The wheelchairs along the way

The stops where the foundation's videos say wheelchairs were handed over, from the 2015 trip to the 2026 trip, with a number only where a speaker gave one.

On many trips, besides monthly rice, scholarships and gift packages, the foundation has handed wheelchairs to people who cannot walk. This page collects the stops where the foundation's videos say wheelchairs were given, from the 2015 trip to the 2026 trip. A number is shown only where a member of the team says it aloud; otherwise the cell reads "not stated", and we do not add the figures together. The automatic captions are sometimes unclear, so the table may contain small errors.

Where wheelchairs were handed over

The last column gives the video id and the time at which the speaker mentions the wheelchairs. The two 2024 videos of Bửu Sơn pagoda have the same content, so the table lists one row.

How wheelchairs were given

A similar order of work repeats across the videos. At Phúc Xuyên pagoda (Quảng Nam, 2024) the narration says the handout began with people with disabilities, then those with rice books, then the students, and last the people who had not been on any list. At Huỳnh Quang pagoda (An Giang, 2025) and in Huế in 2024 the team also served first those who could not stand or walk or who sat in wheelchairs.

At An Ninh pagoda (Phú Yên, 2024) a team member said that bringing disabled people from dozens of kilometers away is not easy, so wheelchair recipients who were present were served first. At Khánh An pagoda (2026) a team representative said the wheelchairs come from donors, and since some people live too far to come, the team looks carefully: if it is the right person the chair is given, otherwise it is reviewed later.

In 2015 at Long An pagoda (Hậu Giang) the team heard that 11 people urgently needed wheelchairs and gave 10, donated by a Buddhist family in the group.

What recipients and team members said

At Từ Hiếu pagoda (Đắk Lắk, 2026) the monk asked an older man whether he had wanted a wheelchair for a long time but could not afford one. He answered that he wanted one very much.

I am so glad, Venerable.

an older man who received a wheelchair, Từ Hiếu pagoda, Đắk Lắk, 2026

In 2015 in Đồng Nai, a young woman who had a fever at age three said she had never had a wheelchair and moved about on a small stool. Asked about going out, she said:

Because without a wheelchair, it is hard.

a young woman who received a wheelchair, Đồng Nai, 2015

The narration of the 2026 film pauses on a small detail at Diệu Tịnh pagoda (Phú Yên) as well.

It is only a small wheelchair, but for the person who receives it, a whole new sky has opened.

narration in the 2026 trip film

In Huế in 2025 a team member said that at other places the number is usually ten-odd, 20, or at most about 30 wheelchairs, while at Diệu Viên it is more; the table lists 40 from the video's own summary. In 2019 a team member also remarked that even in the city of Huế there are very many people with disabilities.

What is still unclear

Not every pagoda received wheelchairs. At Long Phước pagoda (Khánh Hòa, 2025) the narration says the villagers are poor but do not need wheelchairs because the ground in the commune is too uneven, so the team gave gifts to 20 top students, monthly rice to 48 households and the unplanned gift packages.

In Huế in 2024 and 2026 the narration speaks of many people sitting in wheelchairs in the pagoda yard; in 2026 team members pushed the chairs for them. These two videos do not state how many wheelchairs were given, so we left them out of the table.

Closing

The figures on this page are only what members of the team said on camera. Many people still have no wheelchair. As one member said in Huế, the foundation gives as much as it has managed to gather. We hope to keep sharing, as each trip allows.