By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Be Ha’s life of community service has been all about ‘paying forward’ generosity.
The kindness bestowed on her, her husband and children after they fled as refugees from communist Vietnam in 1979.
“They opened their arms and hearts to welcome us – we were lucky to have that.
“We have to pay back and help the community as well.”
Now recognized with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), she immediately pitched in to help others.
She has volunteered at the formerly-known Springvale Community Aid and Advice Bureau ever since settling into her new home.
Among a long list of giving, she also co-founded and presided over the Springvale Indo-Chinese Mutual Assistance Association.
She remains passionate and proud about helping problem gamblers and victims of family violence – both who live in a kind of “hell”.
“For family violence, I think we should tell the victims to be brave enough to get help.
“They have to speak up about their problems and tell their community. If we don’t know, we can’t help them.”
Ms Ha has been a JP for 20 years and helped at Family Mediation Centre and Springvale Rise Primary School.
Her awards include being inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women as well as a Greater Dandenong Australia Day Award.
Twice her life has hung by a thread.
First when she and scores of others escaped on a small fishing boat from Vietnam, fighting off deadly pirate attacks.
They floated for a month, starved of food and water before they were rescued by a British cargo vessel Entalina.
The second time was last year when her car was T-boned by a driver that defied a red-light at Wellington and Springvale roads.
Ms Ha’s car flipped four times. Fortunately, a nurse driving home from her hospital shift was quick to tend to Ms Ha as she sat profusely bleeding.
“I was very lucky. I’m nearly 90 per cent recovered but not mentally ready to drive again.”
As for the OAM, she is “thrilled”, especially for her children to see her recognized with the national honour.
“I’m so proud to be Australian and for my Vietnamese community as well.
“Nobody wanted to leave their country but for some reason, we had to be here.
“We are not only with the Vietnamese community but work together with the Australian people.”
