Tuesday, Day 3:
We left Saigon on a 6am flight and left behind the 90s heat. Two hours later, we arrived in Hai Phong with almost 30 degree cooler weather. We arrived at the Hoa Phuong Orphanage when most of the kids were still at school. After a brief visit with the management staff and getting caught up on the latest happenings in the orphanage, we went from house to house and visited with the ‘house mother’ and the orphans (at home since they are too young to be in school). We met several new babies, and learned one of the baby in the ‘sick house’ just died from a seizure. There are eight homes on the ground of the Hoa Phuong Orphanage. Five of the homes have up to ten orphans, one is for teenage boys, and one new home is a temporary boarding place for street children. The eighth home is for seven orphans who need round the clock care due to their physical or mental conditions.
Before we reached the first home, a group of three students carried an unconscious fourth student across the yard. One of the orphans had a black out in her classroom and she was sent home. When we reached the home, she was still unconscious and surrounded by the house mother and other students and orphans. We learned that the 17 years old Mien has had several blackout bouts within the last several months. We will arrange for her to have a blood test to determine the cause and necessary treatment.
As we finished our rounds, some of the kids arrived back from school and the noise level started to rise when they spotted us. We pulled out the toys we brought with and soon we were surrounded by most of the seventy plus orphans. Some of the orphans were lucky enough to receive letters and gifts from their sponsors (of the Teach Me To Fish program) in the U.S.
For Son Michael, this visit marked ten years since he visited the orphanage for the first time and fell in love with the children. For ten years, he has kept his promises to these orphans-- going out of his way to visit them every time he comes to Viet Nam. This is where the Teach Me To Fish (TM2F) program was launched; taking grown orphans under the wings of Kids Without Borders and helping them to integrate into life outside of the orphanage.
The sun started to set, and the mosquitoes became more noticeable. We wrapped up our visit and headed to a modern shopping center with five of the TM2F kids, two of them bringing along their own children! We treated everyone to a sumptuous ‘hot pot’ dinner, and it was an opportunity for us to get caught up on their current situations: home, family, work, dreams and wishes. Two of the five orphans broke the ‘orphan cycle’, both have their own family and child. However, Hoa Phuong Orphanage is always home for these kids, and the ‘house mothers’ and children there will always be their family. They all gather back at the orphanage on weekends, holidays, and especially on the annual anniversary celebration of the orphanage in April.
As we bid farewell to the kids, they all started to count down the days till our next visit and their next feast. We headed back to our comfortable, air-conditioned hotel and they returned to their modest homes. Hope they all had sweet dreams!
Tomorrow: Hanoi City.
Two sisters holding letters and gifts sent by their sponsors in the U.S.
"The School Bus": orphans coming home from their kindergarten class.
Many Rotary Clubs (in the U.S) and Rotarians are supporters of the Teach Me To Fish (TM2F) Program. THANK YOU ROTARY, for Making Dreams Real for these orphans.
Some of the Teach Me To Fish Class of 2005, now contributing members in their community (some with their own children in this photo).
Begin on back row second from right: Judy Pham (KWB), Leanne Tran (Melbourne, Australia), and Mrs. Truc. Leanne and Truc are KWB volunteer teachers.