'Wonder' machine weaves mats for villagers prosperity

26 Jul '05

4 min read

"Sometimes we wanted meat for our meals, but couldn't afford it."

In face of adverity, a determined Long said, "I knew my project would be successful."

With money borrowed from his friends, and his first daughter – a worker in Binh Duong, Long collected VND2 million after four years, enough to buy the necessary parts for a model of his machine.

However, his problems were far from over because when he finished assembling the machine and it refused to operate properly. It took him another year to dismantle the parts, clean and smooth them and begin reassembling.

His efforts finally paid off when his machine, which needed only one labourer, produced the first mat.

It was when the officials from the provincial Department for Science and Technology came knocking to his house to evaluate his project that they agreed his invention was worth every effort that went in.

The department invested VND15 million in Long's project to produce a bigger machine. A difficult undertaking, Long was forced to create some parts of the machine by hand.

"I trembled with excitement the moment when I flipped the switch to turn on my machine," he recalls fondly.

April 11 was a momentous day in his and his family's life as they joined by fellow villagers sat spellbound watching the first, then the second mat being produced by the wonder machine.

The new machine helps each labourer produce 15 mats a day.

Through perfection, with the weaving process becoming faster and the products turning out nicer, Long was encouraged to invest more time in perfecting the machine.

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