Huong Dang
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HopeBox is Vietnam’s first social enterprise empowering women survivors of gender-based violence through economic opportunity. Since 2018, we have provided employment, vocational training, and support to help women rebuild their lives. By selling corporate gift boxes, HopeBox creates sustainable income to fund our programs. We also lead advocacy and prevention initiatives like Music for Hope and Art for Hope, using arts and music to build emotional resilience and raise awareness among youth. HopeBox partnered with Vietnam Airlines for four years on International Women’s Day campaigns, reaching over 100,000 people with messages promoting gender equality and ending violence.
Survivors don’t just need charity—they need dignity, purpose, and opportunity.
My journey began from a deeply personal place. I grew up in a community where silence around gender-based violence (GBV) was the norm. Witnessing my sister suffer seven years of domestic abuse made it clear: survivors don’t just need charity—they need dignity, purpose, and opportunity. In Vietnam, 63% of women have experienced GBV, yet 90% never report it. With only a few shelters across the country, most women have nowhere to go. I founded HopeBox to change that through a "hand-up, not hand-out" model that provides trauma-informed employment and life-skills training.
HopeBox runs a six-month vocational program in our production kitchen, offering the women a safe space, psychosocial support, and training in baking and handcrafting. We generate income through our social enterprise, selling handmade corporate gift boxes, mooncakes, and candles, while providing practical, paid employment for the women we serve. Since 2018, we’ve supported over 60 women and raised national awareness through campaigns like our Vietnam Airlines International Women’s Day partnership, which reached 100,000+ passengers and the community.
Community events like Music for Hope, Move for Hope, and Run for Hope bring people together to break the silence around GBV and build emotional resilience among youth. One of my proudest moments was seeing one of our first graduates return to HopeBox as a full-time trainer. Her journey from survivor to leader is the clearest proof that our model works and that healing is possible. There are many challenges in our work, especially around systemic barriers and a lack of funding.
Vietnam offers little formal support for GBV survivors, and financial backing for grassroots social enterprises is limited. But our work continues, sustained by resilience and community. RMIT University has been a valued partner. I’ve led impact sessions with students, hosted interns who contributed to communications and design, and HopeBox has proudly supplied gifts for the RMIT community. As an Honorary Doctorate of Business recipient, I’m grateful for this support and excited to deepen engagement with RMIT’s alumni, staff, and students to grow our impact.