Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Aspen Institute

The 15th HumaniTour Viet Nam
September 26, 2011
Hanoi
Dinner reception hosted by Dr. Charles Bailey, Director of the Aspen Institute Agent Orange in Viet Nam Program (About the program).
Topic of discussion: MAKE AGENT ORANGE HISTORY
At this dinner: members of Rotary International (from California and Washington State), and members of the U.S - Vietnam Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/Dioxin.

More about Charles BaileyMake Agent Orange History Champion





Learn about Agent Orange at the Thanh Xuan Peace Village

The 15th HumaniTour Viet Nam
September 26, 2011
Thanh Xuan Peace Village in Hanoi
The Peace Village in Hanoi is one of several Peace Villages in Viet Nam providing care for disabled children related to Agent Orange. Here in Hanoi, the Peace Village is home for more than 110 kids. The staff of 70 caretakers, cooks, teachers, nurses, and doctors provide around the clock care including physical therapy, education and vocational training.
Kids Without Borders and Rotary have supported this Peace Village over the last ten years.
More about our work with Agent Orange, visit:
Make Agent Orange History Champion


 Nga (left) and Chien (second from left) were awarded
KWB Teach Me To Fish Program Scholarships for college study.
The scholarships were funded by the Ford Foundation and the
Rotary Club of San Francisco.



Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Kids Without Borders at the Hoa Phuong Orphanage

September 25, 2011
Welcome to the Hoa Phuong Orphanage in Hai Phong. The orphanage is home for more than 70 orphans at given time. Kids Without Borders has supported this orphanage for over 11 years.
As always, we have never arrived without gifts.




Good Morning Viet Nam

GOOD MORNING VIET NAM
September 24, 2011 in Hanoi



The 15th HumaniTour Viet Nam - September 2011

Meet our team of Rotarains and friends from San Francisco and from Seattle. We arrive in Hanoi on September 23, 2011.

News Article from the 14th HumaniTour Viet Nam

Young suburban nurses learn about health issues abroad



By Deborah Donovan
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20111229/news/712299760/


Linda Pham’s parents, grandparents and other relatives fled Vietnam 36 years ago, but in a sign of how times have changed, the young nurse from Arlington Heights and two of her friends visited that country to see if they could help orphans there.


The three, who received their diplomas as registered nurses in June, went on a 10-day trip organized by Pham’s uncle, Son Michael Pham, who lives in Washington state and started Kids with No Borders.


In Hanoi, they went to a rehabilitation center for children affected by Agent Orange, a weapon used by U.S. forces decades ago, and they visited orphanages in Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City.


“We played with them and held the infants. We did a lot of holding and playing. They were excited to see new people,” said Pham, who speaks Vietnamese, but said many people in that country did not recognize her heritage until she started talking.


Her friend Diana Ancheta of Hoffman Estates said the visits provided stimulation for the orphans even though the nurses were not able to use their medical skills.


“Each child appreciated the attention,” she said.


Casey Lorenzo of Chicago joined the trip because she thought it would be good for her development as a nurse.


“Community health isn’t just based in a hospital,” said Lorenzo, who was joined on the trip by her Vietnamese boyfriend. “You can actually go out to another country and help people less fortunate than we are.”


Some of the children who were handicapped were restrained, and others were confined to their cribs and spent their days staring at the ceiling, the nurses said, describing the way care was lacking.


“It made me appreciate what we have here,” said Pham. “Our health care system. People complain, but there they don’t have one-half the supplies, resources and funds. The caregivers are not licensed.”


Lorenzo said many of the caregivers were orphans who returned to the orphanages to help.


Gigi Melendez, assistant professor at the Addison campus of Chamberlain College of Nursing in Addison where the trio studied, said students are encouraged to go on medical missions to other countries and can often get academic credit for it.


“It really changes their lives in how they see what nursing should be,” said Melendez. “They are taking care of the person in a physical, emotional, spiritual and I guess mental capacity. We can treat the patient where the patient is.”


The nurses were amazed that such basic things as underwear for the children were missing.


“I want to provide the best care, especially considering the large amount of resources that I have,” said Ancheta. “Hopefully I can do another trip. My parents took time to put me through school; why not give back?”