September 2013 – ASAVO Sponsor Tour Introduction
by Michelle Casamento
It was with some trepidation that my sister Louise and I headed off on our Vietnam adventure, due to the fact we had 1 days notice that Dennis (Happy Buddha) was unfortunately unable to join us as a result of recurring health issues. Alas we took a leap of faith, piled his extra gifts for the orphanages into our luggage and headed off.
We were met in Ho Chi Min City by the lovely Suong, who has been the local contact for ASAVO tours for several years. She was our ‘go to gal’, interpreting, explaining and making everything happen as it needed to along our journey of the next two weeks. We were blessed to have great travel companions in Peter Nagle & Caralyn Dean and their daughter Katelyn for the whole two weeks. The second week our group doubled in size with the Dawson family joining in the fun; Ron his daughter Lana, husband Rob two children Charlie & Zoe and Ron's granddaughter Taylah.
The tour was a unique travel experience, driving around the country side in a comfortable air conditioned bus, with two very skilled yet shy bus drivers in Dong & Ti, and a very graceful & passionate interpreter in Suong. Thank you Suong, we couldn’t have done it without you!
We had the perfect mix of tourist sightseeing, shopping, delicious meals and laughs to balance the incredible insightful, emotional and privileged visits at each of the four orphanages. Meeting the children sponsored by each group member was always a highlight of each visit. We could see firsthand the needs of each orphanage and the issues they face financially and physically to care for the needs of all the children. The trip gave each of us a better understanding of ASAVO's achievements so far; and the potential for us to make a significant difference in the lives of these children into the future.
Thank you to Dennis for sharing his dream and providing educational support to orphans in Vietnam and encouraging us to visit and experience it all for ourselves. And also a big thank you to all the ASAVO sponsors.
1. Tu An Pagoda Baria (Vung Tau) Buddhist Nun – Minh Hai
Our first orphanage visit was filled with anticipation as we stopped at the locals market in Baria to stock up on supplies for the orphanage; $100 donation courtesy of ASAVO members. With Suong's help we were able to buy in bulk lots of basic necessities; cooking oil, sugar, soya beans, mushrooms, nappies, baby formula & washing powder. We were greeted on arrival by lots of happy little faces, excited to see what we had brought for them. Peter had found some little toy cars at the local market which proved to be a real hit with the kids, what a frenzy of activity giving out the toys & gifts we had all brought from home; pure joy.
When the excitement settled down, we were able to catch up with Minh Hai the head Buddhist nun, over a glass of homemade soy milk. We heard about her life at the orphanage for the past 20 years and the responsibility of caring for 90 children and several elderly women who have nowhere else to go. They feed a total of 130 people 3 meals per day, a huge task undertaken by the women who live there along with help from local community volunteers. There is no government funding for any of the orphanages where ASAVO provides sponsorship. Hence Minh relies on food from local farmers, support from the community and donations like ours. They were very fortunate to have a company build a new sleeping wing recently, which was so desperately needed to provide better quality accommodation for the babies and elderly women. Minh receives babies left at the front gate who are unable to be cared for by young mothers and families in extreme poverty. There are currently a handful of babies under 18 months old living there including twins who were only 1.4kg when born. We spent several hours with the children and were treated to a delicious vegetarian lunch with Minh as we learnt more about how she manages the orphanage and what their needs are into the future.
It would be ideal for them to have a second hand minivan to be able to get the children to school in safety especially when it is raining, as they currently rely on a handful of bikes. The total cost would be around $11,000, she has saved up half the money and has a volunteer driver lined up to assist. Minh was so very appreciative of our visit and gifts, and explained how much Dennis and ASAVO had improved the lives of the children since his first visit many years ago. I was struck by the strength and dignity in this beautiful woman who has a huge responsibility to care for the wellbeing of so many children on a daily basis, truly inspirational. It was sad to say farewell as we reflected on what we had experienced and how we could provide further practical support in the future.
2. Chau Phat Buu Pagoda ( Nha Trang) Buddhist Nun- Thich Nu Chou Minh
After several days of sightseeing & catching up with our friend Dianne who is currently teaching English in Vung Tau & spending time at the Orphanages. We headed up to Mui Ne, had great fun playing in sand dunes with the local kids and sightseeing. We eventually made our way to Nha Trang to stay for a few days. Here we meet some more of Dennis’s lovely local friends including Linh who is looking after his fabulous dog Karma who was so well behaved joining us on the bus for our orphanage visits much to the delight of the children!
Phat Buu is a Buddhist pagoda managed by another nun Minh. She met us at the local market where we were again able to buy supplies for the orphanage. Our $100 was well spent on brooms, mops, dustpan, washing tubs, colanders, knives, washing power, dish washing liquid, toilet paper, sanitary pads, shampoo, sugar, seasoning & black beans. We had a great time giving out toys and gifts to the children, again a frenzy of excitement and activity, ensuring no one had missed out on a gift. I was fortunate to meet my sponsor child Hoang, who was back at the orphanage for lunch between classes. She was very proud to show me the bike ASAVO had bought her last year which allows her to get to school easily.
Hoang has been at the orphanage with her sister for 4 years as their mother was no longer able to keep them safe from their violent alcoholic father. Both girls are doing really well with their schooling and are hoping to go on to further studies.
Minh was very keen to show us the great work Dennis has achieved at Phat Buu over the past few months with ASAVO donation money. It was terrific to see the work first hand and realise what huge impact fresh water and sanitation has for the 35 orphans and adults living at the pagoda. Dennis has worked with local tradesmen to put up guttering around the buildings to collect rain water into new clean water tanks, build toilet & shower block and set up sinks for easy access to fresh water for the children; what a fabulous achievement. Minh was very proud of the exhaust fan over the open wood stove where they do all the cooking, and tables & chairs under a covered in area where they can all now sit and eat with dignity and pride.
We had a terrific time with the children and their careers, again hearing stories about the children’s lives and how they came to be at the orphanage.
Katie & Taylah had a lovely time cuddling babies and we were all struck by the 3 month old boy who had been dropped at the orphanage 2 days after birth weighing 1.4 kg, he is now in a safe place being well cared for and much loved.
Ron was happy to see where the new play equipment will go which has been donated by his wife who was unable to join us on the tour; this will be another great enhancement to the pagoda in the near future.
3. Kim Son Pagoda (Nha Trang) Buddhist Nun- Thich Nu Chang Quang
In the afternoon we visited Kim Son, a lovely place with fruit trees lining the driveway up to the magnificent pagoda. The set up here is quite different with only 10 orphans living on site and most children coming to the pagoda daily to attend school. The Nuns set up school here to cater for the many poor families in the area who did not have enough money to pay to educate their children. Again we brought supplies so gratefully received by the nuns who rely on donations to feed the children every day. Our donated funds bought; sugar, soybean protein, mushrooms, soup base, seasoning and incense. We arrived in time for the end of the school day and again the children were so excited to receive gifts of books, toys, balls, cars, stickers and lolly treats.
Louise and I were fortunate to meet the sewing teacher and have a look at sewing room where they have several old treadle machines, one over locker and one electric embroidery machine which Dennis had bought them. Here boys and girls are given the opportunity to learn a valuable life skill which will give them work opportunities. They have been making uniforms for a local restaurant, and were grateful to receive the patterns and material we had brought from home.
Ron was able to meet his sponsor child Ngoc; a shy young girl not used to attention from visitors. She was very appreciative of Ron’s gift and the opportunity to try out some English phrases she has learnt. Ngoc comes from a poor family who live in the market place, we were fortunate to meet up with her by chance a day later and greet several generations of family members all living together in a small space. The ASAVO educational sponsorship allows children like Ngoc the opportunity of gaining an education without putting financial pressure on a struggling family.
4. Ta Nung Catholic Orphanage (Da Lat) Sister Bernadette Le Thi Tu
After several fun days sightseeing around Nha Trang, including a scrumptious cooking class; we drove up into the hills to Da Lat. The drop in temperature was a surprise and relief for some, as we explored the different architecture and beautiful surrounds of this unique city.
Our visit to the Da Lat Catholic orphanage took us on a windy journey into the hills. We were met at the local market by a spritely Sr. Bernadette who swiftly shuffled through the market like a woman on a mission, buying supplies for the orphans. Again we got some great deals and the donation funds bought much needed items; thermos flasks, rain coats, gum boots, nappies, face towels, baby formula & dry noodles.
As the orphanage is up in the hill tribe area, they don’t get visits from many westerners and consequently don't receive many donations. Their living area is humble even though they live next door to the church. The orphanage backs on to coffee plantation which the older children work in after school to support themselves. They also have a great veggie garden which feeds them a long with a small amount of money they earn from the coffee. Sr. Bernadette showed us through the humble building which sleeps all the girls; and also accommodates 25 babies and toddlers during the week, this is an essential child care service to support the disadvantaged families in the local area. Upstairs 15 girls sleep in one room sharing 5 mattresses between them on the floor. The mattresses and basic cupboards had been provided by ASAVO last year and have made a positive difference in the comfort and wellbeing of the children.
We had a lovely time giving out toys and treats to the children who were all quite shy as they don’t see many visitors. Louise and Katie were able to meet their sponsor children who were very appreciative of their special gifts.
Alas it is time to leave and the children gather on the porch to thank us for visiting and bringing gifts. ASAVO sponsorship allows all of these children to attend school and have an opportunity to learn. In Vietnam education is not free.
Our ASAVO sponsorship gives orphaned and disadvantaged children the opportunity to attend school and work towards a positive future.
