Phạm Văn Học is checking a honeycomb. Photo vietnamnet.vn

HÀ TĨNH — In a remote border commune of Hà Tĩnh Province, a blind man has built a thriving beekeeping business through resilience, discipline and an unyielding will, earning admiration in a region long marked by hardship.

Phạm Văn Học, 63, lives in Sơn Hồng Commune. Born with optic nerve atrophy, he has never known sight. His childhood was without colour or letters, shaped instead by careful steps guided by familiar sounds within his small home.

His parents once carried him everywhere, clinging to a faint hope that something might change. In the end, they returned home, leaving him to learn how to live independently in darkness.

In 1990, at the age of 27, Học entered an arranged marriage organised by relatives with a woman from his hometown. The couple later had two children.

That same year marked a turning point. Học joined the Blind’s Association of the former Hương Sơn District, where he learned Braille and was introduced to beekeeping, a trade that would redefine his life.

For someone who has never seen sunlight, reaching out to handle swarms of honeybees was an immense challenge.

Học told vietnamnet.vn about his motivation to engage in the business: “I simply thought that being blind was already a disadvantage. If you gave up, you would only cause more suffering for your loved ones.

“If your eyesight was not good, then your mind and hands must be 'better' than others."

In the early days, he was stung many times. His face swelled, and he fell face-first in the garden on more than one occasion.

Yet with persistence and an extraordinary memory, Học memorised every tree and every location of his beehives. Without needing his eyes, he learned to see the bees through sound and the sensitive touch of his hands.

After more than 30 years, Học has become a seasoned beekeeping expert.

The sight of a blind man in a white protective suit, working alone and swiftly inspecting honeycombs heavy with honey as thousands of bees swarm around him, continues to astonish many locals.

Today, Học runs a combined farming model with 50 beehives and cattle raising.

Each year, he earns about VNĐ60–70 million (US$2,300–2,800), a notable income in the area.

Life, however, has continued to test his resolve.

Five years ago, his wife, born in 1961, fell into depression and her health steadily worsened. Last year, she underwent several painful surgeries before having her gallbladder completely removed.

Học became the sole breadwinner.

Each day, he tends his bees, cuts grass for buffaloes, handles household chores and cares for his ailing wife. He has arranged everything in the house carefully, from memory to ease her burden.

“Many times I felt exhausted but could not give up because I have my wife and children behind me,” Học said.

Phan Văn Vũ, his nephew, said: “My uncle never wants to be considered a disabled person. He is very hard-working. He wants to be useful.”

Trần Văn Mỹ, chairman of the Farmers' Association of Sơn Hồng Commune, said Học is the only person in the locality who is completely blind yet has risen to become a successful entrepreneur. His determination to overcome fate and his proactive spirit of learning have strongly inspired the community, he added. VNS