21/7/12
I
hope everyone is faring well and enjoying life. Things are plodding
along here - no two days are ever the same being here! Sometimes I
cannot believe I have been here for 6 months already! Attached is a link
to a summary video I have put together about my last 6 months here.... I
hope you like it.
The children have been spoilt this last month - we have had a youth tour
come and they have spent a lot of money on them, buying them everything
they need for the new school year which begins in Sept. Karaoke, pool
outings, ice cream, sinh to (fruit/veggie drink), you name it, they have
received!
I went to a Local
Government meeting recently - 4 hours, 150 Vietnamese Officials and 4
westerners that stood out! They had the kindness to translate all the
speeches befroe hand into English so thank goodness I could read along
as they spoke so I knew what was going on. The basis of the meeting was
to talk about relationships with Internatioanl NGO's and to discuss
projects they have coming up for the next 12 months that they need
support with.
I was saddened to read that in this province ALONE,
there are 8,000 orphans and 65,000 children at risk and in vulnerable
positions. I hate to think what the total number is for Vietnam in its
entirety.
I did manage to meet the other Westerners and have a
good chat about what they are up to, as well as pick up some other
projects I was interested in. Some of the poorer communities, up in the
mountains and the ethnic minorities near the border of Laos seem to be
struggling. One project was to build outhouses (toilets) for one village
that have none at all and so sanitation and hygiene there are non
existent. To build 34 outhouses, it would cost $13,000. A preschool was
asking for a playground; they would need $3000.
I aim to go out and visit some of these districts
and communities in the next coming months, would be very interesting me
thinks!
Back at the
orphanage, the girls were in cleaning mode. I stood in the corridor, out
of sight, watching them all through the bars. I got a little misty eyed
watching the girls clean out their own individual drawer with so much
love and pride. Most of them had junk in there. Bits of thread, an old
marble, a top from a jar, some old wrapping paper, a paper with some
stickers on it, broken bits and bobs..... yet, the way they arranged and
cleaned and put things back carefully and in a neat order touched me.
This was their only worldly possessions. It didn't seem to matter what
they were, just the fact that these items were theirs to call their
own...
I have somehow
acquired the role of a nurse recently. This sticky humidity heat has
attacked many children with heat rashes. I have also noticed an increase
in scabs, cuts, infected bites and ulcers. Armed with my little green
first aid kit under my arm, I make the rounds and inspect little hands
and feet. This all came about when I saw one child with autism hit
another very hard and made his lip and gum bleed everywhere. I called
the nurse, showed her and she just smiled at me and walked away and did
nothing. The second child I saw had a mosquito bite that was weeping and
there were ants in it. I showed her again so she can disinfect it and
treat it, and when I returned the next day, nothing had be done about
it. Both nurses at both placements seem to sit in their office and watch
the children through the window. When I confronted one of them with a
little boy whose entire toe nail was ripped off and it was infected, did
not seem to notice, know when it happened or did anything about it,
despite the children telling me that they showed her days ago. So I have
taken to bringing my own box of creams, swabs, band aids etc.
Both Peace Village and Tam Ky Orphanage children
come up to me when they see me with my green box and start showing me
all their wounds, cuts and scrapes. Some of the 4 year olds, show me
cuts that have nearly healed and want some cream or a band aid on it.
Children and band aids - I guess the obsession is a universal
phenomenon!
Last week, we did some craft with the children and handed out 6 pairs of
scissors. Only 4 came back. Uh oh. Here we go. We had all the children
seated to have fruit and I asked where the scissors had gone to. They
kept saying no, no, no more. I told them, until the scissors came back, I
would not be handing out fruit. Within a minute, one pair magically
appeared. Still missing one pair of scissors. Waiting and waiting.....60
pairs of eyes on me, some pleading with palms up to hand them a piece
of fruit. I would not falter. As much as it pains me to use fruit, food
and outings as a means of getting them to understand, it is the only way
they respond! I am sure the other new volunteers that joined me that
week, were thinking that I really was the wicked witch. The 6th pair did
not surface and so I told them that I would give them one more chance; I
did not care who took them, but I needed them back. The scissors were
not theirs to take. Taking them from me without asking to borrow or have
them was stealing. They cannot do that when they wanted something. If
they did that out in the real word they would go to jail. So, I
explained I would take the fruit home and return to the orphanage in the
afternoon, where I would like to have my scissors returned. If I get
them back, then I will hand out the fruit.
Goodness me, the commotion. The older ones were
yelling at the younger ones to return them. I went and locked up the
fruit and then got in our car to leave. As I was about to close the
door, I heard many scurrying feet and voices yelling "Anna, Anna, Anna".
The scissors were returned.
So, I thanked them and then told them they can sit down again and I will get the fruit.
All
this for a pair of scissors? I was asked by the new volunteer. Yes.
Because if I let them get away with this, then next week it will be
something else and something else and then bigger items and it will not
end. How else can you teach them that it is not acceptable in here, and
it is certainly not acceptable out there in the community.
Must be off, but I leave with you some things I have learnt recently:
*
Never assume that Vietnamese super glue which is sold at the fish
mongers is the same as the crappy one from the $2 store. It actually
works and the missing skin from my pointer finger is living proof!
* Vietnam starts the age of a baby from conception, so technically, they
believe they are 1 when they are born. This confused me so much! I met
a family who told me their baby was 4 months old.... I bought a present
for them and went over to meet little bub, only to realise they meant 4
months in utero!* Goddess of mercy - a goddess that protects those traveling. Nearly every car/bus you go on here has one super glued to the dashboard. I am told that if the taxi/bus I enter does not have one, to not enter or travel with them! Apparently, statistics have shown that people in car accidents in Vietnam do not have a statue of her in their vehicle.
* If we meet in this life it is because we knew each other in some capacity in a past life.
Till next time,
xoxo
Anna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
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