The meeting that changed Minh Cao Le’s life happened in an ice cream shop.
At the time, Minh knew little about Habitat for Humanity. His CV had been passed along from another international nongovernmental organization, and he was invited for an initial conversation. There, he met Vaughn Thomas, Habitat’s first international partner in Vietnam, who spoke to him about a vision that was both simple and expansive: a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
“That conversation opened the door for me,” Minh says. “What started as an initial sharing became a lifelong commitment to a mission I deeply believe in.”
More than two decades later, Minh has served Habitat in many capacities: with Habitat for Humanity Vietnam, as its national director, as a regional leader in Asia-Pacific, and today, as the region’s strategy and governance lead.
Minh (left) with former colleagues of Habitat Vietnam. Photos courtesy of Minh Cao Le.
From city boy to build site
Minh describes his younger self as a “city boy”. In Habitat’s early days in Vietnam, he had not fully understood the poverty and daily challenges faced by families living in peri-urban communities.
That changed during his first volunteer engagement, when he found himself working alongside students, local community members and families. He saw families contributing their own time, strength and sweat to build better homes for themselves.
It was partnership, shoulder to shoulder.
For Minh, Habitat’s mission moved from words into something he could see and feel, in the efforts of families building their own future with their own hands.
Over the years, he would meet families carrying more than one hardship at once: a home that couldn’t withstand a storm, an elderly parent, a child with a disability, or several layers of vulnerability under one roof.
And yet, it is often the home dedications that move him most deeply.
Families, volunteers, partners and staff would gather at a newly completed home. There would be speeches and celebration. And almost always, tears.
“You could feel that the house meant much more than a physical structure,” Minh says. “It meant safety, dignity and a brighter future.”
Minh (left) with volunteers and Jonathan Reckford (right), Habitat for Humanity’s CEO, at the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project 2009 in Vietnam.
A changing Vietnam
Minh’s home country has changed tremendously since he first joined Habitat. Vietnam’s cities have grown, its economy has developed and the communities have shifted. The meaning of home has changed too.
In the early years, home often meant basic protection: a strong roof, dry floors, safety from storms and a healthier place for children. Today, families are also weighing affordability, climate resilience, access to services, inclusion, and whether their home can support education and livelihoods.
“Home is no longer only a shelter,” Minh says. “It is a foundation for families to live with dignity, participate in Vietnam’s development and build a better future.”
That understanding shaped his years as national director of Habitat for Humanity Vietnam. Leadership, Minh learned, was about stewardship.
In difficult seasons, it meant staying close to the mission, listening carefully, protecting trust and using limited resources responsibly. Every decision carried weight because, somewhere down the line, it affected families.
A global view
After many years in Vietnam, Minh moved into a regional role with Habitat for Humanity’s Asia-Pacific Area Office. The view widened.
Every country he encountered had its own version of the housing challenge: different disaster risks, markets, policy environments, cultures and community structures. But underneath it all ran the same thread. Decent, affordable and resilient housing remained deeply connected to dignity and opportunity.
His regional work also showed him that strong local impact needs strong systems behind it.
Strategy, he says, helps Habitat ask whether it is solving the right problems, reaching the right communities and adapting to the realities families face. Governance helps ensure decisions are responsible, resources are used well, risks are managed and the mission remains strong.
Still opening doors
Returning to Vietnam as interim national director has been meaningful for Minh. It is where much of his Habitat story began. But Vietnam is not the same country it was when he first joined. The challenges are more layered now. Affordability, climate resilience, migration, urbanization, inclusion and access to services are all connected.
He has seen the organization change over 25 years. Habitat for Humanity has become more strategic, more evidence-based and more focused on systems change, advocacy, housing finance, climate resilience and partnerships.
But there is one belief he hopes will never change: that families and communities are partners, not beneficiaries.
“The door to a better future often begins with the door to a safe home,” says Minh. “I hope Habitat continues opening that door for many more families.”