“In early 1991, when Sonadezi was newly established, its startup funding was so limited and mainly in bank accounts. Bank visits were only made during the pay days or when cash was needed for payments on the same day. I was then the main interpreter, an investment consultant who was also the treasurer at the Company.

As far as I remember, the revenues, expenditures and cash temporarily kept at the Company were small, so there was no need to buy a safe. There were cases when we did not have a place to keep cash withdrawals that could not be released as salary payments during the same day. I reported this to the Company’s leader and chief accountant, then was told to temporarily bring it home.

The total amount was not large but there were all small denominations, so the bundles were almost full of a sack. My house also did not have any safe room or cabinet, so I had to take the unexpected secret as a guarantee. A whole bag of monies was quietly pushed deep under the bed and no one in my family was told about it. Unfortunately, the next morning, a person in my family cleaned the house deep underneath the bed, discovered a strange bag, opened it and found a sack of money. When asked where the money came from, I quickly signaled the whole family to be quiet, clearly explaining that it was all cash withdrawals in the afternoon the day before as salary payments, but such payments could not be made and cash had to be temporarily stored at home. Soon after, the company’s driver came to pick up the bag. What a big relief! Everything was still under control.

This led to an urgent need to purchase a good safe for the Company. Soon after, one from the Company visited Vo Van Tan Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City (specializing in trading of safes) and bought a large secondhand black French BAUCHE safe for a reasonable price.

The safe then proved effective. Cash revenues were growing especially when the Gold Star system came into operation and provided 5-digit phone numbers for IDD internal and external calls, with cash payments from our clients first kept in the safe and then deposited in our bank account. I unexpectedly became a treasurer once, yet, with the procurement of the BAUCHE safe, our cash could be kept safely and this lucky safe helped the Company prosper and grow stronger. Thank you BAUCHE – the first safe of the Company”.

(Mr. Chu Thanh Son, Sonadezi’s Former First Treasurer).