i'm having to learn how to use simple english as well as trying to learn vietnamese!
also, i don't expect any of you to read it all, but this really is the very least amount information i could commit to this blog.
so, last time i wrote i had experienced one day in this lovely town.
there's a lot more to the people, the places and the life that i hadn't seen then, and God knows, i probably still haven't.
i could go into even brief detail about each placement but still have you all bored to tears! in short, these children are all beautiful. apart from the three english groups we teach, our work is exclusively with disabled children. in the rehabilitation centres and in the social protection centre. we give them attention, affection, physio therapy, facilitate the community support and hopefully give them a sense of importance in this world and society where disability is regarded akin to the old notions of leprosy.
it has been a massively gratifying week and a half so far and i'm enjoying every aspect.
so much so that i've decided to stay another month!
when i initially applied, i though one month would be a long time, but now, 8 working days in i can see that it will pass in the blink of an eye and there is so much more i could be doing here instead of seeing statues and famous buildings and beaches and monuments [all of which i can see in the two months afterwards!]
but today was a particular roller coaster of a day.
last week we were informed that the program would possibly not continue to run here in Quang Ngai due to difficulties with contract renewals at one of our placements, SPC.
Mr. Viet, our boss, Toan, our translator and all the volunteers even met with the dept. of foreign affairs on tuesday to try to plead our case. [a fun excursion were it not for the gravity of the matter]
the work we do at SPC concentrates on 4 children. one in particular, 'Little' Phouc, is left lying on his rattan mat on bare wooden slats for twenty two and half hours every day, he has cerebral palsy, an unfunctioning left arm [possibly agent orange defect], is blind and at 9 or 10 years old, stands at a little under 3 feet tall.
and he's beautiful, oh is he beautiful!
we had to fight for him. he needs someone to care for him and do his physio therapy with him. [two months ago his muscles were so constricted that they could barely pry him from his 24 hour foetal position, today, wearing leg splints he can stand for great lengths and is even beginning to try to take steps, amazing and exciting!]
anyway, without the SPC contract, we couldn't have this placement operating. simple as.
so today, with our hearts heavy with fear and grief for all the children we try so hard to help, we went off to teach english at the local kindergarten. almost certain in the knowledge that our days were numbered as a volunteer presence.
we returned to find Mr. Viet in the house waiting to tell us the bad news. the SPC contract was not renewed and without an orphanage at the placement, they could no longer operate the program...
but what about little Phouc, and all the other children too?
the physio, the support, the attention?
what about the bright young things who gather for english conversation every week who can truly benefit from talking with the 'only westerners in town'?
we talked about plan B's, questioned the situation, threw out suggestions and pleas. searched for answers and tried to hold back the anger, frustration and tears. thoughts of Little Phouc lying practically unattended in the backs of all our minds especially.
so guess what, if the program can't operate as an orphanage program with no orphanage, how about we call it a 'community program'?!
yep, it was simple as that!
the relief, the joy, the cheers! the creativity!
we will take our three disabled orphans with us to the rehabilitation centres and the work can continue!
it is quite possible that i am not relaying the full facts of the situation to you, for reasons of discretion and to keep your interest! it is impossible for me to describe the work and the people justly but know this, simply put, i am very happy here, learning new things about the world and myself everyday. i'm teaching and learning new skills and i believe that the work being done by the volunteers here is really making a difference. both today and for the future.
and even though it was never the plan, i'm already excited about the second month!
in other news, the mosquitoes have found me, ouch... we went to Hoi An at the weekend, swam in the sea, ate a lot and i got a dress made. it's 1.30m and i've been up since 5am for my run. we went to the beach here this evening to celebrate our victory and then sat up on the terrace listening to music and talking and drinking strawberry wine and cheap orange rum!
the geckos are still singing away to each other but i think it's time i called it a night
i promise i will get some photos uploaded soon. i miss you all and love you.
[i'll send postcards too, soon hopefully!]
[moral of the story? expect the unexpected!]
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