HOA KHUONG SOCIAL CENTER
The Hoang Khuong Social Center is a social art and handicraft institution for people with disabilities. It is located in Quat Dong outside of Hanoi which has a long history for traditional embroidery art. The center was founded by Ms Hoang Khuong, a well-known embroidery artisan in Vietnam. She is recognized and awarded both domestic and internationally many times for being one of the best embroidery artisans.
Artisan Hoang Khuong's story was featured in many famous magazines in Vietnam not only because of her talent but also because of her passion for embroidery and strong will to preserve the traditional values passed through generations. The center provides training for young women and has supported many handicapped women to overcome the countless challenges they face every day.
With the small yet skillful hands, many "master pieces" of embroidery works have been created by Ms Khuong and her students. Each work is a true reflection of a 100% hand made process which requires lots of patience, attention, time and meticulousness. Witnessing the collection of the artisan, it is also impressed to learn that many pieces of her works are real artworks which are priceless and she is not only an artisan but also a true artist who sent her heart and emotions into each thread she works on.
In the last years, in an effort to preserve the traditional embroidery village and create more job opportunities for the women and girls in the village, Ms Khuong has offered free classes and hosted more than 500 students at her center who later could be to work independently with high skill and could make a stable income.
Many of them despite the similar situation like Ms Khuong with some physical limitations have gained much stronger mind and skill reflected through their works and appreciation from audiences both domestic and internationally. Empower Women Asia has been supporting Ms Khuong and her fellows to have their works be better known and appreciated so they could have more opportunity to improve the livelihood and be able to keep the traditional values of the embroidery craft village Vietnam.
