Humble Visit in Ba Vi

Last week I visited an orphanage in Ba Vi, 2 hours away from center of Hanoi. My colleagues and I went to support them by donating food and clothes. Also to take photographs for East Meets West new website, funding for people with disability in Vietnam.

The orphanage is supported by Three Trees organization and most of the children are orphans, and disabled, the orphanage also supports homeless elders. I'd say there were about 40 children, 25 of them were no older than 5 years old. There were many infants with disabilities. This orphanage definitely needed some funding for the building, it looked cold and damp. The sad thing is (and I feel bad saying it but it's true): the rooms where the infants were kept, smelled like an animal shelter. Everything was very clean but the smell...was unbearable. So it was difficult for me to see the children living in those conditions, but it was all they had. There are diligent people trying so hard to support those children, but more and more, each day or week, a newborn is dropped on their doorstep. So sad what they go through.

Phuong

I befriended a boy named Phuong. He looks 7 years old but because of his disease, he's really 15 years old. He still goes to school and has managed to balance finishing school and being the big brother of the orphanage. He doesn't look Vietnamese, he actually looks like he's from Eastern Russia. Anyways, he's a sweet boy and I trusted him to capture photos with my camera. There was also a 17 year old girl, she only has 3 fingers, and can play the piano. She learned how to play by ear, by using a donated electric piano.

I wanted to volunteer at the orphanage once a week, to do Arts & Crafts with them. But couldn't because I don't have any free time! It was nice to finally visit the orphanage and understand their struggles. I hope through our research and resources, we can help them more financially and emotionally.

I left the place feeling calm and thoughtful, and when I look through the photos in my camera, I can't control myself by smiling or frowning. That's what happens when you see places like those with your own eyes, you feel the happiness from them when you arrive, and you feel their sadness when you leave.

Saying Goodbye gets harder and harder for me.