From mother earth back to mother earth

My name is Ly Ngoc Xuan Truong, but I often call myself Nghia, to remind myself: “Live in a meaningful way”.

There are some people from birth who have big dreams. I was one of them.That desire existed when I was very young, but I did not understand it from where.

1. Who am I in this life?

In 2015, I graduated from Construction in Quy Nhon “”sunny land “.

After graduating, I returned to Hoi An to supervise and design.

Such a life was peaceful; but something in my heart urges me to  be …different.

How different, I don’t know.

I just know I was not content when I buried my head in the design; After dinner, taking a walk in the rainy sky of Hoi An is only romantic for couples, but gloomy for me.

The peaceful life is lovely, but right now it’s not for me.

Because I love big dreams. If come sea,sea must be wide. If climb the mountain, mountain must be high.

I love conquest, I love being free.

But, big dreams does not  become anything if doesn’t start with small actions?

Say something big forever to do?

Must start to do something!

So, I quit my job.

2. Knock, the door will open

In August 2015, I took my backpack to Saigon.

Set foot in the splendid land, a body, a backpack, no relationship, no idea of ​​yourself; I was extremely confused.

Who am I in this world? I live for what?

I don’t know.

In my early days in Saigon, I was still a construction worker; to survive and have time to learn more business skills.

The life of a dreamer but lacking a fulcrum has never easier.

I endured, because the Bible wrote: “Knock, and the door will be opened”; I already knocked, it’s time to wait.

Waiting for God to give me the opportunity to break the answer: “what” is what?

In 2018, I met a friend who just came back from abroad.

In the cafe, you point to the plastic straw in the glass, saying that people in abroad often use bamboo straws, inox straws to reduce littering  to natural.

Then suddenly, you asked me:

“Or Nghia starts up  with bamboo straws?”

Yeah right!

Then in SG05 CEO class, I met Nguyen Xuan Hong Nguyen. The two sisters have one thing in common:  want to make good products for nature.

That’s it!

At the end of 2018, the two of us founded Hoi An Trading and Service Co., Ltd, specializing in nature-friendly consumer goods, with the brand name Là Xanh

One of the first products of La Xanh is a bamboo straw and a grass straw.

3. A lifetime … selling grass!

Now, who asks about careers, sometimes I joke:

“Nghia going to sell grass!”

Strangers heard the word “sell grass”, probably startled.

I mean the grass straws.

Initially, my family friends heard that I quit construction and went to work make natural grass straws , people told me … crazy.

Listen to a lot also familiar.

I thought I was crazy to head into this difficult road.

The grass is no stranger. They grow immense in wetlands such as Dong Thap, Long An, Ha Tien …

There is a hand-cut there is a big hand, sometimes for no one would take it.

That is why the from once upon a time Dong Thap people sang folk songs:

“Bông xanh mà lá cũng xanh

Em đi cấy lúa cho anh nhổ bàng.”

But the grass straws is strange.

Because from ancient times until now people only use grass makes hats, mats, bags, roofing.

No one did make straws online, until 2018, including Is Xanh.

We use material resources in Long An. After collecting the grass pipe, we removed the compartments inside the tube; cut to size straws, from 18 to 20 cm long.

The technician will cut the tip of the straw straight, beveling one end to easily plug into the glass.

Done, The technician cleans the tube, bring it to dry, then deliver it to the customer.

Repeating the process like that, meticulously step by step, after one year, we have exported straws to Israel, Italy, Germany and Hawaii.

4. Live like a grass straws

I fell in love with this “strange” grass straws.

Grass straws is the perfect representation of  nature-makers as we pursue:

“Starting from the Mother Earth, then finally returning to the original with the Mother Earth.”

No preservatives, no plastic, no natural damage; The grass straws have been cut back and forth a lot, especially after the rain.

With a price of 600 VND to 1,000 VND a grass straws almond, equal to a candy, anyone can buy it easily.

Every time I took the fresh grass straws, I felt the green grass, full of life, and there were still drops of morning dew, I told myself, as a business person, it must be like this grass straws.

Resilient to struggle, weeding does not go away, burning not dead, just a little soil, a little water, the papillae leaves strong, full of vitality.

Each tiny blade of grass, gathered together into a vast green field.

In order to create a wave of environmental protection, I had to learn how to live the grass straws: be resilient first, change myself first, with every little action.

There is no need to exhort, not “evangelize,” just to live like a grass straw; Our self-discipline will be well received by everyone, La Xanh’s lifestyle will have more companions, become a powerful movement.

5. From Mother Earth back to Mother Earth

Every time I came back to Long An, standing in front of a grass straw, when it was windy, I felt like a fire was in me.

The fire of passion, of dreams, cannot be expressed in words; it is as vast as the land, vast as the sky, generous as the wind, enthusiasm as a meadow.

Life must have a mission, such life will burn.

From this place, I will lead La Xanh to develop step by step, make truly green products, truly sustainable; fulfilling our mission: Starting from Mother Earth, finally returning intact to Mother Earth.