Going Nowhere; Moving Forward

 

2020: Our Year of Isolation and Inspiration

 

 At this time of the year we are usually planning and packing for another trip to Vietnam to continue our humanitarian work and renew our relationships with family and friends. We are yearning to be there. 

COVID travel restrictions have decimated the travel industry and caused widespread loss of income and recent flooding in Hoi An and the Central Highlands have left so many families devastated. 

 

 

 

The picture above is of the back door to Reaching Out. The shop has been closed since the onset of COVID restrictions but fortunately they had the foresight to raise all the machinery to the ceiling on a system of pulleys before they closed the doors. As the water receded, the staff got busy cleaning the muck and debris from the floors and the walls. Reopening will coincide with the lifting of restrictions on foreign travel. 

 

 

The floods in Quang Tri, as pictured above, have claimed many lives, family homes, their cattle and crops. Hundreds of volunteers have swept into the province and by boat have delivered emergency supplies and made hundreds of rescues of stranded families. 
 

Like you, we have been confined to quarters, but we have not been idle. Bruce's latest book was released October 15th 2020. Third in the Lien series, the focus is again on the sordid practice of child trafficking, but this time is focused on Mexico and the United States. Bruce's research was meticulous and although fiction, it reflects heart crushing reality.

The book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and from the publisher Black Rose Writing. Your local bookstore can also order the book for you from Ingram.

All proceeds go towards prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of victims. We also have advance copies in the garage, so if you are in the neighbourhood or want a signed copy mailed to you please email us at brucelogan.bli@gmail.com. Thank you to all of you who have purchased a book by donation. The donations have been very generous.

Reviews are very enthusiastic! The Road From Tenancingo has been described as having "on the edge of your seat" tension along with detailed descriptive and evocative passages. 

Bruce's objective is to raise awareness of this world wide scourge.

 

 

 

 

Many of you are aware that over the last few years we have become involved with the GO Philanthropic Foundation.  Gophil as we call ourselves among ourselves, embodies the values that we hold for engaged philanthropy. Solutions are found by working closely with local grassroots organizations to help them find their own solutions to issues in the fields of health, education and human rights. In fact, we began to know them with and through two such organizations with whom we have worked in Vietnam, Children's Education Foundation and Blue Dragon Children's Foundation.

Bruce now sits on the Board of Directors of Go Philanthropic and we both belong to the Founders Circle. Thank goodness for ZOOM during this past year. All board meetings are virtual and the staff and founders also are in constant communication with program leaders around the world. 

We are particularly proud of Gophil's recent Rapid Response drive to raise funds for our existing partners to adapt to new needs arising due to the effects of the Corona Virus on their daily operations. Their regular services gave way almost instantaneously to those of food relief. The Gophil community responded immediately and generously and funds were distributed expeditiously.  It was gratifying to hear in a Zoom call with several of our partners in SE Asia and India about how they had adapted, becoming food distributors in addition to being  health providers, educators and social workers. In many locations this also entailed procuring government approvals and transportation systems.  Sadly instances of domestic violence and trafficking have exploded as the unscrupulous take advantage of the vulnerable. The creativity, resilience and fortitude of those with whom we spoke on the Zoom call were admirable

 

A ZOOM call brings us closer to our partners in the field, but oh how we would love to be there with them. BUT, no airfares, no hotels, no travel insurance, no shots or visas to buy (as well as no elegant dinners out, no concerts or events, and who needs new clothes other than cozy at home wear!) So our coffers have allowed us to donate more generously than in the past!

How about you?

 

We are deeply grateful to those of you who have followed our "Journey of the Heart" to Go Philanthropic over this past year and have given so generously from your hearts to our efforts to prevent child trafficking and educate girls in poverty.

This year, we would like to encourage you to also think about sharing your COVID travel savings with those for whom the next meal may be uncertain, children who may not be able to go to school and certainly have no computers for online education and those at peril of being taken advantage of in their deepened desperation

 

           http://gophilanthropic.org/how-to-take-action/make-a-donation

 

Please consider making a donation to Go Philanthropic at the above link. On the link you will find a comment box, where you can direct your funds to a specific program if you wish. Please also indicate in that box that you have been referred by Bruce and Elaine.

                        Be Calm, Be Kind, Be Safe

A New Path on the Journey

Dear Family, Friends,  Donors, and Supporters, 

 

Since our first trip to Vietnam in 2006 with Tours of Peace Vietnam Veterans and the inception of our own non-registered charity Journeys of the Heart in 2008, many of you have supported our work in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. We are deeply grateful for all your support. We could not have sustained our efforts without your generous contributions of funds and encouragement. Over these years the nature of our work, the people and organizations we have served and the relationships that we have forged have all evolved, as have our own thoughts and convictions about the nature of impactful philanthropy. 

 

Our approach to our work has evolved and changed in several respects.

• • We have aged and thus our roles have become more advisory. We no longer go on long treks to remote villages. We network with our contacts and link problems with problem solvers. 

     

    

    Only short rides on town streets for us now!

     

     

    Our projects and programs have matured. 

     

     Reaching Out now is a solidly founded social enterprise, growing and developing, responding to the changing tourism market in Hoi An. We still assist with Human Resource issues, translation of documents and correspondence and social media. We no longer send funds to this now successful operation.

     

    Children's Education Foundation, despite the shared concerns about a diminishing pool of worldwide donor funding, continues to keep girls in school and is celebrating the graduations of some of the girls from university. They are able to provide tertiary programs in water safety, health and hygiene, life planning skills, awareness of child trafficking and defining and reporting abuse. We work with the founder on those funding challenges.

     

     

    

    Children's Education Foundation, founders, staff, advisors, and donors.

     

     

    

    Working with Le Nguyen Binh, CEO Reaching Out in his home office

    
    

     

    Our concern for the scourge of child trafficking has intensified. Bruce is nearing completion of his third novel focusing on the enslavement, rescue, and rehabilitation of young women, This new book brings attention to the problem on our own shores, set in Mexico and the United States. All profits from the sale of his books go to Blue Dragon Foundation headquartered in Hanoi. Blue Dragon's founder, Michael Brosowski has built a very large and successful organization, garnering co-operation from local and Chinese police forces to rescue victims as well as creating a safe haven for the rehabilitation of these victims and protection and education for street kids to prevent trafficking. Michael has been instrumental in providing real data about his organization and the stories of "his kids" to add credence to the storylines of Bruce's books. We have toured Dragon House, met many of the staff and seen first hand how the kids are cared for. 

     Bruce speaks with anyone ready to listen in groups, at book clubs. His purpose is to raise awareness of this worldwide problem. 

    

   

  
  

  
  

Very early on, despite our good intentions, we made some mistakes. I often use the story of the toothbrushes to illustrate. Our good dentist asked if toothbrushes would be useful in our work. Fabulous, we said, tooth decay is rampant in the remote villages we visited. Off we went, traveling with a well-reputed NGO to these villages. with literally hundreds of toothbrushes and toothpaste, and other hygiene items.  Our gifts were received with curiosity. We briefly demonstrated "how-to" use a toothbrush, distributed treats (often candy) and left. We did not sit with the village elders to listen to their needs. We came, as so many good-hearted foreigners still do, with our own interpretation of what the problem was and with our solution.  We did not listen and learn, We did not learn the source of the problem. Was the village using impure water? Was the daily diet lacking the nutrition to build strong bones and teeth? Was there even a ready supply of toothbrushes should they develop the practice of cleaning their teeth and if they were available, could the villagers afford to buy them? 

 

This simple allegory reflects an attitude towards philanthropy that is still prevalent. Large international agencies are still investing in huge projects that have little hope for sustainability. The problem is education, let's build schools.  Health services are nonexistent, let's build a clinic. The communities often have no resources to staff and maintain these facilities; there is no sense of ownership nor has the community been supported in developing the skills necessary to effectively run the establishment. 

        We have learned to listen and learn. Over the years our network has expanded and along the way we encountered founders of the Go Philanthropic Foundation, a small but effective NGO whose efforts support small, grassroots organizations. We were working on the same problems. With them, we are learning to "reimagine philanthropy". We have joined their Founder's Circle and Bruce serves on the Board of Directors. What attracts us to this organization is our shared values and the dynamism of a core of dedicated, committed individuals who are creating ways to empower their program partners, to seek the wisdom of local communities in how best to ease their problems. From child trafficking in Vietnam and Nepal, to gender equality in India, to health and education challenges within Mayan communities in Guatemala, not only are the programs carefully vetted but solutions are generated by the locals and they are responsible for their own development. We are certain that along with GoPhil we will learn how to share power with grant recipients and participate in a larger, more effective manner of giving.

Child Rescue Nepal: picture from the GoPhilanthropic's website. Happy girls in school, not brothels or factories

We will not be able to travel to Vietnam this winter, but we hope that you will remain on the team and work with us through our trusted partners. Please call or e-mail us with any questions. We will be happy to help you determine which program/organization you would like to support and how to go about getting your gift to them.

Write: elainehead43@gmail.com

 

Call: 250-537-4127 or 604-328-1855 

Important Websites for more information and background

                                   : ebtovietnam.blogspot.com

                                   : gophilanthropicfoundation.org

                                   : bluedragon.org

                                   : www.cef-vietnam-usa.org

                                  : www.reachingoutvietnam.com (while you browse this website, do visit their on-line store. Beautiful gifts are available and the shipping is secure and timely.

 How you can help:

                                 : make a financial gift to GoPhilanthropic designating your funds to the program of your choice, mentioning that you are friends of Bruce and Elaine.

                                : write us a cheque and we will forward it to the organization of your choice

                                 : promote Bruce's books. Post reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, and other social media. Invite Bruce to your book club. invite us to speak about child trafficking at your next meeting. 

                                 : travel responsibly

                                : read, share, (on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and participate in spreading the stories of the amazing work being done across the globe.

                              

                               

May you all be well.  Enjoy the upcoming Holiday Season.

Elaine and Bruce

                                     

                                  

 

Another Journey of the Heart Upcoming

It has been more than a year since we have travelled to Vietnam and we are eagerly anticipating our next trip in February, 2019. Only a few more months before we again fly to SE Asia to be reunited with our family in Hoi An and to renew our relationships with the organizations with which we have worked for the past 12 years.

This past year has been an exciting one. We have become more closely associated with the Go Philanthropic Foundation, joining their Founder's Circle, attending Hub meetings in January in both Santa Fe and Denver as speakers on the subject of child trafficking, joining the annual community building event once again in Santa Fe and hosting a session here on Salt Spring Island with Linda DeWolf, a Go Phil founder. We introduced Go Phil and attendees were engaged in a lively discussion about responsible travel. Bruce has been appointed to their Board of Directors.

Journeys of the Heart has, over the years, been able, thanks to the generous donations of so many family members and friends to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged people, especially girls and women, the disabled and victims of Agent Orange and to fight child trafficking. Along the way we met two of the founders of Go Phil and realized that our purposes overlapped to some degree. Most importantly we knew that our own values aligned with those of Go Phil.

From the Go Phil website: www.gophilanthropic.org.

Our core values define our philanthropic strategy.

Our Guiding Principles

• Those closest to the problems know the issues more deeply— we don’t have the answers, but we can assist in their discovery

• "Capturing humanity and celebrating dignity” is our motto when visiting and sharing the powerful stories of people’s strength and courage

• We respect and honor the importance of different cultures, traditions, philosophies and beliefs

• Impact is not made in isolation–In order to combat the most difficult social issues of our time, we must actively work and learn together

• ‘Listening and Learning’ is more effective than ‘Serving and Solving’

• Philanthropy is not a one way transaction but instead a process by which people learn from one another, share resources and develop pathways to uncover their greatest potential

• People are at their best when they do for themselves 

We met in July with the Founders, Board and Ambassadors of Go Phil and realized that we had a strong desire for deeper involvement. We also knew that our efforts when aligned with Go Phil would have greater impact and that we had much to learn about ethical, effective giving.

 

In addition, Journeys of the Heart, through our partneship with Go Phil will be able to continue and strengthen our work with Childrens Eduaction Foundation: http://www.childrenseducationfoundation.org.au/ (supporting girls from poor families to stay in school and grow to be women with choices) and with Blue Dragon Childrens Foundation: https://www.bluedragon.org/ ( preventing child trafficking and rescuing victims). As you are probably aware all of the proceeds from the sale of Bruce's two books (Finding Lien and As the Lotus Blooms) are donated to Blue Dragon. 

So what does this mean for our faithful supporters of and donors to Journeys of the Heart? We hope that you will come along with us on our new journey of exploring, listening, learning and giving. The Go Phil website is a treasure chest of information not only of their current programs and travel opportunities but also videos and recommended reading references. 

We hope that you will continue to or begin to support our work.

• You can make donations to Children's Education Foundation and Blue Dragon on-line through the Go Phil website https://gophilanthropic.org/how-to-take-action/make-a-donation/ and recieve a receipt. Please mention your connection to and friendship with Journeys of the Heart. 
• You can send a cheque to Journeys of the Heart to support the disabled or victims of Agent Orange (as we are unregistered there are no tax receipts).

      Please mail cheques to:

       Journeys of the Heart
      #10-115 Upper Ganges Road
        Salt Spring Island, BC
        V8K 2Y3
        Canada 

 Join us!     Make a difference!

Same Journeys of the Heart : More Partners Along the Way

Since the inception of Journeys of the Heart ten years ago, when we chose the name for our charity, we hoped that it would symbolize the roads, both physical and emotional which we intended to follow in our effort to serve in SE Asia. We knew that we would spend lots of time on airplanes and hot, sweaty little busses on red dirt roads, stay in climates and conditions unfamiliar,  and learn much about the cultures of the countries that we visited, primarily Vietnam. We knew that our skills and knowledge, supported by generous donations from family and friends could, if matched to the right need/project/program/village, make a difference in the lives of people who have been marginalized.

The other journey that we have been on, is one of growing awareness of about how humanitarian contributions can be (despite the good intentions of workers and donors) ineffective or even harmful.  Happily, fate or luck rather than good management led us initially to find, ethical organizations and, like moths to a flame, we found ourselves networked with Reaching Out Vietnam, Childrens Education Foundation and Blue Dragon Childrens Foundation, also both in Vietnam. Along the way we also encountered the founders of Go Philanthropic Foundation. Our mutual concerns in the areas of education, health and human rights (especially of women and children and most latterly the prevention of child trafficking) drew us towards 'Go Phil'. Our concerns were their concerns and in fact they also supported programs at Blue Dragon and CEF.  We liked the language that they used to describe what they did, and why they did it. We were impressed with the intelligence and huge hearts of its founders. We witnessed the power of networking, collaboration and sharing between organizations in tackling social issues in the developing world.

In my last blog I described how Bruce and I travelled to Santa Fe and Denver to speak about child sex trafficking at two of what Go Phil calls Hub meetings; gatherings of supporters, donors, travellers and folks interested in the topic of discussion. By the time we got back home we knew that we personally wanted to have a closer connection to Go Phil, www.gophilanthropic.org. We joined their Founders Circle.

Guiding Principles

• Those closest to the problems know the issues more deeply— we don’t have the answers, but we can assist in their discovery

• Capturing humanity and celebrating dignity is our motto when visiting and sharing the powerful stories of people’s strength and courage

• We respect and honor the importance of different cultures, traditions, philosophies and beliefs

• Impact is not made in isolation–In order to combat the most difficult social issues of our time, we must actively work and learn together

• ‘Listening and Learning’ is more effective than ‘Serving and Solving’

• Philanthropy is not a one way transaction but instead a process by which people learn from one another, share resources and develop pathways to uncover their greatest potential

• People are at their best when they do for themselves

Now that our personal relationship with Go Phil was cemented we also sought ways to link Journeys of the Heart, our unregistered charity, to Go Phil. Not only were we working with two of the same organizations, but our values were closely aligned to their principles listed above. We knew that the work of Journeys of the Heart would be more effective, and be able to do more of the "right things" in collaboration with this larger, well-known foundation with an established presence in SE Asia.

• We will continue to operate, communicate and solicit your support under the Journeys of the Heart banner,
• You will see our blog posts, Facebook posts and e-mail communications under the JOTH banner
• We will accept your donations and deliver/forward them to your designated program or project as we have always done
• HOWEVER, donors now will also have the added convenience of choosing to contribute to Children's Education Foundation ( sponsoring girls' education, the library, bicycles or special programs) and also Blue Dragon Children's Foundation (preventing child trafficking, rescuing and rehabilitating victims ) through Go Philanthropic via their donor page. https://gophilanthropic.org/how-to-take-action/make-a-donation/. Please let Go Phil know that you are a Journeys of the Heart donor. They will send a tax receipt to you.

A note: Proceeds from the sales of our books go directly to Blue Dragon

In addition to be being a philanthropic foundation, Go Phil operates an ethical travel company. Check out the upcoming tours at https://gophilanthropic.com. These trips offer a unique opportunity to engage with and learn from our partners across the globe.

Speaking of travel......we will be hosting a Go Phil Hub gathering on Salt Spring Island on September 14th. Lynda DeWolf, one of the Go Philanthropic founders will join us. She will tell us about the foundation and travel company. We will follow with an informal discussion about responsible travel. An invitiation list will be going out soon. Let us know if we have missed you or if you have questions (about the Hub gathering or any of the news announced in this blog!)

elainehead43@gmail.com

Strengthening a Partnership

We have just returned from Santa Fe, New Mexico and Denver, Colorado, where we were hosted by the GoPhilanthropic Foundation at two of their "Hub" meetings where Bruce presented a talk about the scourge of child sex trafficking.

Linda DeWolf, one of the Co-founders of the foundation met us at the airport in Albuquerque, drove us to Santa Fe, housed us in her comfortable adobe house, squired us around her beautiful historic city, introduced us at the Hub meeting and then chauffeured us up to Denver for the Hub there.

On a chilly Sunday morning, we joined the Women's March to the plaza.

Linda DeWolf welcoming the participants to the Santa Fe Go Philanthropic "Hub"

Bruce engaging the Hub in the difficult discussion about child sex trafficking. 

Our association with GoPhilanthropic began in Vietnam about seven years ago when we met Lydia Dean another Co-founder of GoPhil. She was traveling in SE Asia with her family, but also with the purpose of vetting grassroots organizations as possible partners and recipients of Go Phil's monetary support.

Since that first meeting, Journeys of the Heart and GoPhil have worked together to support two organizations in Vietnam whose focus is on education and the human rights of children.... most  latterly, in the area of child sex trafficking.

Through the research for Bruce's book, Finding Lien, and the networking with NGO's in SE Asia, we have learned much about this woeful industry and have realized that there is greater hope of success in preventing trafficking through synergistic alliances with others. GoPhil promises to be a strong partner in this regard.

Please watch the video below, wherein Lydia Dean explains the GoPhil approach.

The link to GoPhil's website is:

http://gophilanthropic.org

This website is informative and easy to navigate.

The approach Go Phil takes in partnering with local, often grassroots organizations through financial assistance and strategic guidance until the agency is self-sustaining, is one that we endorse.

The Go Phil "Hubs" are groups of local supporters, sponsors, volunteers and travelers and those interested in learning more about global social issues. The "Hub" group in Denver, hosted by Amy Leonard, Go Phil Ambassador, was an eclectic gathering, which included, much to our delight, young people including a high school junior who is actively involved locally in preventing trafficking. Although our focus is SE Asia, we are all too aware that our own communities are not immune to this cruel practice.

Amy Leonard, Linda DeWolf, Elaine Head, Bruce Logan

Journeys of the Heart looks forward to building our relationship with Go Phil and other partners to combat child trafficking and its underlying causes of poverty and lack of education and awareness in developing countries. 

Tugging at the Heart Strings

Every time we are able to deliver gifts, donated by dear friends, family, neighbours, colleagues and fellow travellers, we are again moved by their generosity, love and trust. We also now have a team of Vietnamese who are helpful with translating and guidance.

An event last week was typical of the astonishing teamwork. We attended a meeting at Reaching Out,  at the arts and crafts shop as well as the tea house. Members of USAID and a delegation of the Asia Pacific Subcommittee of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee visited as part of a Southeast Asia fact-finding trip.

As is often the case, the agenda was not exactly clear, but the RO team were ready and welcomed this group of VIP's with their usual aplomb. We had thought that they were simply seeking clarity about the social enterprise model which has been the foundation of RO's success and sustainability...a way for the disabled to learn marketable skills and earn a living in a society where advances on building access for the disabled are limited. But they concentrated instead on how they might influence the Vietnamese government. Although the laws are on the books they are far from being universally implemented. This was a good thing.

Early evening tea was served in the Tea House garden; a peaceful place to answer their questions.As always, time was short, there were too many questions and too many "spokespersons" but I believe that some seeds of awareness were planted in the minds and hearts of this delegation.

Another occasion last week on behalf of TOP, Tours of Peace, Vietnam Veterans tugged at the strings of our hearts. TOP has supported the Quang Nam home for the Aged for many years and it was our pleasure to deliver a good supply of medications to the centre for TOP. With the help of Vu Duc Anh in Saigon, who acquired and shipped the medicine to Hoi An, we delivered two huge cartons of necessary medicines. The Director was delighted.

Once again, our Grandson Sesame was along to help with translation. He has become a staunch supporter of our work and is growing into quite a statesman.

Sesame's presence allows us to have more in-depth conversations with our hosts and we are deepening the relationships that we have with them and the residents of this institution. Here we are getting to know Trung, a very caring young nurse. I also had a nice chat with my friend Huynh pictured above.

We spent time talking about our friend Ut who died last year at age 61 of liver cancer. She was a double amputee, having stepped on a landmine when she was 14 years old. Surprisingly we were invited to go to visit her graveside. This we did this morning, guided by Ut's granddaughter.

Bruce proudly wore his TOP cap as he paid homage to this brave lady. You may remember that during Ut's last painful months we, once again with Anh's help, were able to provide Ut with medicine to make her more comfortable. TOP trip participants loved UT and she, them.

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.

Annual Appeal 2017

Off We Go Again!

Once again we are anticipating another trip to Vietnam. Although we do not depart until September 20th we are already thinking about shots, mosquito repellent, and the right clothes for both sunny, hot, humid weather and possible monsoon rains. 

Over the years we have seen some amazing progress in Vietnam, a developing economy, more advanced infrastructure and greater awareness about the environment. But sadly as the country moves full stride from a developing world to one of greater stability and wealth and as a strong middle class develops, the disenfranchised become more destitute. Greed and corruption lead to more severe problems. Child trafficking is on the rise, village people do not have access to education for their children and the number of people of disability does not diminish.

We are working with several organizations whose purpose is to prevent child trafficking and rescue children, both boys and girls who are lured into slavery in sweat shops, mines, the fishing industry, prostitution or as child brides.

• Blue Dragon: Hanoi  https://www.bluedragon.org
• Ethos: Northern Vietnam http://www.ethosspirit.com/ethosgiving.html
• Go Philanthropic: Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal http://gophilanthropic.org/gophil-expands-trafficking-work-vietnam/
• Children's Education Foundation, Vietnam http://www.childrenseducationfoundation.org.au/programs.html
• Vietnam Education Society: http://vietnameducation.ca/about-ves/

The biggest change that we have seen over the last 18 months is the trend towards networking amongst the above organizations. We share information, stories, heartening rescue stories and developing relationships with police and authorities.

All the proceeds from Bruce' latest book, Finding Lien are being donated to these organizations.

There is so much work to be done and the costs of rescue and rehabilitation are high. 

We are also working with Ong Vang, a Vietnamese organization, dedicated to building new schools in ethnic villages high in the mountains of Vietnam.  This is the latest school facility that we have learned about and we are contributing to the financing of materials for the volunteer labourers. All these materials are hauled up the mountain by the young teams.

Poverty and lack of education are the most frequent reasons that children are trafficked, therefore providing schools and teachers and funds to sponsor education are critical. Children do not attend school for many reasons: distance to school by foot, lack of money to pay for uniforms, parental insistence that the children work on the land, disability and lack of accessibility in the school facility.

When we deliver gifts from an American sponsor to "her" student we can see the wonderful results. Van can now read Liz's letters in English. She knows all the names of her family members. Just look at the proud Grandma! This sponsorship is through Children's Education Foundation Vietnam. 

We are still working with the aged also and look forward to seeing our old friends at the Hoi An Home for the Aged. This home is also a beneficiary of fund raising that continues with our group of former Tours of Peace participants.

If you would like to support our work, please send a cheque to:

Journeys of the Heart

#10-115 Upper Ganges Road

Salt Spring Island, BC

Canada

V8K 2Y3

We are happy to deliver your gifts!

You may also choose to donate directly to any of the organizations listed above.

Thank You!!