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
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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!
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Love & light, Kim & the VVN team xox
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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!
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