Hot in Hoi An

“To be charitable is a virtue. To be empowered is a human right.”

Its been an interesting and busy last few days and I will post more tomorrow, but here is a little update. First off- it is HOT here. Like really, really hot. I have never experienced heat like this. People ride around on their motor bikes with full coverage clothing. I do not know how they do it. Its currently 9:21 PM and 97 degrees. Hot.

Anyway, more importantly, Anne Stuart arrived on Friday and we got her acquainted and adjusted and discussed our plans for the weekend and the next week. We decided to take a trip to Hoi An this weekend to see the tailors and visit the Hoi An orphanage. We spent a little bit of time at this orphanage back in 2011 and were expecting the worst. Last time we were there, the conditions were horrible. It was significantly worse than any of the placements in Da Nang. The children were tied to the beds and there was seemingly no constant care being given. It left us feeling incredibly helpless because we could not figure out how we could help since our time needed to spent in Da Nang, not in Hoi An, and we had been warned not to give money or supplies because they often didn't make it to the children. There were many disabled children and most of them seemed completely unable to communicate.

We were amazingly surprised. The childrens' room has been cleaned up and there are sheets on the beds and the children are no longer tied. One of the children suffering from cerebral palsy who Liv had had a real connection with was able to communicate beautifully with her asking how old she was and telling her how old he was. I can't communicate enough how enormous that is. All he did last time was shake his head and jut around the bed where he was tied. Another child that really hit my heart was so sensitive last time we visited that when you picked him up he would just cower into your chest and would have to be pried off. This time he was smiling and playful, a seemingly different child. Something good happened here. We were chased out at 12 so that the children could nap, but it was really unbelievable seeing the same children we had seen just a year earlier doing so much better. Granted, there is still much to be done and if we were here for longer we would dedicate a chunk of our time to this orphanage, but it is not the same place we were at a year ago. Its really inspiring, especially as a volunteer, to see the progress that can be made. It gave us a lot of wind to come back to Da Nang with. Traveling independently is great, but it is also difficult. We have a good amount of projects that we will be able to implement and aid, but we are kind of on our own when it comes to getting people to trust us. Luckily, a lot of people remember us from last time and seemed pleased to see us again. 

The initial shock that we all felt our first time is gone, making us more brave, but the heartbreak that comes from seeing these children and thinking of having to leave is still relevant and still paralyzing at times. I find myself obsessing about what is the 'best'. What is it that we can do that will have the MOST impact on these kids? But I am starting to remember that sometimes the best thing is to come in and brush their teeth daily and play and get them clean clothes and food and new clean clothes and diapers. The small things that aren't considered luxury in America but are life changing here. I have a lot of resources that can make a big difference and I am really realizing that we can't cure Dinh's cerebral palsy or Hoi's hydrocephalus, but we can do things now that can continue after we leave that will make their lives better. 

There are real and effective ways to empower these children who have nothing. 

I am lucky to be here and even more so to be here with resources that I have. Tomorrow we will bring diapers and wipes to babies and clean shirts and shorts to the children in the disabled room at Social Support. And then we will go from there. Our biggest project is working out the details to fund a year of physio at social support, and that is incredibly exciting. I love these children and it is really captivating to realize we can help provide for them. 

So much to do. I will write more tomorrow- we are visiting the new orphanage, Mary's House, for the first time tomorrow and spending the morning at Social Support. We only got one photo from the Hoi An orphanage because they do not allow photography, but more photos tomorrow.