NHAT ANH NGUYEN TRANG
04.
VOLUNTEER
Trang Khuyet Project
Vice President, Curator-Performer
My interactions with my autistic cousin inspired me to create Trăng Khuyết, an art therapy initiative in Hanoi. I started as a team member, but my fresh ideas, strong foundation in art, and soft-spoken yet energetic nature convinced the project leaders that I was ready for more responsibility, and I became Vice-President. In this role, I helped guide the team, develop the curriculum, and coordinate workshops, shaping the initiative into a space where creativity and healing could flourish.
I led 20 amazing teammates to provide bi-weekly visual and musical sessions for 30 autistic children, ages 5 to 15, at the Gia An Integration Center. I designed a curriculum of 15 traditional folk songs for the pipa, Vietnam’s lute, and taught ten children plucking and tremolo techniques, using music to support their neural development. Watching them focus, smile, and respond to the vibrations of the strings was both humbling and inspiring.
Our work culminated in the two-day “Trăng Khuyết” showcase, where we curated 50 acrylic artworks for the “Colors of Life” exhibition. Over 500 visitors came to see the children’s expressions come alive on canvas. We also raised $320 to buy five kitchen appliances, improving meals for over 100 children at the center. I had the joy of performing three pipa pieces alongside the students, sharing the music that had become such a bridge for connection and growth.
What made this project truly special was being able to tell a story through the showcase — a story that depicted autistic children as beautiful in their own way. I still feel teary-eyed knowing that I've helped changing the conventional ways these beloved children are usually depicted: that they need to be either pitiful and pathologized or exceptionally “talented” just to be seen or heard. But they were enough as they were. I’m grateful for my team, for the trust of the children and their families, and for the lessons in patience, empathy, and the power of creative collaboration. Sometimes, the most meaningful impact comes not from grand gestures, but from sharing time, attention, and care in ways that let others feel truly seen.
