2 years since I had been with the Mekong Plus team in Bình Thuân. It has grown much stronger! Hàng is now the leader in Duc Linh district, so dynamic, much more confident and always enthusiastic! She welcomes us with a large smile: « What do you think about my team Claire? Big change!»
Next is Dô, in charge of the health programs, he invites us to visit a few very poor families. After a long drive on difficult dirt tracks with his little motorcycle, we reach a half broken hut. A family of 5, the parents are away. Thuy is a lovely little girl of 11, she is like a mother for her 2 younger brothers, both severely retarded. They are joyful and obviously enjoy our visit, but can say no word, just shout and laugh… Both are incontinent. Thuy washes the youngest one, with determination and love, while the eldest is just next, with no pant, just a torn dirty t-shirt. The parents are working on some someone’s farm, they have no land of their own. As soon as Thuy returns from school, the mother leaves the boys to Thuy and joins her husband. The parents want Thuy to continue her school and look for help. I admire the courage and strength of the little Thuy, how lonely she must feel, and frustrated with no time for possible friends, she is stuck with her brothers, always home. Dô shows us his notebook. This family survives with 1 euro per week! They can certainly not manage without some help! Thiên Chí has started to help them. This is the local NGO, partner of Mekong Plus. First a clear diagnosis: meet everyone in the family, earn every member’s confidence, discuss possible options with the them , see also the neighbours and see what they suggest, what help they will give. Thiên Chí already gives a scholarship. It will certainly give a microcredit to raise pigs; the mother could then stay home more, and look after the boys, Thuy could be more regular at school.
These are the different facets of Thiên Chí’s work. Expand to more villages, go where nobody else wants to go because poverty is so obscene. The local team has become stronger and willing to take all challenges. The villagers also have become more confident as they know of other extremely poor families the project has helped already. Rumours spread fast. But Thiên Chí will not just listen and help. If Thiên Chí’s vet cannot see this is a viable and profitable project, then they will look for other options. After each credit cycle the results are evaluated together, and new investments are decided.
I am really proud to be part of Mekong Plus! I wish more people would be curious about the Vietnamese people we work with! I think we have much to learn from their enthusiasm and creativity. I think more people should visit the programs as I did. Not to give lessons, but to work together, strong as steel, for lasting results.
Claire Thibaut, the 21st June 2007
