Despite having to deal with the daily grind of earning a living as everyone else, 24-year-old Nguyen Van Hoan, has found enough time to initiate a number of projects, such as a roadside library and free life skills classes. His other projects include a motorbike taxi service, tourist guide services and tutoring for university exams, all given free of charge.

Street library

Hoa's commitment to social contribution while he was still a student at Danang University of Economics, where he initiated projects to help disadvantaged children. Since his graduation, he has only expanded his scope and taken his ideal of public service in several different directions. 

The free library was started in late 2009, with a goal to provide people, both students and those with a love of reading, with books. He saw that one of the obstacles between many ordinary people and literature was the cost of books, and so began trying to make books more accessible.

Sharing books

The first incarnation of the library was at Park 29/3. In the following year later he moved between several other locations in Danang, including Hoa Cuong Bac and Bai Say parks. In July, he moved to To Huu Street, near Danang University of Foreign Languages. The library is open twice per week, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“I hope that people will get information from these books, but perhaps more importantly, they might nurture a real interest in reading. I usually change locations when I can see that people in one area have taken on the habit," said Hoan. 

Nurturing love of literature

The experiment has paid off, as it now attracts visitors of all ages. The only rule is that anybody who takes a book leaves another. There have also been several book donors to the project, which now boasts a collection of more than 500. More recently, Hoan has also started making e-books available to those interested.

After seeing the success of the project, two of Hoan's supporters are cooperating with him to expand the project this month by setting up a reading club in the city. 

“I think the more you give the more you receive. This is the principle behind the free services I provide," he added.