This is Vietnam

So, I am going to start this entry with a little reflection. Bear with me, 2 months living in an apartment by myself and working with people where the only words we have in common are 1-10, hello, goodbye, thank you and sorry has left me with a lot of time to (try) to process exactly what I am doing, feeling, thinking and experiencing. Everyday I go through periods where I feel natural and normal and like I am home, but I also experience times of complete shock where I am reminded that I am thousands of miles away from home in a country where 99% of the people do not speak the same language and where many of the comforts and securities that I have grown accustomed to do not exist in the same way as they do back home. It is easy to feel safe in comfortable in the place that is safe and comfortable for you, and it does not always feel that way here. Not to say that Boston is the safest place, but it is definitely comfortable for me and even on my most challenging days, it is easy comparatively to how it feels here sometimes. But I love it here, even when I don't know where I am and I let my minutes run out on my phone so I can't call anybody and I am too tired or proud or stubborn or whatever you call it to attempt to ask someone for help, even though I know they would be more than willing to give it even if it comes with a few giggles and questionable looks. It is so different than anything I am used to and I am constantly taking in what is around me, even in my times of relaxation where I am just enjoying the busy simplicity of this developing country. I come home to my studio apartment where I get to pace the length in the air conditioning and think about what I am doing, have done and hope to do, but the second I walk out the door I am in constant contact with the country I am currently living in. What I mean by this is that it is impossible here, for me at least, to simply go through the motions without being aware of my surroundings. 

I am constantly stared at, touched, spoken to and interacted with and although at times it drives me crazy, it is a constant reminder that the world is full of new and exciting things and people that want to experience them. I am constantly learning about so many different things here and am challenged in one way or another to both push myself but also to take the time to breathe and take in what is right in front of me. I am really lucky that back home I am surrounded by people who I love and respect and get to learn from regularly. My friends, family, employers and teachers are incredible people whose support I could not function without. I have amazing friends here and I love the people I work with, but I have found that I often need to sit by myself and really spend time taking in the opportunities I have here, and it is definitely in these times that I miss my people back home because I want them to be here experiencing this all with me. It's not easy for me to describe, but I love the people I get to work with here so much and I don't think I have ever felt as comfortable as I do when I am at 'work' here. Even on challenging days when I am hot and tired and overwhelmed, my ability to breathe and smile and feel happy is really genuine and I honestly feel so fortunate to be able to come here and just spend time with them. They are all so special and unique and strong and easily the most inspirational people I have been able to spend time with. This country has really given me so much just by allowing me to come and experience the ups and downs of living in a developing country and spending time in a culture that while it is very different from my own is intimate and special. I'm excited to figure out what my next step is and I look forward to being able to spend more time here and am sure that I will never get fully 'used' to it, and I find that to be so exciting. 

Now for a little week summary! On Wednesday morning I met with the chairman of the city of Da Nang who is an incredible man very invested in the orphaned and disabled. His organization is hopefully going to work with Mr.Phuc and Mr.T's new organization, allowing them to go into centers that we haven't been able to spend a lot of time in yet. He told us that there are 18,000 disabled people just in the city of Da Nang. That number really blew my mind. We go to 5 different centers that care for the disabled and I know there are many others, but I can't imagine how 18,000 disabled people can be cared for. This is city is constantly looking for new ways to care for the disabled, however, and many different countries/big corporations give funding and donate space to open centers for them. However, volunteers are definitely needed! The chairmans office is constantly in the field finding orphans, taking care of them medically, and finding centers for them to live in. Some exciting news is that the US and Vietnam are going to start adoption again in 2014. There are many restrictions and requirements, but it is great news and hopefully in the next few years there will be more opportunities for Americans to adopt from Vietnam. I am going to go on a few home visits and to visit some of the centers not right in Da Nang with the chairman next week. 

I spent time at the baby orphanage and am pleased to say that all of the babies seem healthy right now, aside from a few rashes and bumps and bruises that come with 23 toddlers playing together all day. We also spend a good amount of time at the center for victims of Agent Orange last week and are figuring out what the best supplies to bring are the entertain the people there and also provide them some education. There are great coloring books that teach them the basics and they really enjoy doing. Playing soccer and running around is always a popular activity, too. Mr.Phuc is working with the boy who can't walk and they are going to bring the volunteers to this center twice a week once their organization opens. I went to Mary's House Thursday afternoon and had a really great time playing with kids there and we celebrating two birthdays, Yen turned 16 and Dinh turned 17. It melts my heart how sweet the kids are there. They love each other so much and are just so wonderful to be around. We took them to the pool on Friday morning and had a blast. I'm hoping to get a couple more of those trips in before I leave. We went to AOV and Social yesterday and I went to the baby orphanage this morning. It has been incredibly hot the last two days, so there was a little less running around and a little more sitting in front of the fans playing with lego's, doing some drawing, and working on counting from 1-10 and speaking through the alphabet. The kids at Mary's House taught me how to properly count to 10 in Vietnamese last week. Yes, it has taken me 3 trips to learn how to count to 10. VIETNAMESE IS A REALLY HARD LANGUAGE. I do feel like I have actually picked some up this time, however, so that is good. 

I am going to Hanoi tomorrow until Thursday afternoon and then I'm hoping we can take Red Cross children to the beach on Friday! My friend Trang is taking me to the pagoda orphanage on Saturday and I am going to dinner with some of my other Vietnamese friends that I met through GVN on Saturday! I have a bit of a rhythm here now, and even though much is unpredictable and my plans often don't go as I intend them to, I am really feeling more fluid. 

I think that is it for now, more soon. Miss you all in the other hemisphere and thank you everyone here for taking me in and making me feel at home. This country is full of really special people, both the locals and the ex-pats. 

PS I am having a hard time with my photos, so I will add some later!

Back to it

I can not believe how quickly the weeks are flying by here. I could have sworn I wrote an entry a few days ago, but its been over a week. It's been a great few days here in Da Nang, I am feeling almost completely better and we have really gotten into a nice, regular routine where everything feels natural and familiar. I'm really glad that I still have almost a month to be here now that things feel fluid. 

We had another great morning with the children from the Red Cross at the beach last Wednesday. My good friend Oanh and her sister Kim came along with us, so we were able to take a lot of children. Oanh is a physio here and we met back in 2010 when I first came over. She is one of my favorite people in this country. Her sister Kim is really wonderful to, and she works with Mr.T and Mr.Phuc and I'm confident that they will are start a really amazing volunteer program in Da Nang. The water was pretty rough on Wednesday, so some of the children couldn't really go past the shore, but we managed to get a few of them past the break and in a little deeper. We spent about 20 minutes getting the sand out of our bathing suits and hair before heading back to the orphanage, but it was definitely worth it. Some of the kiddos who were scared of the water at the beginning on the summer are getting more confident which is really fun to see. They are so happy in the water, which all of us from the coast can relate to. It is definitely my favorite place to be. 

I've been spending the afternoons at the center for victims of Agent Orange and I really love all the people there. They are a wide range of ages, the youngest being 13 and the oldest is in her 40's. The centers were established because the families of the disabled people needed somewhere to send them during the day so that they could work, so many of them have been going to this center for years. We brought some arts supplies on Thursday afternoon and it was a big hit. We also brought puzzles and groups of them worked together for over an hour to finish them all. Today we are bringing scissors, paper and markers to make masks that they can bring to their homes. Some of them are really incredible artists and do some embroidery and printing at the center that they sell to help support them. There are others there whose disabilities make it hard for them to do anything, but they also enjoy the mechanics of drawing or doing other projects with their hands such as building and hitting at a ball. Another favorite activity is making up different games with soccer balls and soft balls which is great because it gets them moving around. Unfortunately, last Friday we all got a little too excited and one girl kicked the ball so hard that is knocked out one of the big lights and almost fell on her. Luckily, she moved and everyone was OK! But we are definitely going to be a little more careful with the ball games. 

Mr.Phuc came to AOV with us yesterday and spent a good amount of time with the boy, Thien, who can not walk. It seems that he may have had polio as a child and that is why he can not walk now. Mr.Phuc was amazing and feels that if he visits regularly to do PT with him, he may be able to get some control over his legs and at least move with a walker. Thien was so excited when Mr.Phuc was explaining that he was going to help him get strength in his hips and legs. Aside from not being able to remember very well, his brain is so good and he is such a funny kid and I really hope he can improve. It would mean a lot for his family too. His grandparents are much older and are really worried about what will happen to them once they pass away. Having Mr.Phuc work with him at the center seems to be the best option. It is the most affordable and almost most time efficient since the boys family will not have to take him to a different rehabilitation center to get treatment. 

This week has involved changing many diapers at the baby orphanage (we don't have other volunteers living in Da Nang right this second, so it's me and Mr.T and Mr.Phuc at the baby orphanage which is great- just a lot of diapers). My friend Molly came with us on Monday and is going to come again and it was really wonderful having her with us. The baby orphanage really is so fun. The older disabled kids play nicely with the babies and we're able to spend time with everyone there and it feels like we are one on one even though there are many more children than adults. Feeding gets a little tough when you have 23 hungry babies and only two hands, but I feel like I am starting to get the hang of it. We go to AOV in the afternoon and will visit Social Support tomorrow and Friday. We're taking Mary's House to the pool on Friday morning and then out for ice cream after.

I also went to Hoi An last night for my first time this trip. Mark had a friend in town from Australia so we had dinner with she and her fiancee and it was really nice getting out of Da Nang for a few hours. We ate at one of my favorite restaurants in Hoi An called Cargo which is owned by this amazing woman named Ms.Vy. She owns several restaurants in Hoi An as well as a cooking school. I go to Hanoi next week for a night to meet a few people and go to go a meeting and I am really excited for that. I haven't been up North yet so it will be good to see what it is like up there. 

That is all for now and I will write again before the week is out I promise!

c

Those tropical viruses!

So I am finally starting to feel better today, but I caught a nasty virus and have spent most of my time at home this last week. I'm not sure exactly what I have, but I saw a doctor last week and she feels pretty confident that I caught the Coxsackie virus from the babes, which is a virus usually found in children but sometimes passed to adults. I've had ulcers in my throat and sores in my mouth along with a week long fever and pink eye, so it has been pretty uncomfortable! I am definitely not as precautionary as I should be and tend to feel invincible even around the sickest babies, so I have definitely learnt my lesson that I need to constantly wash my hands and maybe not hug and kiss the babies with bad rashes....! That aside, I am starting to feel a lot better and am going to the center for victims of Agent Orange this afternoon.

Last Monday we went to the Red Cross baby orphanage in the morning and many of the babies had bad coughs and difficulty breathing and after a few trips to the children's hospital up the road, quite a few of them were diagnosed with pneumonia. The childrens's hospital here is really great and continuing to get better, but it can not accommodate the need and there are often several children to a bed. In Vietnam, children under 5 (I believe) receive free medical care, but that does not include medicine, so they can get diagnosed but then the families, supporters, etc. need to buy the medicine. Mr. Phuc gave me a list of medicines needed at Social Support and Red Cross and I was able to go to the chemist and get several bottles of each for a very small amount of money. Last night I went with my friend and her husband, who is a doctor at the children's' hospital, to check on the babies at Red Cross, and they seem to be getting much better, although several of them who were not sick before are now showing symptoms for pneumonia and other sicknesses. It's almost impossible for them to not all get sick between the heat and the small space that they all live in. I'm excited to be able to spend some actual time with them, hopefully tomorrow morning.

On Tuesday we took the sweethearts from Social Support to the beach again. We had 6 volunteers (including Mr.Phuc and Mr.T) so we were able to bring more children than usual which was really wonderful. I spent most of my time with Tinh and Khung. It was much rougher than last time, so we were not able to spend quite as much time in the water, but the children really loved being splashed around. We left right in time as it started to down pour the second we got into the car. That was the first really heavy rain I've seen this summer and it continued for about an hour straight. It was an experience shuttling the children from the car to the center without getting everyone soaking wet. There have been two volunteers here from Australia and it's been great having some extra hands especially for outings like these. My friend Anna was also in town for the night so she came along. She was the one I visited in Tam Ky and she was in Da Nang on her way back to Australia!

We also visited two different centers last week, one was another baby orphanage and the other was a center designed for disabled adults (16+) where they are taught to do needle point. The baby orphanage was really wonderful. When we first walked in, all of the older babies looked at me and the other two Westerners and started screaming and crying; I think we were the most terrifying thing they had ever seen, but I was able to bribe them with paper airplanes and pens and eventually we were all friends. There are about 15 children at this placement and three carers and they depend on donations to sustain the children's food, diapers etc. The other center we went to was really interesting. It was founded by a woman with experience in tailoring and need point/embroidering. She has taught older children/young adults who are disabled and unable to complete school and incredibly valuable skill and she helps them market their craft in a really peaceful, clean environment. She has also taken in two young adults who are orphans and she fully supports them. One of the boys in this center is 24 and he lost his arm in a work related injury when he was 18. He was in University at this point, but was not able to continue since he could not work and didn't have any support. He would like to be able to go back to school to at least learn English so that he can be more independent, so hopefully we will be able to set that up before I leave. There is another boy in this center who is 20 and suffered from polio when he was 10 and was never able to get past grade 4 in school. However, he is naturally very good with computers and asked if we could help him take a computer class so that he, too, could have some independence. Once more of the details are figured out, we can hopefully set both of these boys up. It would be great if eventually Mr.T and Mr. Phuc's volunteer company could teach English in this center. These types of vocational learning centers are really important for the disabled everywhere, especially in Vietnam, because it not only gives them independence and helps them be productive, but is also empowers them by focusing on their abilities. We're seeing more and more of these places showing up and I am so glad. Especially for the victims of Agent Orange, the empowerment is really vital since so many of them do have skills that can help support them. 

On Thursday we took the children from Mary's House to see Despicable Me 2. They had such a good time and it was the perfect outing for a hot Thursday afternoon. After the movie we had ice cream and brought them home full of energy and ready for their dinner and bed! We're hoping to take them on another outing to the pool sometime this week or next. A lot of people have expressed interest in helping out on these trips (both our Vietnamese and Western friends), so that is great. I am hoping to bring them along to several of our different placements. Mary's House is definitely a really fun outing though, so hopefully we will have some friends join us at the pool!

I can't believe I have been here for a month already. The time really does fly by. There is a lot coming up in the next few weeks before I come home and I am looking forward to feeling 100% better! I go to Hanoi at the end of the month for a meeting and get to meet several people actively involved in Agent Orange advocacy and research, so I am very excited for that! It's definitely difficult being sick so far away from home, but I am glad to be feeling better and eager to get back to work. 

Also, I want to thank everyone who has donated again. All of the donations go towards the outings, medical care, supplies and sponsorships and I assure you that there are very many people who are very, very grateful. 

More soon!

Connie

Beach Babes

It's been a very busy week here in Da Nang. The weather is still hot, although not quite as biting as when I first arrived. I'm starting to get in the swing of things and have finally, definitely overcome the jet lag, just took a casual two weeks.

Last Thursday we took a group of children from Social Support to the beach, and it was quite the experience. The children were so happy to be away from the center and also to be in the water. Tinh kicked and laughed the entire time and almost gave me about 5 bloody noses all out of excitement. Mr. T and Mr.Phuc really are incredible and just move forward to empower these kids without thinking twice. It wouldn't have occurred to me when I first met the disabled children at Social 3 years ago that we would be able to take them into the ocean. Aside from the attention they need physically, these kinds of outings really are so good for them. It was one of the best experiences I've had here so far and I look forward to taking them again next week.

On Friday me and Mark went to a town about 2 hours away from

Da Nang called Tam Ky to see our friend Anna from Australia who has been more or less running the orphanages there. She spent a year living in Tam Ky and is back now for a couple of weeks. We took 25 girls to the swimming pool on Friday afternoon, as well as a few painfully adorable little guys, and then had dinner with them. On Saturday morning we visited a center for "Victims of Dioxin and other Unfortunate Circumstances." This center is incredibly peaceful despite the severe disabilities the people there are living with. It's more difficult in Tam Ky because they do not have the same resources and volunteer traffic that we do in Da Nang. We're planning on getting back there a few more times this summer to hopefully take those kids out for the day. I went back down to Tam Ky by myself on Tuesday to visit a new center that Agribank built for victims of Agent Orange and other disabilities. I had a meeting with the director and a very detailed tour of the center and it gave me a good understanding of the support being provided to some of the families with disabled children. I'll be spending more time at the AOV centers in Da Nang, but it was really good to see a bit of what is happening in other areas. 

I stayed home for Sunday and Monday because I got a pretty nasty case of pink eye in BOTH of my eyes and the beginnings of a chest infection, but about 48 hours of sleep seemed to knock that out. 

On Wednesday morning we took the children from the Red Cross to the beach with two volunteers who are here from Australia. It was so fun. There is a little girl at Red Cross named Ha who is very similar to Tinh and just LOVES the water. She wants to swim on her own so badly, but is happy to kick around while I hold onto her underarms. Little Nga was a bit of an escape artist and we spent a bit of time chasing her up and down the beach as she sprinted away with a devious look on her face, but the water scared her so she more or less stayed on the shore playing in the break. We also brought 5 of the babies with us and they were delighted to be submerged in the ocean, several of them even fell asleep. 

This morning I brought my friends Mark and Kaberly to meet the kids at Mary's House and we spent the morning playing at the pool (we all miss you very much, ASM, Olivia and Dung). I haven't been able to see these children as much this summer so it was really nice to have some quality time with them. We're going to take them to the movies next week. I have Kerry's sweet daughter Giang spending the night with me tonight and we had a really nice day going to lunch and the movies and we're getting ready to meet a few of my friends for pizza in the city. I've been invited to a wedding tomorrow and it's my FIRST Vietnamese wedding, so I'm really excited for that!

Aside from getting to hangout with the sweetest kids this week, I was also introduced to several people who are really the leading faces in Agent Orange research and advocacy and have really, really inspired me. On Wednesday afternoon I met with Dr.Long who is the head of biology at the Da Nang University of Technology. We spent the afternoon talking about the different ways in which dioxin has and is continuing to harm people and the current and past research that has been done. I am going to write more about this after I meet with him and a few more people on Sunday morning, but considering the amount of known damage that dioxin has caused, there is very, very little known about that long term effects and the ways in which the chemical will continue to effect those initially exposed and continuously exposed. It's also incredibly frustrating, because there are tests that are done in Da Nang that can determine whether disabilities are caused by dioxin, but there is further testing required to definitely tie the chemical to other disabilities that there is not the funding for. A lot of the diagnoses are based on background and not actual testing, so although it seems clean the foundation of the disability, there isn't the set proof that I think could open the doors for greater funding. I am eager and excited to learn more and continue my research.

Last night I had dinner with a man named Chuck Palazzo. He is a Vietnam veteran who has moved back to Da Nang and dedicated to his life to advocacy and peace. He is easily one of the more inspirational people I have ever met and I had an amazing time speaking with him and learning about the programming that is being done and the work he and his colleagues are doing here. He has also introduced me to an incredible group of doctors, veterans, and researchers who are very knowledgeable and open to talking to me, which is really blowing me away. I feel incredibly lucky to have been introduced to such a passionate, intelligent and interesting group of people and I really look forward to learning more about them and their research throughout the summer.

Needless to say, it's been a very full week and I could not be happier to be here. I miss home for sure, especially my family in Boston and at home, but I feel right here and am full of motivation and inspiration every day.

I will write more soon. I hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

c

The many faces of Agent Orange

Center for victims of Agent Orange

The first time I travelled to Vietnam with GVN, I was first exposed to the longterm repercussions of Agent Orange and the mark it has left on this country. There are various centers, primarily in central Da Nang where I am working, that are government run and offer support to the victims, but when it comes down to it, without additional aid, research, and empowerment, the people effected will remain victims and there will not be much progress. The mutations resulting from the dioxin can be extreme, and while there are conditions that would be at least livable in the United States with our sophisticated medical system, many of the effects remain undiagnosed since there is not the technology here, at least not for these people, to give them a proper diagnoses.

On Tuesday I went back to the center we worked at with GVN. I was thrilled to see many familiar

faces and was impressed by the vocational skills that many of the more abled students were learning, such as print making and sewing. We sang and ran around for a while, had a treat, and spent some time communicating any way we could. The kids at this center have incredible energy and an obvious desire to learn, but the one thing this center is lacking is an academic education like the abled children in Vietnam are getting in the public schools. Their desire to learn was demonstrated when a line of children came up to me counting '1,2,3' in English and then looking at me hopeful that I could help them count higher. The physical traits of these children are unlike anything I have seen before. Skin discoloration, underdeveloped ears, noses and appendages, webbed fingers, severe growth stunts, and many other extreme attributes. I don't personally experience the shock factor anymore like I did on my first trip, but it definitely is distressful.

There is one seemingly very abled boy name Hong who is a pupil at this center. He looks about 5 and has a very sharp mind, he was repeating everything I said back and trying hard to comprehend things that I said in English. He has no clear physical disabilities when you look at him and his manner is incredibly sweet with a tiny bit of naughtiness that you would expect from a 5 year old.

However, he is 12 and he can not walk. He has little control over his legs, seemingly no reflexes, and his upper body strength is dismal. I did not realize this for about an hour, because I sat across from him playing and laughing and did not see him being carried from place to place until we moved the group

into a circle to play a game. His father has disappeared and his mother is no longer around so he is being cared for by his elderly grandparents, his grandfather a veteran of the war who spent most of his time in Da Nang. Hong really shook me. All I wanted to do was hold onto him and rub his back and sit with him, but he clearly is aware of his condition and understandably not a fan of being pitied. When his grandfather came to pick him up, Mr.T and Oanh spent time questioning him about Hong's condition, trying to find out if there is an actual diagnosis and if anyone knows exactly why Hong's strength is so low. When we asked Hong to tell us about it, all he said was 'when I turned 2, I could not walk. Now I am 12 and I can not walk.' His grandfather has taken him to the doctor many times, but because they have very little money they can not have any real testing done, not even an x-ray or a catscan, and his grandparents worry about what will happen to Hong after they pass. This happens a lot here to the poor families who have children seemingly sick from the residual effects of Agent Orange. With little research and little resources, there is hardly anything that can be done aside from getting stamped as disabled from Agent Orange and sent to a government run center that just sustains their baseline of life without the opportunities for improvement. There are some, very limited, opportunities here and there, but as of right now there is not a consistent care center that works with the specific disabilities, empowering the victims and setting them up to live a better standard of life. They are trying to get Hong into a new center in Da Nang that boards children who are disabled. Next week we're going to take Hong to the nice hospital in Da Nang and have a full set of tests done to see if there's a treatment plan I can leave the funding for and hopefully begin to execute while I am here. Tomorrow I head to Tam Ky to see the Agent Orange victims center there.

In exciting news, thanks to Anne Stuart, I got in touch with an American veteran living in Da Nang who is working in advocacy with victims as well as with the clean up project that is happening near the airport where most of the dioxin was mixed. I will hopefully meet with him in the next few days. I've also been in touch with a biologist at the University who specializes in Dioxin. I'm eager to learn more and find out about other projects currently happening in Da Nang.

I spent some more time with the sweethearts at the Red Cross Orphanage and this afternoon we're taking the older disabled kids from Social Support to the beach. There is one little guy at the Red Cross who I couldn't put down on Wednesday. His name is Thui and he 3 years old. He has severe Cerebral Palsy and an additional spinal injury that I couldn't understand in translation and he is so clearly uncomfortable most of the time. His cries break my heart because his face is so small and defined that you can see the pain in every inch of his face. He settled down to rest after a while and seemed to calm down, but I am eager to see him again tomorrow morning. 

I'm not completely sure how I feel right now. I am really glad to be here but am already starting to feel the nervousness I do about leaving and figuring out what my next step is that will be most beneficial for what the needs are here. I want to be bring everyone over here to see what an incredible city this is and to also see how much can be done with little money and some motivation. I am also so grateful for the people I've met over the last few years who are making this experience possible and helping me so much while I am here. Without the connections that were provided to me through GVN, there is no way I could be here doing what I am doing right now. Mr.T and Mr.Phuc as well as Mr.Viet are essential and I really feel so glad to know them. My Vietnamese and western friends here area also incredible, supporting me unconditionally and sharing their friendship and passions with me.

Here is a link with a brief description of Agent Orange: Short overview of Dioxin mutation. 

I will write more soon.

c

Life in the future and the sweetest babies

I thought that this being my third time in Da Nang I would know exactly how to conquer jet lag before I even got here, but I was absolutely wrong. No matter how late I force myself to stay awake, I am up bright and early (5:30 at the latest), and then fall asleep around 2 in the afternoon and mess myself up again. It's almost 8PM and I have not slept since I woke up at 5:30, so I have faith that today is the day that I win and jet lag will be defeated. 

I'm sorry it has taken me a bit of time to update. My airline made me check my backpack and then lost it and then cracked my computer screen. And stole my camera and sunglasses. Not the coolest thing that has happened. And I've had a bit of trouble with my internet, but I should be all set now.

I spent my first few days back getting settled in and getting over the constant shock of how hot it is here. I have a really sweet little apartment where I will be living by myself (for my first time in my life, mind you) for the next two months. It is one block back from the South China Sea and has a beautiful roof deck with a really breathtaking view. It is the same building I lived in the last year. I have been debating whether or not I will rent a motorbike and drive myself around and have decided that I most definitely do not. I have panic attacks just being a passenger, so I think it is probably the better decision for me to not be the driver.

Today was busy and exciting as I got to spend time at 3 of the centers where I will be this summer. I spent the morning at the Red Cross orphanage. I haven't been there since my first trip to Da Nang in 2010 and it is much different than I had remembered. There are 23 children in the room where I will be working, most of whom are disabled with conditions such as Hydrocephalus and Cerebral Palsy. What I found to be the most heartbreaking at this center is that there are several children who seemed abled when they were born and were adopted, and when it was discovered that they were disabled their

parents decided against keeping them, which is more than I can wrap my head around. It is a beautiful and clean space with shaded swings and a small outdoor play space, but it is underfunded and they have more children then they've had in a while without the resources to really care for them. Mr.Phuc and Mr.T (two of the men I will be working with this summer- I met them originally in 2010), visit the center every day and provide as much care as they can (which is a lot, it is amazing what they are putting out). Mr.Phuc is a physio therapist, so he works with the disabled children, and Mr.T does whatever is needed from taking the children to the hospital to feeding to first aid. I will visit this center with them 4-5 times a week. I've found that at every center I visit the children are so eager for physical contact and affection that they cling immediately, thrilled to have one-on-one (or two-on-one or three-on-one) attention for a while. The caregivers do everything they can, but there is only so much hands on time 3 caregivers can give 23 children. My duties today involved diaper changing, feeding, swinging and hugging. 

In the afternoon I went back to Social Support to see the sweet, funny children I have missed so much. I was greeted by a laughing and smiling Tinh who was ready to play as soon as we came in. A lot of good has happened since I was at Social Support last year. It is cleaner and there is an air conditioner in the disabled children's' room. They have also redesigned the rooms so that the disabled boys are together and the disabled girls are together, sharing a play space. I was so, so excited to see all the children at Social Support and am thrilled that I will get to be with them a good amount this summer. On Thursday afternoon we will take them to the beach and then I am heading to Tam Ky with my friend Mark for a few days to visit the orphanages there as well as large center for victims of Agent Orange. There are a lot of projects that I will be able to help fund at Social Support center this summer, including getting a separate cooker for the disabled children so that they can have food that they can actually digest. The food that the rest of the people at Social Support eat is much too hard on their systems and therefore many of them are losing weight. I spent my time at Social today helping Mr.Phuc with the physiotherapy, holding hands and going for walks with the older disabled children, feeding the babies, and strolling with Tinh and Hua My in their beautiful new strollers. I really love this place and am glad and grateful that Mr.Phuc and Mr.T are investing so much of their time and energy in the children that live there, and I can't wait to help them out in any way that I can. This is really the place that made me fall in love with Vietnam first and the people there are incredibly important to me. It's funny how different it feels now opposed to my first time here. I think my heart broke my entire first trip and it was a really incredible experience. Everything was new and eye opening and often felt really overwhelming. I think I felt comfortable with the children pretty quickly, but my whole first trip was raw and breathtaking. It is still incredible, but all of me feels comfortable now and while I am still heartbroken for these children, it isn't as raw and I feel more able to be proactive. I don't feel like a deer in headlights anymore and my heart is in my chest instead of sitting heavy in my throat. 

After Social I visited with the children at Mary's House who we got to spend so much quality time with last summer. They are all wonderful and thriving and we will take them to the beach some time next week. My friend Lanh is directing the house with my other friend Diem and everyone has done such a nice job making the house feel like a home and taking care of all the children there. I got them ice cream and played a bit and will see them again tomorrow afternoon. In the coming week I will spend time at the two centers in Da Nang that care for victims of Agent Orange and next week I am meeting with a Vietnamese biologist who has researched Dioxin extensively and will hopefully be a critical aid for me this summer. 

It feels so good to be back. I have an incredible group of Vietnamese friends, but also a really wonderful set of Western friends and feel really supported. It's going to be a sensational summer, I can tell already.

My fundraising site will remain open until my last week here, and again- all the money I raise goes directly towards funding projects for the children, I funded the actual trip myself. I will write about our projects here, so if there is something you are particularly interested in, let me know! The site can be found at Connie's Fundraising Site.

To those of you in the Western Hemisphere- happy Monday from the future! I do feel homesick but am grateful that Skype let's me stay in touch for less than my phone costs at home (!!).

Pictures below and I'll write again soon.

Love,

Connie

Summer 2013

Hi! 

Welcome to my blog. I will be keeping this primarily to  journal my summer in Southeast Asia.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to go back to Vietnam. Da Nang was where U.S. troops mixed and stored dioxin, the toxic ingredient in the defoliant Agent Orange, which was sprayed over large areas of Vietnam- the total area affected was about half the size of Switzerland, in order to deny cover to North Vietnamese troops and Vietcong guerrillas.

My first trip to Vietnam in the winter of 2010/2011 opened my eyes to the destruction that has resulted from Agent Orange and the amount of people suffering from it, and it has been a fascination of mine ever since. I have decided that the best way to further understand  the effects of Agent Orange, both biologically and socially, is to spend time with those affected in the country where it caused so much damage.

A little bit about my background: up until 2009, I was convinced that I was going to be a professional opera singer. Life happened and my focus shifted, and while I still love music and it is an active part of my life- I have decided on another career path. I want to be a midwife, working in the areas of the world where women and children’s health are the most scarce, but this decision took a bit of time to come to me. After leaving the world of opera, I entertained the prospects of becoming a lawyer, politician, professional traveler, and medical doctor. A combination of my mother’s wisdom, my time in Vietnam, thoughts of mother’s I love and respect, a (healthy) obsession with Nicholas Kristof, and a class on the justice in healthcare pointed me in my current direction, which I am confident is my appropriate and faultless path. I love children. I love mothers. I love health care. I love cooperative education and the idea of bringing a sense of safety and security to areas of the world that seem to contradict those notions is endlessly appealing to me. So for these reasons, I am going to be a midwife- not an opera singer, not a lawyer, maybe a professional traveler, but one that provides health care and helps women carry and deliver healthy, wonderful babies.

Now, for a little bit of business. I will be fundraising for this trip using fundly, and my fundraising website can be found at Connie's Fundraising Page. All the money I raise will go directly towards medical care, supplies, outings, and other necessary resources for the people I work with. I will also be bringing a 50lb bag full of children’s clothing, formula, and diaper cream. If you have any of those things lying around- contact me and I’d be happy to take them off your hands! All that I ask is that the clothing is in good condition with no big tears or serious stains.

Some examples of what I have been able to do on my previous trips thanks to donations include:

-supplement the costs of surgery for a child with Hydrocephalus

-take children to the hospital for necessary appointments for ailments such as ear infections and severe digestive issues

-fund the building of custom-built wheelchairs for children suffering from Hydrocephalus and Cerebral Palsy

-take a group of 24 fostered children on outings to the beach, movies, and ice cream

-buy supplies such as clothing, shoes, books and bicycles

-provide first aid necessities ranging from band aids to eye cream for conjunctivitis

One of the many things that I have learned on my trips to Southeast Asia is that a small amount of money goes a very long way. So please consider donating.

-$5 is enough for antibiotic treatment for 10 children battling a bacterial infection.

-$25 buys an orphaned student a bicycle allowing them to get to school.

-$65 can buy a custom made wheel chair, making mobility an option for a child suffering from a disease such as cerebral palsy.

-$120 is a months salary for a physio therapist, whose work changes the life of the disabled children living in the orphanages and centers where we work.

-$500 can cover a surgery that eases the water pressure on the brain of a children suffering from Hydrocephalus.

I look forward to sharing this trip with you. Stay tuned, I will post a few updates before June 5th, but the real blogging will begin once I arrive in Vietnam!

With love,

Connie