For several years now, Anh Tuyet has been facilitating our exchanges with her translation skills. Now she's up to another not-always-simple exercise: drawing up a portrait of herself. And she does so with honesty and poetry. Thank you Anh Tuyet.
Can you introduce yourself in a few lines? Tell us about your background?
To tell you the truth, your questions took me back to the beginning of my life, something I'd never done before. Phew, I'm over 60 years old now, and I have the feeling that my resilience is still intact.
I was orphaned from my father at the age of 5, then from my mother at 17, just as Vietnam was going through a period of turmoil and upheaval. Fortunately, from an early age, I was privileged to receive a rich education, both at home and at school, from the sisters of Saigon's Bird Convent, known as Regina Mundi. Their teaching instilled in me the essential foundations of balanced development, a genuine openness to others, and a deep sense of autonomy. These qualities have enabled me to overcome many hardships and remain true to my values in the face of life's difficulties.
Driven by a deep-rooted sense of family solidarity, I've always felt the urge to get involved in social activities. But my career path often decided otherwise. It was only in 2005, in parallel with my entrepreneurial duties, and with no prior training in interpreting, that I began to offer my services to associations working in the health sector. I was in charge of logistics and translation during missions by French doctors and pediatricians who came to offer training in neonatology. Since 2015, I've been working as a translator for volunteers and therapists at the Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens (EPP). Throughout my career, I've always been convinced that the education and caring support of adults is a precious resource at every stage of a child's life. Whenever the opportunity arises, I try to make my modest contribution, guided by that cherished metaphorical image of all hands coming together to encircle a child's path.
How did you hear about Planète Enfants & Développement?
The coordinator of the EPP antenna in Vietnam put me in touch with Planète Enfants & Développement. I deeply admire your team's commitment and dedication to early childhood and child protection in Vietnam. Faced with the frantic race towards materialistic modernity that Vietnam, and particularly the city of Ho Chi Minh, is pursuing today. It's comforting to see that these young people have chosen the profession of social worker, in search not of one-off assistance but of tools for lasting emancipation for the most disadvantaged. It gives me hope and makes me want to be part of this constructive dynamic, through my role as translator.
What is your role within the association? And what makes you most proud of your work?
Being a conduit for knowledge, a messenger of intercultural exchange, is a role I'm always happy to take on. Aware that I'm neither a substitute nor a lead actor, I enjoy my place behind the scenes, taking care to preserve the authenticity of each exchange. My inner compass is always to render translations with near-perfect fidelity to the tones, gestures and intentions of the speakers. But none of this would be possible without everyone's commitment to the dialogue. I'm just a mirror, a modest link between people.
What makes me most proud? Those suspended moments when laughter comes from both sides, when glances light up with understanding, when nods validate the feeling of faithful transmission. That's when I know I've fulfilled my role.
Do you have a memorable moment or an anecdote to share with us?
Every translation is a story. But if I had to single out one moment, it would undoubtedly be the one when I found myself, almost unwittingly, reliving my own story as I answered your questions. This introspection reminded me just how much life's paths are made up of encounters, trials and outstretched hands. And that, sometimes, simply being there, listening, can make sense.
