Another chance to visit the Tu Do Peace Village, which is part of the Women's Hospital in district one, Sai Gon. From our hotel is is a 20 minute walk, but some days it's just too much, too hot to walk both ways so we take a taxi on the way back.
For someone who has not been confronted with children who have birth defects due to AGENT ORANGE it is quite confronting.
To visit one needs to apply for a visitors permit. We got introduced through the Red Cross in 2008. We visit the kids every year, but the first time was a real shocker initially. One of the nurses wanted to put a baby with severe birth defects into my arms. It was too much, I could not do it and walked out of the ward. I'm usually not shy taking photos, but that was too much.
For someone who has not been confronted with children who have birth defects due to AGENT ORANGE it is quite confronting.
To visit one needs to apply for a visitors permit. We got introduced through the Red Cross in 2008. We visit the kids every year, but the first time was a real shocker initially. One of the nurses wanted to put a baby with severe birth defects into my arms. It was too much, I could not do it and walked out of the ward. I'm usually not shy taking photos, but that was too much.
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| Photo from 2008 ... |
Click on photos to enlarge and view in a slide show.
Now, 2017 a lot of things have changed over the years. By now we know some of the kids a little better and we are friends on Facebook. This way we can follow them and see what they are doing. Sadly translations are a lot to be desired ... but we can write to them and they use a Vietnamese translator and then come back with an understandable answer.
Now, 2017 a lot of things have changed over the years. By now we know some of the kids a little better and we are friends on Facebook. This way we can follow them and see what they are doing. Sadly translations are a lot to be desired ... but we can write to them and they use a Vietnamese translator and then come back with an understandable answer.
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| Another 2008 photo ... 9 years ago !!! |
Take a look and see if you recognise any of those kids in the following photos. Yes, Uli is there too, but look at Thanh, he is the one in the middle ...
This is Mr Thanh today !!! Minh Toan, who's tongue is poking out in the 2008 photo is 14 years old and very good at drawing. See this years photo below.
The girl in the green singlet with red parrot puppet (2008 photo) , she is in the next photo, sitting down and doing her home work. Yes, most of the kids go to school, some are a bit slow and go to a special school.
Here are some 2017 photos of the girls at the Peace Village. First Thao, she is tiny, her legs will not be able to support her, you should see her hand writing, excellent. Here she is watching a cartoon on TV.
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