Our First Volunteer From NZ; Sharon Thompson's Blog ~ Volunteering At Go Vap Orphanage!

20/03/2012

1 Comment

 
Here is our wonderful Kiwi VVN volunteer Sharon Thompson's account of volunteering at Go Vap Orphanage, where she is bringing much love, fun, care & culture to the kids. Thank you Sharon for your sharing your heart warming stories with us! 
Love & light, Kim & the VVN team xox
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.03.2012 ~ 
I walked to the bus station to meet Andrew, he had emailed me and said to meet at 0700 and we would catch bus 18, that was fine, but I couldn’t remember what he looked like from FB and I was worried I would be late...so to cut a long story short, poor Andrew waited for me in the stinking hot and I got lost on a Xe Om (motorbike taxi) the poor fella took me to the wrong orphanage, but mind you, I didn’t have the address and thought he knew where it was, you can imagine how awkward I felt having to walk out of the SOS Children’s Village when I saw there was no mention or knowledge of the wonderful Kim Nguyen Browne. I felt stink that I wasn’t able to help them....anyway, after a very gracious driver, I finally got there, Go Vap, where I have been planning to visit for almost 9 months.

What were my first impressions? it was clean, it smelt like cleaners and the staff didn't smile or seem at all happy to have some help, but when I saw Annette and Andrew I felt SO welcome and at home. Annette is Belgian and speaks French, she has spent the last 15 years volunteering, awe inspiring really! so humble, a Buddhist and really funny. Andrew is an Aussie born Viet, he is an osteopath and is spending about 4 months here, he is handsome and has the most amazing commitment to these kids. A lovely man. 

I think I may have come at a bit of a bad time (as I was late), so they were just about getting ready to feed, so i just busied myself in the rooms until Annette needed me to feed. I walked into the oldest room and say a sea of contorted little bodies, a young child with a seriously swollen head ....I had seem videos that Kim had put up to seek people to help, but nothing can capture what I felt when I stood next to her bed. I felt so helpless. How could I bring her some comfort? How could i let her know that people care? How could I ease her pain? All I could do was let he know that I cared, that I was there for those few minutes with her and I tried to somehow communicate with her on a spiritual level. then I sung her 'You are my sunshine' but realised that I don’t know the last chorus (need to google that). She lay there, her head so large that even if she wanted to move, she couldn’t, her head so heavy that I even imagine picking her up for a cuddle could be risky. I kissed her head and moved on to the other children in the room. Some responded, some didn't, some just stared right through me...I stayed and gave them my five minutes and then sung whatever song I could think of, sometimes Bruno Mars, but more often, poorly sung nursery rhymes.

Breakfast time...or just one of the two meals the kids eat each day. Congee, with a tiny speckle of some vegetables. It then occurred to me why Kim asked for vitamins as I realise that they don't get much. I fed her while she was lying on the ground with me on a wedge and was told to stay to one side so the staff could get past me if the needed to. I was feeding away and the little 8 year old with polio came in to 'help' me feed. She is cheeky, she is an 'attention seeker', but hey, she is smart, she knows we all need love and attention and she is not shy to demand it. I love her, she is funny, when i bent over to pick something up she slapped me on the ass LOL I turned around and she has the biggest grin on her face. She had some spark and she was bright and used this to get what she needed, attention. I don't blame her for being like that...in fact, I admire her. I returned to feeding the teenager with epilepsy and my little polio girl sat on my knee with a big PLONK....right into the bowl of congee. I squealed with laughter (my automatic reaction) but Annette reminded me that this could also get her in trouble with the staff (for being naughty)...her and I shared a funny moment....my dress was covered in rice and my thighs were even wetter and sweatier than they were. Priceless moment :)

After breakfast was 'play time'. The children were taken to an outside part of the rooms and laid down on mats with a crappy radio playing :) In the next 5 minutes I learnt that a raspberry (blowing a fart on a cheek) in universal, I got the biggest smiles that would melt the hardest of hearts. When Andrew came in with one of the cerebral palsy boys and raced his wheelchair there was the most amazing, guttural, face distorting giggle that came out of this tiny twisted body....if only I could bottle that sound, I would, to see this little boy lost in his own laugh was beautiful!!! Shortly after a bunch of very pretty made up Aussie girls came in. they told me that they are here to help 15 orphanages and they donate money and come every year. now, I am not to judge, but i will say what i think. They stuck to the 'cutest' babies and just kept talking about the money they give. Don’t get me wrong, this is honourable and I am pleased to see people helping, but if I have learnt one thing in the first hour at Go Vap is that money means shit to these kids....what they need is a smile, a touch, a song, a kiss and just time. Westerners are so focussed on money to make things better, they couldn’t be more wrong. I like that these girls are helping (and they look pretty with their push up bras, false eyelashes and nice nails) but i would love to see them go into the terminal ward and tell me that money can help them......crikey, that was a bit of a rant! but I feel so invested in these kids already, all we need to go is 'give a little often'.

After playtime i was invited to have lunch with the other volunteers and managers. Wow! Heaven, they couldn’t understand what I was saying (Although Andrew translated), but they could see I was in heaven. I love food, and I love trying new food. I love that this would have been a humble home cooked meal, but by god it was incredible!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read More
1 Comment
 

American Vietnamese Christie Ton: Return To Vietnam & Volunteering At Go Vap Orphanage

15/09/2011

2 Comments

 
Picture
“Arthur, where the heck are we?”
That is the first thing I said to my boyfriend when I landed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was night but you could not really tell from the heat and the bright flashing lights. When I looked out the taxi’s window and saw the masses of motor bikes swarming in and out of traffic, I was scared for my life. I had never seen such a ridiculous scene. I would soon come to learn that there would be countless things I had never seen, never experienced, never felt, and never imagined before. And if there was one thing that could summarize my trip in Vietnam, then that was it.

Arthur and I had done plenty of research for every aspect of our trip. We had looked through numerous hotels and decided on a hotel because of its location and reviews on the internet. Thien Vu Hotel was in between Go Vap Orphanage and the notorious District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City. The hotel is a family run business with kind and gracious owners. We definitely made a great choice. We got very close with the owners as they even made us dinner on our last night in Vietnam, but the fact that I knew how to speak Vietnamese and that they knew that we were here to volunteer at Go Vap Orphanage sure did help.

How do I describe my first day at Go Vap? Well, for starters, it was something I had never seen before. Thanh, one of the employees there who used to be an orphan there as well, gave me and Arthur a tour of the orphanage. At each ward, there were these precious darlings with unfortunate situations. I did not fall in love with everything right away. There were so many beautiful babies without a family and really, without good medical care. I had volunteered a lot of time at the largest public hospital in New York City and I used to think that place was unsanitary and disorganized but it was immaculate compared to Go Vap. The lack of the use of gloves, hand sanitizer, and sterile material put these children in a dangerous environment. Despite my disapproval of Go Vap’s hygiene, I went on spending some time with the children in the Down Syndrome ward, I immediately felt at home and at ease. A little boy, maybe of seven or eight years old took me by the hand and showed me around the place. He told me to sit down and tugged on my hand when I did not listen to him the first time. He pulled me down to the floor to show me one of the caretakers feeding another child. He said to me “Look, she feed him! She feed me too!” The caretaker looked to him and told him to leave me alone in the most endearing way possible and proceeded to hug and kiss him. This was my first glimpse, and certainly not the last, at all the love at Go Vap.

I walked into the hydrocephalus wards and went slowly through all the three rooms. It must have been most heartbreaking moment of my life. Never had I seen so many sick children with such poor prognoses. I felt helpless because there was nothing I could do. I walked into the youngest room of the hydrocephalus ward and found the sweetest children. I think I had recognized some faces from spending so much time on the Vietnam Volunteer Network’s website and Facebook, but to see these faces actually in person was a totally different feeling. After being so heartbroken, I was really down. But almost immediately, their smiles could warm you in an instant and their deep gazes into your eyes could capture you attention for a very long time. After that moment, I did not really feel my initial sense of powerlessness because I finally saw that there was something I could do. All these children desperately needed attention and love. The caretakers had too many children to take care of and could not give in their heart and soul, besides; they had their own children to take of too. However, I was here just for these children and was ready to give them all my loving.
2 Comments
 

Kate Loring: An Australian's Experience Volunteering At Go Vap Orphanage

13/09/2011

4 Comments

 
Picture
Kate Loring & Hien
What have I gotten myself into? My first thought when everything was being arranged for me to go to Go Vap Orphanage. I was concerned that I would see things that I couldn't handle or possibly even worse, things I just didn't want to see. 

Go Vap Orphanage is old, like much of Vietnam. When I entered the buildings I wondered how many children have passed through these gates/corridors/rooms over the years. 

My first day was a bit of a blur. I met Mai and Sydney who showed Jen (my new volunteering friend) and I around the orphanage and helped with translating, very helpful! Everything was confusing, from what's all this purple stuff all over the babies bodies, to what are the staff thinking about me!  The staff were friendly with inviting gestures and smiles, no need to be worried.  I counted 23 babies laying around on the mats in the playroom, how amazing, all these babies and not one of them crying! That didn't last long! And so continues the day. 

Each day after this I became more informed, less confused, and above all I began to see the need for volunteers, and this is where the work being undertaken by Kim Nguyen Browne, founder of Vietnam Volunteer Network, is vital. The support I received from Kim has been fantastic and I couldn't have wished for a better organisation to volunteer through.

Here are a few examples of what I did during my days at Go Vap Orphanage:

The special needs ward:

The kids in this area seem to have a multitude of issues.  They are all different ages, all different abilities, all different personalities and they are all looking at me! I helped one of the carers move the children into the play room, which is next door to their sleep room. Some walk, some crawl/shuffle, and some need to be carried. We all sit up at the table, some children play with the toys put on the table and some just sit there, one colour’s in a colouring page.  The noise is incredible...there are squeals of excitement, banging of toys on the table and floor, babbling, clapping, talking, singing, all blended with loud Vietnamese children’s music.  But it is fun!

Play time continues until around 10:15am. I help pack away the toys with the carers and then the children are moved to the hallway were they are fed. This is messy business.  When helping to feed the children, always have the bowl out of reach of the children, I learned the hard way. They rest at 11am.

The terminally ill and sick ward:

The rooms on this ward are full. All 3 rooms, with 18-20 children in each, all in cots. As I look around the rooms my heart starts pounding, I don't know what to do, where to go, or who to give my time (the only thing I can give at this point) to first. They have all been given their unique cross to bear.  Some have Hydrocephalus, some have Spina Bifida, some have Cerebral Palsy, all have a smile, even if only for a second when you look into their eyes and connect with them. I spent a lot of my time on this ward, I did fall in love.  In truth for many of the children on this ward there isn't much you can do, but if for one minute you let yourself remember when you have been sick and stuck in bed, then the thought of someone being there, sitting with you or touching your forehead can be a much appreciated and comforting feeling.  So that's what I did. I sat with them and gave them human touch. 

There are also the children that can move around; these kids are a lot of fun. Like any 2-7 year olds they are full of energy and love to play. They always captured my attention at some point during the morning. I found that by playing with these kids, the other children that were not able to move easily could also join in the fun by watching, listening and occasionally copping a wayward toy to the head (only soft toys) which always made them smile.

Many times I cleaned up vomit, nappies, spilt food, and drool...and there's plenty of it!

The special needs class:

My time spent with this group of kids was wonderful.  The first time I met these children they were playing outside, sitting in groups and sharing some toys.  It didn't take long for a few of the kids to grab my hand and make friends with me, showing me their rubix-cubes and yoyos, their most favourite toys on earth!  One young boy likes throwing balls and engages me in a game, when you look at his eyes it seems impossible that he can see anything, but he has amazingly great hand eye coordination and is able to out play me with his accuracy and precision.  A lot of my time is spent with this boy, he holds my hand, puts my arms around his chest so that I am cuddling him and always finds something for us to throw to each other, once taking my water bottle, drinking the entire contents in one go, and using it as a ball, what can you do but laugh. 

When you are with these children you have to look past their physical features and their ages and take what you find, which is loving, cuddly, and playful kids that want to hold your hand and play with your hair and touch your leg when talking to you.

The Director, Co Loan also kindly invited me and 2 other volunteers to join her, the staff and the children on a trip to the beach.  The trip was over 2 days, spending one night away.  This was an amazing time, truly indescribable for the most part.  The kids were wonderfully well behaved and made the most of their time away, from singing on the bus trips to playing games together at the hotel.  We had 2 glorious days at the beach, splashing, swimming, playing and generally just soaking up the sun and happiness! The smiles on the kids’ faces never once faded.

My time spent at Go Vap Orphanage will be forever remember and cherished, I will return, I will do all I can to help my new friends and I will encourage others who are considering volunteering with these kids, and others in Vietnam, to do so!

Thank You to Kim for giving me the opportunity.

Thank You to Co Loan and the staff at Go Vap Orphanage for being welcoming and friendly.

Thank You to the children of Go Vap Orphanage for allowing me into your lives.

4 Comments