Our Eleventh Journey of the Heart

In 11 years the city of Hoi An has grown beyond our wildest imaginings, with new hotels, neighbourhoods, roads, and eateries, springing up all over. Traffic is more frenzied, from haphazard and noisy, to simply crazy. But at her heart, she is the same town of lanterns, fishing boats, ancient buildings and wonderful food. There is evidence of more wealth but surprisingly little development in the way of social services. Poverty has not abated. Farmers, fishers, day labourers and villagers are struggling more than ever. And so we have once again rolled up our sleeves and begun to seek out ways to alleviate some of the pain of that poverty.  We could not do this without the generous funds given to us for our work, by friends, family and neighbours.

Our first stop, as always, was to Reaching Out, both the Arts and Crafts Shop and the Tea House. Each enterprise won an Award of Excellence from Trip Advisor for the past year. I was able to order the flags and brought them in my suitcase. Here you see me helping the staff at the Tea House hang their banner. They are all lovely young women and now manage the tea house and serve with silent elegance. Their speech and hearing impairments are no obstacle. I don't know who is more proud of their achievements, me, the management team or they themselves. It was quite a celebration!

Once again we had the distinct privilege of visiting the Kianh Foundation to deliver funds donated by
Salt Springers. The Kianh Foundation is a day school for disabled children. This well run, happy place has made miraculous progress, through therapy and education, enabling these kids to develop to their fullest potential. One young boy, now 10 years old, joined the day program at the age of 3. He could not sit up at that time. As we chatted on the breezeway, he came scooting by with the assistance of a walker, evidence of his determination and the dedication of his therapists. Families are encouraged to follow routines and therapies practiced at the centre.

We count ourselves very lucky to be able to visit, as the Foundation is staunchly protective of the children's privacy and ask that people interested in their work, research their website. www.kianh.org.uk. Because we know the Director personally and work with other organizations dedicated to providing skills training for the disabled, we were invited for a quick visit during their Friday afternoon playtime and order a refreshing beverage at the small cafe run by the older kids.

The Kianh Foundation has the only wheelchair customization capability in the region and is able to adapt wheelchairs to tiny bodies, which can be adjusted as the child grows.

Thanks again friends, family and neighbours for contributing precious funds which make the lives of these severely disabled children more comfortable and give hope to their families.