His left foot grabs a chisel, while his right foot raises then lowers a mallet. After a while, he has made a perfectly square hole.
He then uses a plane to smooth its surface, also by foot.
The carpenter is Le Hong Son, head of a carpentry workshop for disabled, homeless and needy people in the central province of Ha Tinh.
Born in the province’s Phu Gia Commune, Son suffered paralytic fever as a child, which made his limbs curl up.
Aged five, Son could hardly move, yet was able to go to school just one year later.
Son often visited the house of a neighbor, a carpenter, where he became intrigued woodworking.
When he was 12, Son had his mother ask the carpenter to teach him the trade.
The carpenter agreed, as he was convinced of Son’s passion for the job.
Son started practicing handling tools with his feet.
This caused them to swell, making it hard for him to move.
Horrified, his parents banned him from learning the trade.
At home, Son taught himself some basic carpentry skills.
He often repaired damaged chairs or wooden furniture that needed fixing around the house.
After three years, his feet were more skilled and he began repairing damaged furniture for his neighbors.
A few years later Son applied to teach carpentry at the province’s vocational center for the disabled, giving him hope for a brighter future.
The center’s leaders at first refused his application as no one believed that he could do it.
Eventually they were convinced by his determination.
At the center, Son’s devotion and careful instructions helped many students acquire skills quickly.
Most of his students were homeless, needy or disabled.
After learning from Son, some managed to get jobs.
This encouraged Son to take out a bank loan to set up a workshop in Ha Tinh Town.
The workshop, however, was limited to only 10 students because of a lack of funds.
It closed down after a couple of years.
Undeterred, Son returned to his hometown and restored a workshop there with a loan of VND20 million (US$1,260).
To find customers, Son went in a wheelchair to local schools to offer his services.
More than a year later, his workshop has 17 laborers and apprentices.
Although still facing a shortage of funds, Son is planning to make more intricate products, such as carved and inlaid furniture.
Son said he hoped to expand the workshop as much as possible so more disabled and unfortunate children could learn a trade and work there.
“To create jobs for them and to help them earn a living honestly by themselves is my greatest desire,” he said.
He then uses a plane to smooth its surface, also by foot.
The carpenter is Le Hong Son, head of a carpentry workshop for disabled, homeless and needy people in the central province of Ha Tinh.
Born in the province’s Phu Gia Commune, Son suffered paralytic fever as a child, which made his limbs curl up.
Aged five, Son could hardly move, yet was able to go to school just one year later.
Son often visited the house of a neighbor, a carpenter, where he became intrigued woodworking.
When he was 12, Son had his mother ask the carpenter to teach him the trade.
The carpenter agreed, as he was convinced of Son’s passion for the job.
Son started practicing handling tools with his feet.
This caused them to swell, making it hard for him to move.
Horrified, his parents banned him from learning the trade.
At home, Son taught himself some basic carpentry skills.
He often repaired damaged chairs or wooden furniture that needed fixing around the house.
After three years, his feet were more skilled and he began repairing damaged furniture for his neighbors.
A few years later Son applied to teach carpentry at the province’s vocational center for the disabled, giving him hope for a brighter future.
The center’s leaders at first refused his application as no one believed that he could do it.
Eventually they were convinced by his determination.
At the center, Son’s devotion and careful instructions helped many students acquire skills quickly.
Most of his students were homeless, needy or disabled.
After learning from Son, some managed to get jobs.
This encouraged Son to take out a bank loan to set up a workshop in Ha Tinh Town.
The workshop, however, was limited to only 10 students because of a lack of funds.
It closed down after a couple of years.
Undeterred, Son returned to his hometown and restored a workshop there with a loan of VND20 million (US$1,260).
To find customers, Son went in a wheelchair to local schools to offer his services.
More than a year later, his workshop has 17 laborers and apprentices.
Although still facing a shortage of funds, Son is planning to make more intricate products, such as carved and inlaid furniture.
Son said he hoped to expand the workshop as much as possible so more disabled and unfortunate children could learn a trade and work there.
“To create jobs for them and to help them earn a living honestly by themselves is my greatest desire,” he said.
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