FROM PASSION TO SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

Hiếu Bình began his handcrafted candle shop in a small alley in Cần Thơ, inspired by his love for fragrances and the sense of calm that candles can bring. The shop had customers, but most decisions were guided by intuition rather than a clear plan. 

“I worked very hard, but I wasn’t sure whether this model could really go the distance,” Bình shared. 

A turning point came when Bình joined youth entrepreneurship support activities under the Skills to Succeed programme implemented by Save the Children. Through training sessions and one-on-one mentoring, Bình was accompanied to reorganize his thinking and gradually strengthen the foundations of his business, from planning and financial management to understanding customers and shaping a brand rooted in experience and green values. What once felt fragmented began to come together, becoming not just a candle shop, but a space where customers stayed longer and connected more deeply.

From there, Bình’s shop developed in a more sustainable direction, expanding experiential activities and workshops, and gradually establishing its own identity. Alongside building his livelihood, from the very early days of his business, Bình initiated and has continued to pursue the community initiative “The Remaining Peace” - focused on sharing, fundraising, and accompanying cancer patients, people living with HIV, etc. 

“Even when my shop was still very small, I wanted it to mean more than just a place to sell candles. Peace isn’t something to keep for yourself, it grows when it is shared,” Bình said. 

Hiếu Bình is one of many young people being supported through the Skills to Succeed programme - one of Save the Children’s key priorities in Viet Nam during this period. By equipping adolescents and youth with soft skills, a growth mindset, green thinking, career orientation, vocational training, and entrepreneurship support, the programme aims for a long-term goal: helping young people confidently enter a rapidly changing labour market, build sustainable livelihoods, and take ownership of their future pathways. 

🌱 Every journey begins differently. But when young people are given opportunity, companionship, and trust, even small dreams can grow in their own unique ways.