite the lack of arms, he learnt to eat, write and perform basic activities himself. He even pursued his education until college.
Minh Tri, as his friends call him, was able to finish his college education. A scholarship recipient, he graduated from An Giang University in 2017 with an Information Technology (IT) Diploma. Although college life presented its own challenges, it did not deter him from completing his education. Upon graduation, he left his hometown and moved to Ho Chi Minh to pursue a career.
Upon arriving in Ho Chi Minh, Minh Tri registered himself at the Binh Duong Vocational Education Center for People with Disabilities - a unit operated by the local government (Employment/Labor Bureau), to seek job opportunities. This unit specifically takes care of people with disabilities, including studying and implementing policies and laws on persons with disabilities. Through this unit, Minh Tri was able to meet and share experiences with other people with similar disabilities. He also was able to identify companies that offered work opportunities for people with disabilities. This included training and coaching on soft skills to prepare them for potential jobs. Through this route, Minh Tri was introduced to Dynaplast Packaging Vietnam Co. Ltd (DPVN).
Since joining DPVN, Min Tri has been working as an administration officer for Quality Assurance. His daily job involves data entry to update various internal systems, and also preparation of reports. Minh Tri mostly uses his feet to operate the computer at work. With his determination and positive outlook, he is able to perform his office tasks and interact with his colleagues without feeling inferior or depressed about his physical limitation. Minh Tri also receives the same training and opportunities as other employees.
“The company offered me artificial arms to support me, but I feel better this way. I have been used to this condition since I was born. I am so lucky to be here and surrounded by colleagues that are supportive and open to me. I think my faith and efforts are starting to pay off, and I will continue to be passionate about life. For sure, nothing is impossible!", Minh Tri said.
Nguyen Minh Tri at Dynaplast Factory in Vietnam, He Rides This Bike to Transport him Anywhere
Dynapack Sustainability Strategy for People with Disability
Hiring people with disabilities has been happening for a long time in the Dynapack Group. We have been providing opportunities for people with disabilities to join our organization even before the our Sustainability initiatives formally began.
Dynapack Asia joined the global movement initiated by The Valuable-500 IN 2019 to promote and hire more people with disability, which we trust will connect us to the community with the same mission, meaning we are not alone in creating a world with diversity and inclusion. In 2021, when we finalized our Sustainability Strategy and Targets for 2030, recruiting more people with disabilities became one of the key areas of focus.
Today, we have 0.6% of employees with disabilities spread across Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. We are targeting a minimum of 1.5% of employees with disabilities by 2030. To achieve this goal, we strive continuously to create a work environment that embraces the principles of diversity and inclusion. We believe a more diverse and equal work environment can provide more opportunities for the vulnerable, drive business productivity, and enable us to move forward together.