Nam Bin: Healing Power at Full Volume
As a child, Nam never had the luxury of dreams or passions. Now he brings passion to the party with all-night DJ sets.
HOPE
Nam grew up alone on the streets of Hanoi. He slept beneath towering bridges and in corners of lonely construction sites. He sold food, shined shoes, washed dishes and served drinks.
No matter how hard Nam worked, he never earned close to enough money to lifting himself out of poverty. But he never stopped trying.
“If you’re really passionate about something, no matter what, you have to do your best at it, because if you really try to achieve something, you will get it. It’s just about how much you try.”
A FRIEND
Nam met Blue Dragon while walking around Hanoi at 13 years old. Poverty, loneliness and sleeping rough had made it difficult for him to form connections with other kids.
Nam with his social worker, Lan.
But as Nam spent more time at the Blue Dragon centre, a social worker named Lan brought him out of his shell.
Nam would often join Lan looking for kids sleeping rough on the streets of Hanoi, many of whom were facing the same problems Nam did. He also loved helping Lan around the Blue Dragon centre, especially with cooking classes.
“When he’s close to someone, he’s a very warm-hearted person,” says Lan.
One of Nam’s favourite activities was simply sitting on a street corner with Lan, chatting and drinking iced tea. It was the first time in his life that he’d had such a friend.
TIME TO DREAM
As Nam continued to open up, it was clear he had an ear for music. He put himself forward to join the hip hop dance group on a trip to Singapore, made possible by Blue Dragon partner United World Colleges.
Nam describes the Singapore trip as his “most beautiful memory of Blue Dragon” and says it was where he realised that he had “good artistic tendencies.”
Seeing Nam’s special connection to music, we signed him up for piano lessons. Nam excelled, and when his teacher noticed his natural sense for rhythm and beat, we arranged for him to have DJing lessons with Blue Dragon volunteer Luke Poulson. We then helped him to register for a DJ course at a local studio.
Over two years of studying, Nam attended every class and brought his energy to every beat. Finally, he had a dream for the future and the support he needed to make it happen.
TIME TO THRIVE
Now aged 23, Nam has been a professional DJ since 2017, but it is so much more than a job to him. He also teaches DJing to other music enthusiasts, and sees his talent as a way of spreading good vibes at full volume.
“I love seeing people happy and dancing to the music. When I see people singing along, I feel like I’m inspiring them… It has healing powers.”
After healing at Blue Dragon, Nam found the power to follow his dreams. Music lovers in Da Nang are getting the full benefits.
Now that Nam has the means and the energy to dream, he plans to keep following his passions – healing, inspiring and dancing his way to a bright future.
