Phnom Penh, Cambodia.....Hearts Opened Wide

Arriving in Phnom Penh, Cambodia after 48 hours of travel and no sleep can be a shock to the system, especially when one has left British Columbia, Canada on a balmy summer day of about 20 degrees Celsius. The heat ( about 35 degrees) and humidity (about 90%) struck us the minute we strode onto the jet way at the airport.

The first stroll down to the river from our hotel was also a jolt to the senses. We encountered more filth and poverty than we have seen elsewhere in South East Asia. Maybe we were tired, maybe jet lag had caught us early, but our hearts were immediately smacked with the vast differences in the lives that we lead in North America to the lives led by the people of Cambodia.

The street cleaner's babies...it is 5:30am and she is already working. 

Some of this garbage will disappear during the day....but not all

This driver spends the night in his tuk tuk...he is one of hundreds that do.

We had come to Phnom Penh with several purposes:

• to do research for Bruce's book in progress...this time a novel
• to visit some social enterprises to do bench marking for Reaching Out, where we volunteer in Hoi An, Vietnam
• to learn about the culture of this nation struggling to recover and rebuild after years of war and a devastating genocide

As always we have learned more than we anticipated. We have met wonderfully welcoming people, dedicated advocates for young women, children, the disabled, courageous survivors of unfathomable atrocities, hungry vulnerable children, crumbling infrastructure, stunning architecture, delicately flavoured food artistically presented, teeming streets of tuk tuks, bicycles, carts and markets overflowing with flowers.

Lotus flowers at the morning market

National Museum

On their way to class at the National Buddhist University

One of the most difficult problems in Cambodia is that of child sex trafficking. We connected with AIM ( http://agapewebsite.org) who graciously invited us to the village of Svay Pak, a notorious centre for child trafficking. There to gather information for the book that Bruce is now writing, we witnessed the work that AIM is doing to prevent trafficking, to rescue girls who are enslaved and to restore their lives through intense therapy, education and employment.

We toured former brothels which now house their outreach programs, an employment education centre, a garment factory and a safe house for rescued girls. AIM has worked with and through the community to build a new society.

Picture taking is discouraged, but we were able to take pictures of structures and the environment. We wish that we could show you the faces of the happy families and young women and girls who are taking advantage of these programs.

Playing in the street is a mucky affair after a torrential downpour, but it is now safe.

Still a place of severe poverty, but now there is hope

Where job and life skills are being learned

Our host Chad ..a young man dedicated through his faith to eradicate the trafficking of children in this village.

Journeys of the Heart was able to leave $1000.00 with Chad's  organization to help in a small way to alleviate the crushing pain of a community in recovery. Children are still being sold throughout the region and across the country, girls to China and boys to Gulf of Thailand, but there are no longer brothels in this town.


Phnom Penh was also a place to get to know Friends International an organization based in Paris whose mission is to protect vulnerable children. We were able to visit the "commercial" arms of this social enterprise; a gift shop and restaurant where the talents of street children are featured in crafts and food service. Their website is http://www.friends-international.org. In Phnom Penh the Friends have taken over a city block and whilst shopping in the craft shop or eating lunch one is surrounded by the happy shouts of the day care centre next door.

One of their initiatives that grabbed our attention was an awareness campaign about the misguided practice of "orphanage tourism" and the demeaning and damaging effect it has on children.

We would like you to know also about the organization that we visited today to do some benchmarking for Reaching Out.  Craft Peace Cafe http://craftpeacecafe.com also serves the disabled by providing training in Bateay Prieb. the crafts are sold on-line and in their retail store, which also features a small cafe.

Carvings and needle work nicely displayed

A photo of the workshop 

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum was almost too much to bear. Being present in the former high school which had been used by the Khmer Rouge to imprison, torture and kill thousands of those Cambodians whom the regime deemed unfit for the new society envisioned by Pol Pot, was painful.

The stark, barren rooms are lined with photographs of victims, torturing devices were on display. We met Chum Mey, a survivor of the horror who has penned a small book about his experiences.  His purpose now in life is to tell as many people as he can, before he dies, about the atrocities that he suffered, so that it will not happen again. We were honoured to meet Chum Mey and grateful to have the opportunity to bear witness to the sacrifices of his prison mates.

It has been a deeply meaningful four days in Phnom Penh.

Thanks to the home team....your thoughts, e-mails, blessings and of course your monetary donations keep us going!!!!

Goodbye Salt Spring Island......Hello Hoi An

Just six more big sleeps and then we are off again to Vietnam, with a quick visit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, before we reach our other home, Hoi An.

This is last night's Super Moon as seen from our upper deck. We will, as always, miss the tranquility of our island, our walks in the forest and by the sea, the sailing on Mahalo Nui and special times with family and friends.

But, there are many people that we are anxious to see again and some new contacts whom we have met on-line who are also there in Hoi An doing good works. We are really looking forward to being involved with our favourite projects and organizations.

Meetings are scheduled with Linda at Children's Education Foundation and at least one trip planned to visit the homes of some of the girls in the CEF education sponsorship program. So many of our faithful donors to Journeys of the Heart have designated their funds to keeping girls in school, providing library books, bicycles or medicines. As always we will be thrilled to deliver these gifts on your behalf and see the appreciative girls in their homes with their families.

This sweet family are very appreciative of the help that they receive from CEF

The growing mobile library, funded in large measure by Journeys of the Heart supporters adds depth to the education provided in the district schools and opens the girls' eyes to a bigger world.

We are in awe when we see the conditions under which these girls study. Many finish high school and some go on to university thanks to the ongoing support from CEF.




Of course we will also be involved with Reaching Out the social enterprise which we have served for the last six years. Just look at the size and strength of the team now! As the organization prospers and its reputation for the level of skill training and meaningful employment spreads, more people of disability are applying. Training scholarships and equipment purchases are the only ways ( other than volunteering as mentors as we do) that one can contribute to this organization and JOTH has consistently provided funds so that more young people can be trained to join this family.

These high intensity lamps were also a gift from Journeys of the Heart a few years ago.

The new venture for Reaching Out is the opening of a traditional Tea House where the speech and hearing impaired staff are earning rave reviews on Trip Advisor. The gracious and silent service has delighted our customers.

In addition we will see our friends at VAVA (Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange) to check on the progress of the micro-loan endeavours and to cheer them on.

So Long for now.....you can keep tabs on us through this blog and Face Book. Thanks for all your good wishes and little envelopes which have come to our door over the last few weeks

Bruce and Elaine

Reaching Out's Annual Adventure

Every year, our friends at Reaching Out are treated to an outing. This year 65 people, employees and their families ventured to the Ba Na Hill Station.

An early start aboard buses got them to the gondola at the bottom of the hill and after a thrilling ride over the forest tree tops they disembarked at this fabulous Vietnamese "Disney Land".

I am always so moved when I see how the team helps one another to get to and enjoy the attractions.

Binh and Quyen and groups of advocates throughout Vietnam are working hard to create awareness and implementation of new legislation requiring access for the disabled in public places. They have a long way to go, but seem tireless in their efforts.

In the meantime there were rides that thrilled, delighted and frightened the group!

Reports were that the buffet lunch was only mediocre.....but these cheeky monkeys thought that the scraps were just fine thank you very much.

 Journeys of the Heart continues to contribute volunteer services to both the Reaching Out Craft and Gift Shop and the Tea House and has provided training scholarships, thanks to generous annual donations from our supporters.

We are so happy to see this hard working team having some fun!

One Hundred and Seven Children

There is a pagoda outside Da Nang on the Central Coast of Vietnam where no unwanted child is turned away. On January 17th, 2014 the 107th baby was taken in.

The head nun, Thich Nu Minh Tinh has for more than 20 years been housing, clothing, feeding, educating and nurturing these children, both boys and girls. Their quarters are increasingly cramped and the orphanage is chronically under funded. A small foundation has been established and our friends Le Ly Hayslip of Global Village Foundation and Manus Campbell who lives in Hoi An have been working to support the orphanage.

The rate of unwanted teenage pregnancy, now at 20%, is on the rise in Vietnam. Abject poverty still plagues many farmers and village people who can not afford to feed nor educate their children and so they leave them on the pagoda steps. Sometimes the children are disabled or disfigured and thus discarded. Children who are left on the streets are vulnerable to trafficking into labour in factories or the sex trade.

Co Minh Tinh knows the threats to these abandoned little ones and has stretched her mission beyond its capacity and yet the children keep coming. She refuses none. She ensures that each child gets the medical help he/she needs and very importantly she also does all the necessary paper work to have these children officially named and registered so that they will have an identity card and eventually be able to obtain work.

The staff include nuns and lay persons from the village. I think that there are nine babies in this enclosure with one very young attendant.

Village women prepare food, some of which is donated, to feed the children nutritious if simple meals.

The hair cuts and robes on the older children reflect their Buddhist teaching. Some chose to follow the monastic life after their schooling.

Despite the obvious simplicity of life at the Chua Quang Chau, there are lots of clean, bright, happy faces.

At Journeys of the Heart we are hoping to add Chau Quang Chau to our list of projects and to help Thich Nu Minh Tinh to shelter and love these precious young lives.

Please let us know by e-mail if you want to contribute to this fund. 

elainehead43@gmail.com

One Family's Story

When I saw this photograph accompanying stories about home visits on the Children's Education Foundation blog....it stopped me, as they say "in my tracks." I hovered over the image for a long time.  I looked at those beautiful, intelligent faces, the clear eyed smiles, the health and cleanliness of the children against the backdrop of a humble bamboo house with no electricity and probably no running water, certainly no inside toilet facilities. 

The little girl's education is sponsored by CEF....thank goodness. My first thought when I saw the three brothers was that her education might be the first to be sacrificed, that she would be obligated to stay at home to help with the cooking and cleaning like so many young girls.  Because of the research that we are doing for Bruce's new book about the sex trade, I have became aware of the real threat to young Vietnamese girls of being trafficked. Linda Burn and I exchanged e-mails about this family ...I needed to know the story.  Linda hears variations of this story in every home she visits. 

That's Dad in the picture with the kids. He is in charge while Mom works in a factory. He has a degenerative disease of the spine and is only capable of light, infrequent work in the fields. The eldest brother who looks to be about 12...certainly no more that 14 has recently quit school and is working to help support the family. 

Linda reports that there is a special sweetness to this family who are gracious and grateful for CEF's support. They ask for nothing extra, despite the fact that in the rains their house leaks, the children scramble for study space by the light of the lantern hanging from the wall. 

Several donors to Journeys of the Heart ask annually that their funds be directed to CEF and education support. We are so appreciative of your support, as are so many families like this one. 

Please remember CEF, Journeys of the Heart when planning your gifts for 2014. These young 

children can break the vicious cycle of their poverty, with an education and opportunity through your support. Check on the Links to the right for a link to CEF.  For more information about how you can help send an e-mail to: info@backtovietnam.com.

Thank you....and Cam On from "the girl in the picture." 

There Is Always A Way To Say "Thank You"

The Reaching Out Tea House is silent. ....blissfully so, according to all of the reviews on Trip Advisor!

Somehow the customers enthusiastically savour the experience of tasting delicious teas, coffees and delicate cookies whilst sinking into the enveloping silence. Such a contrast to the cacophony of the streets of Hoi An!

It is delightful to watch our visitors melt into the gracious surroundings and service.

We are charmed that so many customers respond with respect and awe to our speech and hearing impaired staff. Spur of the moment sign language lessons happen everyday and "thank you's" are often the first two words to be exchanged.

In August we will return to Hoi An and are really looking forward to seeing all of our friends at the Tea House.

First Micro Loans Issued

Our target for 2014 was to issue, through VAVA,  (Vietnamese Association for Victims of Agent Orange) 7 micro-loans.

In a quarterly report that we received today, we see that four families have taken advantage of the loan program to start a variety of home based businesses.


Hoa has borrowed the equivalent of $500. She recently lost her husband and is struggling to support herself on a government pension of less than $100 dollars a month.

Hoa maintains a small tomato garden.

 With her loan she has bought some chickens for breeding.

She will also renovate an old workshop and equip it with tanks, where she and her son will breed fish.

Good luck to Hoa...a woman determined to have a better life.

Vinh is a second generation victim of Agent Orange and his young son is also affected. Vinh and his cousin have collaborated in opening a barber  shop. The loan of $400 was used to set up the business in his house with chairs and equipment. Vinh is the barber seated in the picture below. We wish him success in this endeavour. Looks like he has some customers already!

Be and his family exist on a pension of less than $100 a month and with their VAVA loan of $400 he has fenced and enhanced his small mixed farming effort. His pigs, ducks, chickens and vegetables will provide food for their table and a small profit from the market.

The fourth loan of $800 was issued to Tri, an elderly man of 85, who with his daughter have opened a booking  office in their home, booking bus and railway tickets.  Our partner at VAVA reported that Tri did not want his picture taken...he was embarrassed. Sure hope that we can meet Tri when we return to Vietnam to assure him that we enthusiastically support his efforts to improve life for himself and his daughter.

Once again, a huge thank you to all of our contributors to this aspect of our work, the veterans of Company A, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry and friends and neighbours.

The Gift of Electricity

Since the inception of Journeys of the Heart we have had many consistently generous donors.

Some of our donors designate their funds towards specific projects, others leave the distribution up to Journeys who decide where there is the greatest need.

Two supporters have always chosen Reaching Out to receive their annual gifts. Through the years they have:

• sponsored many trainees through their initial skills training and longer term staff in Leadership Skills, sign language or salesmanship 
• high intensity lamps for the women doing stitchery
• looms for the weavers

Last year their gifts bought a portable generator! 

The Reaching Out family is very excited about their generator! Not only can they stay open in the retail shop during power outages, but they also can continue production in the workshop with power for the  metal work and jewellery making and of course those high intensity lamps for the sewers.

How often does the electricity go off and why? Here is one reason!

  

Tourists find these "rat's nests" of service lines so amusing that there are T-shirts available with graphics depicting the snarls! But of course if you are trying to run a business and are concerned about the safety of your workers it is not so funny!

Another reason, especially in Hoi An is simply that generation and supply can not keep up with the demand and often there are planned outages (sometimes even announced!) to conserve.

As you can imagine, the gift of a generator allows the team at Reaching Out to continue the production and sale of their beautiful crafts to ensure a steady income for these hard working and lovely people.

Thank You to our donors who have helped to keep Reaching Out running during blackouts!