Angels and Dragons

We're having a real rollercoaster of a week...

...One of the former Blue Dragon kids, Binh, has just gotten married...

...his youngest brother is in hospital with a serious head injury from a motorbike accident...

...one of the original Blue Dragon kids - Minh, now in his 20s - has announced that he's getting married in January...

...our staff have taken the runaway boy Tiep home to his family - although it seems pretty clear that he won't be going back to live with his mother ever again...

...another runway boy, who has been living on the streets for many months, also went back to his family with the Blue Dragon staff - but again, there's not much prospect that this family is going to stick together...

...and one of our friendliest neighbours died unexpectedly. (When you have a drop in centre and residential home on any street in any country, friendly neighbours are hard to come by!)

... and it's not even Wednesday yet!

Meanwhile, the Sofitel Plaza in Hanoi is helping us to raise money for the street kids we work with. They've set up a huge Christmas tree, and are selling Blue Dragon dolls in their lobby. They even have an angel working there to sell the dragons! It's nice to get a helping hand like this - it all helps...



In response to Terynn's comment - here are the dragons!




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Fighting poverty, by making cages

Blue Dragon has rescued 56 trafficked children, over the past few years; and most of these kids have come from a sea-side area of central Vietnam.

Getting the kids home is just the beginning. Once they are back with their families, we need to help them return to school or training; help out with material needs (like build them a house); and help the families to become more secure and, ultimately, independently able to look after their children without our help.

To that end, our latest venture is a project with another NGO, called Telefoods, to teach some aquaculture to families living in particular hardship.

Stage 1 has already begun: the families are learning how to make cages in which to raise fish! Here are some pics of what's been happening this week...

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Update on runaways

As we hoped, the runaway boy named Binh who I mentioned in my last blog entry is now back with his family.

His mother and some extended family came to the Blue Dragon centre yesterday afternoon. Binh was very worried at first, and tried running away from them again, but eventually they all set off together back to their home in the countryside.

It was really interesting to see that the family were concerned about who we were: they feared that we might be child traffickers, and so they brought some burly neighbours with them in case their child was in any danger. Once they saw us with Binh, though, their fears were calmed, and they were incredibly thankful for our assistance. It was touching to hear the grandfather offer to pay us for any costs we had incurred while Binh was with us. (Of course, we declined!)

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This article on street children appeared in a local newspaper this week. I can't say that I agree with the headline, or with the forced repatriation of street children that's discussed at the end (news flash: it rarely, if ever, works! And we'd never force kids in western countries to go home, so western NGOs in Vietnam shouldn't be trying to get away with it here!) the article does explore some important issues that street kids face.

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2 runaways

The past few days at Blue Dragon have been dominated by our work with two runaway boys.

Each has come to us separately; they're very different people and have come to us for very different reasons. But they're both in quite difficult situations and need some help.

First is a 14 year old named Binh, who has a notable intellectual impairment. He's a tiny little guy, looking more like an 11 year old than a 14 year old; and when one of our staff spotted him on Long Bien bridge he was filthy and hungry.

Because of his impairment, it's been hard going to find out any information from him about where he's from and why he's ended up in Hanoi. The staff team here has been great, though, and finally we've been able to piece together enough clues to track down his family in the countryside. They've been hugely worried about him - of course! - and are on their way in to Hanoi today to meet up with Binh. Fingers crossed for a happy reunion.

The second runaway boy is a 16 year old named Tiep. He was brought to us by another one of our kids, who used to live on the streets in a gang but now lives at our residence and has a regular job. He saw Tiep shoeless and filthy on a bus, and realised that something was wrong!

Tiep has been living at home with his mother, and for the past 2 years has been working in a factory. But things at home aren't going well; Tiep and his mother aren't getting on and Tiep believes he's better off now to venture out on his own. There are bound to be many emotions tied up with this case, but we've already been able to make contact with his mother and we're hoping to have some kind of resolution this week.

Runaway cases are always difficult; they require intense attention and need to be handled carefully. There's a lot at stake! Hopefully I'll have some good news about Binh and Tiep in coming days.

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Streets

I am in Hoi An at the moment, in central Vietnam, where Blue Dragon operates a home for 30 children.

Although I'm here to do some work at the Home, this trip coincided with the grand opening of another fantastic project based in Hoi An: a training restaurant for disadvantaged youth.

This restaurant, called Streets, has been open for a month or so already, but tonight was the 'official' event. It's a great restaurant - the food is top notch, the building itself is worth a visit, and the service is excellent. Best of all, the trainees who run the place (under supervision, of course) are the most wonderful people you can meet!

Check out their website here.

I'll write more in coming days about my other work here in Hoi An. But if you're traveling through, make sure you stop in for a meal here. A very worthy cause!


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Running!

I haven't been blogging much in the past week as so much has been happening! A big day today - a few runaways were at our centre, and the staff were able to finish the day by taking one back to his family and seeing a very happy (and tearful) reunion. Most satisfying.

I've suddenly realised that Christmas, New Year, and Lunar New Year are all just around the corner - panic time! Lots to do.

...And on a calmer note, this article was on the front page of the Denver Post Lifestyle section today.

Will get back to blogging later this week!

Shameless marketing for a good cause

It's Christmas time... and that means gift time!

Blue Dragon has a range of gift cards for sale; click here to have a look.

The cards have been designed by one of the Blue Dragon girls, Hanh, who has just started art college.

Sales of the cards provide practical support to the children we are helping - and you get a beautiful card to send to your friends at Christmas!

Drop Ruth from Blue Dragon an email if you have any questions about how to order: ruth@bdcf.org.


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Photos - trafficked kids

As promised, a few more photos of the children we've just taken out of factories to reunite with their families...

This young girl was forced to work on the
floor, up to 17 hours per day cutting out cloth

Here's the whole group we rescued, standing with the
officials from their home towns and a Red Cross representative

First stop - clothes shopping! The kids needed
warm jackets for their return home

One of the smallest kids we rescued, standing with an
official from his village as they left the factory

The kids are all back home now, catching up on sleep and spending time with family and friends. No more long hours slaving away in factories!

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Redefining normal

An important part of Blue Dragon's rescue trips to Saigon is having government officials and local journalists accompany us, to keep them involved and active in preventing child trafficking.

Their presence also keeps us safe.

One of the journalists who we worked with last week has written this article, translated into English. (The original, in Vietnamese, is here; as is this follow up article which has not been translated).

The writer of this article has taken the time to interview some traffickers and factory owners. A quote to remember: "It's normal for children to work until midnight."

Apologies that I don't yet have more photos! I'll post them as soon as I get my hands on them...

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FREE

Yesterday morning, 7 children from Hue were working up to 18 hours per day in garment factories like this:


Today, those 7 kids, aged 13-15, are on a train heading home. They are with a government official from their home town, and the Blue Dragon lawyer, Van.

Here are photos of 3 of those children, pictured with their bags as they leave the factories.




We have some very happy kids, and some very unhappy traffickers.

More pics to come over the weekend.
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More shoes

I am in Hoi An today, here to visit the kids and staff of the Hoi An Children's Home. We're going through some changes in the management of the Home, so I am here to help with that and give some encouragement to the staff who are working very hard!

I'm also visiting an old friend - Nam, who I have written about in the past. Nam was the first street kid I ever met in Vietnam, and back in February I wrote here about how he and his wife have opened a shoe shop.

Since then, Nam again approached me to ask if Blue Dragon could lend him the money to open a second branch, closer to the river where far more tourists are likely to shop. He put together a convincing plan, so we organised a small loan and the new shoe shop is now up and running.

It's flood season again, so there aren't very many customers right at the moment, but the shop has already had some good months and Nam is confident about the future. He's working in the new shop, and his wife in the original shop; they've now hired some apprentices to help them.

Nam's initiative and hard work remind me, yet again, why it's so worthwhile helping out street kids in Vietnam.

The original Gold Dragon Shoe Shop is at 495 Cua Dai Street, Hoi An.

The new shop is at 80 Bach Dang Street.

The shop from the outside...

Nam standing proudly in front of his new shop

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Giving and taking

Over the past few days, some very different events have highlighted the contrasting nature of my work in Vietnam.

First, this article came to my attention and the Blue Dragon staff have already made contact with the family of the child involved. The story in brief: yet another child from Hue in central Vietnam has been working like a slave in a garment factory in Ho Chi Minh City, and fallen extremely ill due to being overworked and undernourished.

The boy is back home now with his family; Blue Dragon is paying for him to undergo some tests at the provincial hospital. Meantime, some questions need to be answered. Why was the factory owner able to do this to a child? And will he be allowed to get away with it, or will he be prosecuted for this?

In contrast to an unscrupulous factory owner making money by exploiting children, one of the Blue Dragon kids in Hanoi has made a most touching gesture. In my previous blog entry, I wrote about Hanh, in her first year of art university and already exhibiting her art work. The gallery paid her for her involvement in the exhibition, which was truly exciting - her first ever substantial income! So what did she do? The following morning, she called to say that she wanted to donate 20% of her payment to help disadvantaged kids.

This is the largest sum of money that Hanh has ever made, and her instant reaction was to give it back to needy children. Hanh has every right to keep this money for herself - she needs it! She earned it! - but she has the moral compass to think of others.

Now, if only we could get the garment industry to start thinking like Hanh...


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Drama and violence

Some exciting news from two of the Blue Dragon girls today!

One of our kids who has recently graduated from Year 12, Quyen, has just been accepted into a drama school here in Hanoi. This has been her dream for many years - and it's all thanks to her hard work and perseverance that she's made it. It's a 3 month course, and Quyen started on Monday. (That's a pic of Quyen below).


Meantime, another of our girls, Hanh, has been in art school just a few weeks and she's already been invited to participate in an exhibition. Many Blue Dragon supporters know of Hanh's work - the gift cards which we sell at Christmas each year are designed by her, and her artwork has appeared on our website and in other places around town. But this is her first public exhibition, and a major step forward for her!

The exhibition opens tonight at Hanoi Future Art - more info on it is right here. The theme is Violence (Bao Luc in Vietnamese), and Hanh's work will be appearing alongside works by both Vietnamese and international artists. If you're in Hanoi - get down there and see!


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Radio NZ

Here's a link to a radio interview I did recently on New Zealand radio. There are a few things on here that I have not yet blogged about - such as the Blue Dragon kids who are currently studying in Singapore and New Zealand. I'll get around to writing about that soon...

(P.S. - Some people apparently can't hear the interview using that link. If that's the case, follow this link and scroll down until you see the heading "Michael Brosowski". Thanks for letting me know, VinaMinh!)

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Typhoon relief continues

Over the weekend, Blue Dragon worked with the Vietnamese Red Cross to get emergency supplies of rice, noodles, and water filters to families in Hue.

Although the typhoon ended a month ago, flooding continues and families are unable to get back to work - so there's still extensive hunger, homelessness, and general misery.

Auscham in Ho Chi Minh City raised the funds to pay for all this - big thanks to them for their support.

A family outside their demolished home

Taken from a Red Cross vehicle, showing flooded village streets

The roof has been torn away from this home

Blue Dragon staff preparing to distribute boxes of noodles

Some supplies had to be transported by boat to flood affected areas

Families gathering to receive supplies

Traveling by boat...

Getting help into the hands of those who need it

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Long Bien festival

An important symbol of Blue Dragon's work in Hanoi is the Long Bien Bridge.

Once a beautiful landmark, famous for being designed by Mr Eiffel himself, it is now a rickety bridge which is home to street kids, beggars, drug dealers, and a night market that thrives and bustles with traders and thieves alike.

But it's still at the heart of Hanoi, and of Hanoians.

Last week the local community held the first ever Long Bien festival, intended to celebrate and recognise the place that the Bridge has in Hanoi's history and spirit.

Blue Dragon got involved because so many of our kids live around the bridge... or on it... or under it...

Follow this link to see photos that the Blue Dragon kids took early this year of the Bridge, as part of a project we organised.

Some of our boys performed a dragon dance, which is thought to bring good luck. The first photo below shows our kids doing the dance along the bridge - and that's another bridge, called Chuong Duong, in the background. Both Long Bien and Chuong Duong span the Red River.



The following 2 photos were taken by Vincent Baumont. The first is taken looking up at the Bridge, which usually isn't quite so festive...

... and the next shows our boys under the body of the dragon.

Oh, and a quick bit of trivia: Long Bien literally means, in English, "Dragon of the River Banks."

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Aid to typhoon victims

Following up from an earlier blog about the aftermath of the typhoon: Blue Dragon has delivered rice and other food supplies to about 200 families in Hue. We're happy to report that the families we work with were mostly unharmed by the typhoon - although in the days following they've been going hungry as their normal sources of food have been cut off.

We'll be sending out an update to everyone on our mailing list in coming days, so email Amy - info@bdcf.org - if you're not on the mailing list but want to be!

And below are a couple of pics of the distribution. The 2nd photo shows our lawyer, Van, with a family whose home has been severely damaged.






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Then and now

The photo below is taken in a tent set up on a demolished slum site in Hanoi.

Trang, aged 17, is wearing the pink shirt. This is her family's business: her mother, disabled by a bomb during the American - Vietnam war, relies on this "shop" as her sole source of income.



When I first met Trang and her mother Thanh, they were living in a house on this site. It wasn't a great place to live, but it was better than a tent. A couple of years ago, when the slums were demolished, all the slum owners were compensated - except for Mrs Thanh and her little family. So they erected this tent and now sell tea and drinks to workers from the nearby Long Bien market. A short time later, Trang's father died, so she dropped out of school to help her mother in the shop.

The photo below shows Trang three days ago.

Trang and her mother Thanh were desperate to find a way to get out of their awful circumstances, so they came to Blue Dragon and asked us to help Trang get some vocational training.

We were able to get Trang into a hair dressing course, and this week she has VERY proudly graduated. She's even been offered a job in another business!

Trang is all smiles. Things are looking up now; she has the skills to hold down a decent job, and she's motivated to do well.

A big difference between then and now.

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Better now

Most of the news out of Vietnam and around south east asia has just been awful lately - so I thought it was time to post some good news. A few pics below of our kids celebrating the Mid-Autumn festival.... with special thanks to those lovely people who donated moon cakes for everyone to enjoy!

I have no idea what's going on in that last photo, but the first two show the kids making traditional stars in a park.

I also want to thank those individuals and groups who donated food and rice for the relief effort in Hue and Hoi An. I had one very humbling email from a Vietnamese man in the US who was sending us the money he'd been saving up so hard - but believed that the kids who lost all their gear in the typhoon needed it more than he did. That made me want to cry.

Bue Dragon's lawyer and some staff from the UN school, UNIS, are in Hue right now delivering about 2 tonnes of rice and noodles to families who lost everything. Powerful stuff.

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Hoi An Children's Home - In Recovery

The flash flood in Hoi An, sparked by the typhoon, has receded, so the kids and staff are in the process of cleaning up and working out what they've lost. These photos have just come through, taken by one of the Social Workers there named Van.

The road leading to the Home - now accessible by boat!

Blue Dragon volunteers carrying supplies to the kids.

The front yard of the Home; trees are down, and filth is everywhere.

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Typhoon update

What a rotten week in the Pacific - earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons. Let's hope there's nothing more to come.

I am in Hobart, Tasmania, so information is coming to me. I hugely appreciate those people and groups who have contacted me or my colleagues to offer support.

The news as I have it right now:

The floods in Hoi An are receding - as this was a flash flood, the disaster seems to have moved on pretty quickly. Kids at the Hoi An Children's Home have lost a lot of their personal gear, and furniture has been badly damaged, but I don't yet know the extent of loss.

Just to the north, in Hue, it seems that the typhoon has destroyed many homes. We're working in Hue with children who were trafficked; we need to make sure that this crisis does not lead families to sending their children back to the garment factories in the south. I am waiting to hear how many families need help to repair their homes; it's still too early for rebuilding to begin but this will need to commence in the coming week. Some pics below of the Hue families to help you see what's happening. Some of the houses have been completely demolished.

Awash

The news from central Vietnam today is pretty bad - the typhoon has hit Hoi An and Hue with unusual ferocity. There's not much news at the moment, as power lines and telephones are down, but mobile phones are still working so we're staying in contact with our people on the ground as much as we can.

In Hue, many families have had their homes partly destroyed by the winds: rooves have been blown away, and families in shacks have lost everything. We're going to need to build some houses once the storms have passed.

In Hoi An, the situation is even more urgent. A dam wall collapsed, causing an unexpected and sudden flood of most of the town. The 30 kids at the Hoi An Children's Home are trapped on the 2nd floor of their building; the water rose so suddenly that many of their belongings and equipment belonging to the Home are irretrievably lost. It's heartbreaking, but the good news is that our kids and staff are all safe.

I'm hoping to write more on Saturday, when I have some more info. In the meantime, if anyone is able to pledge support, we're going to need to act fast once the wind and waters recede. Email me at bluedragon@bdcf.org, or contact Amy on info@bdcf.org. So many crises have hit the region that it's going to be tough to raise some funds, but every bit will help.

Check in again on the weekend for an update.

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A day in court

People often ask me, "What jobs do the Blue Dragon kids do when they grow up?"

So far we have young adults who have gone on to work in restaurants and hotels... hairdressing... social work... electronics... motorbike repair... and small businesses (particularly shoe-making and mobile phone repair).

One of the challenges for the Blue Dragon staff is to encourage our kids to think more broadly: to find jobs that really interest them and suit their skills. Sadly, most disadvantaged youth in Vietnam think that they should simply find a job that suits their position in society - ie, poorly paid and with few prospects for the future.

So this week, the Education Coordinator, Trang, and one of our Child Rights Advocates, Hong, organised an outing to the Hanoi law court. Eight kids attended, including one who is just starting to study law at uni, and another who has just been released from a reform school!

The chief of the court took the time to show the group around and answer their myriad questions about how the court works and what jobs are available to those interested in the legal system.

Up to now, plenty of Blue Dragon kids have been on the wrong side of the law... But perhaps, in years to come, we'll have a few former Blue Dragon boys and girls sitting over on the other side of the judicial bench...

Outside the court

The whole gang

Inside the court, this is where the judge, prosecutor, and officials sit

The defendants...

... and saying thanks at the end.

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Reading material

I've just come across this review of Dragon House. In case you're not sure about what Dragon House is, check out one of my earlier blogs, here.

And... in case you're not on the Blue Dragon mailing list, we have a quarterly newsletter out now, with a special focus on stories of rescue and escape. If you want to read that (and / or be on the mailing list), email the Amazing Amy at: info@bdcf.org.

Another blog update on Monday - promise!

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Blogging from Singapore

I have been a bad blogger - billions of things happening but not a moment to sit down and write about them!

- I am in Singapore, where one of the Blue Dragon kids has now officially started a 4 year scholarship at Chatsworth International School. He's all smiles, but exhausted - such a huge step for a boy who was once a trafficked child working on the streets of Saigon!

- Back in Hanoi, our lead Social Worker, Giang, organised a first aid workshop last weekend for parents who live on the Red River. These are desperately poor families living on rafts that are moored to the river bank - and there are myriad health risks that they deal with daily. Hopefully now they have a few new ideas about protecting themselves and each other. (That's the workshop in the photo below).

- And some big news that I'll write more about later - Hanh, one of our girls, has just been accepted into Art School. She's ecstatic. This has always been her dream. I'll put up another blog about this in coming days... it's really the most wonderful news...

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Shirt for sale

Something a little unusual today...

Long time Blue Dragon support Iain Purdie is raffling off this Blue Dragon soccer shirt to raise funds for us.


We plan to use the funds raised to support the 80 or so kids who come along and play every Sunday. The weekly matches are a big part of our outreach to children living in one of the roughest parts of Hanoi.

Go check out Iain's page - Exclusive football shirt raffle - and pass thee word along too your friends!

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Better than shoe shine

A great event took place yesterday: one of the Blue Dragon kids, a former shoe shine boy, opened his very own mobile phone shop here in Hanoi.

Nghia, who turns 18 in a month, has been working toward this for a long time. I first met Nghia 3 years ago in Ho Chi Minh City; his family is from a northern province but he'd made his way south to support his parents by working on the streets.

You can look at my original blog about meeting Nghia here - The Big Secret. Scroll down about half way to the paragraph starting "And here in Saigon".

Since then, Nghia has finished Grade 9 and also studied a few courses in mobile phone repair, including two internships in small mobile phone businesses. His dream all along has been to have a shop of his own; and as he stood yesterday behind his counter with a grin from ear to ear, all his hard work seems to have been worth it.

Nghia is not the first Blue Dragon kid to open a business. I've written about some previously, including in this post. But we don't have a whole lot of former street kids out there with their own businesses just yet; most of our kids are still too young, or have other dreams and ambitions.

For those who have taken this step, though, it can be very empowering to join the ranks of the self employed small business owner. I guess that's what shoe shining is, in its own way: a small business with customers, some investment in capital, and a need to turn a profit each day. The move from the streets to a rented shop is a significant step, though. Nghia's shop is a legitimate business; there's a respectability in what he does now that 'street kids' will never get by shining shoes.

We're really proud of Nghia. His perseverance, study, and determination have all come to something.


(In case you're in Hanoi, Nghia's shop is located at 18 Tran Khat Chan Street in Hanoi).

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Encouragement

I am still in Ho Chi Minh City, planning to return to Hanoi on Monday with Hugh and his daughter Lan. Yesterday we held a simple memorial service for Susan Adams at RMIT University, and there'll be another in Hanoi at the Hilton on Tuesday.

My natural instinct when faced with a tragedy like this is to think of those who are nearest and dearest to me. Because of the nature of my work, that's a whole lot of people. So over these past few days I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about the kids who live in Blue Dragon homes, and the street kids who come to our centre, and even those who have long since moved on from Blue Dragon and are living far from us. The introvert in me enjoys having time alone, but right now I am missing the many many people who give me comfort and encouragement through my own hard times.

Being away from Hanoi, I have missed out on a trip that my staff organised yesterday afternoon. During the week, one of the Blue Dragon social workers told me about a centre for children with HIV about an hour's drive from Hanoi. The centre has about 50 kids, and none of them have ever attended school so over the past year the staff have been working with the community and Department of Education to get the local people to accept 15 children into the school.

Everything seemed fine, until the very first day of school... Parents were out protesting, things got violent... And the kids were sent home with the clear message that they were not welcome.

(This article appeared online today - it's about a different centre in a different part of the country, but the story is eerily similar).

So the Blue Dragon staff decided to go out there on the weekend and spend some time visiting the children at the centre. It was intended as a token gesture - we wanted the children to have a different message. We wanted them to know that there ARE people who care for them.

Five staff went, and 5 kids from our Hanoi residence went along too. The photos below are of teens from Blue Dragon playing with infants at the centre.



We know that we haven't solved any long term problems... maybe this visit hasn't changed anything at all.

But an afternoon of playing together, eating together, and sharing gifts has hopefully given the children some encouragement that will help them deal with their feelings of rejection and abandonment.

I guess we all need some encouragement at times.


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Farewell to a hero

Tonight I am writing from Ho Chi Minh City with the terrible news that Susan Adams, a long time friend of Blue Dragon, has passed away.

Susan was a hero to me: she and her husband Hugh were the very first supporters that I had back in 2002 when Blue Dragon Children's Foundation was no more than a vague idea.

In December 2002, one of my students at the University of Economics - Pham Sy Chung, who was working with me on the idea of establishing a charity - excitedly told me about Hugh and Susan. Hugh was also teaching at the uni, and Susan was the IMF Country Representative in Vietnam. "They'll help us, for sure," Chung told me.

I rolled my eyes. Although I'd been thinking about setting up some kind of organisation for only a short time, I was already tired of people promising help but coming up with absolutely nothing. For a moment I wanted to tell Chung "Forget about it - they won't help," but I figured I had nothing much to lose so I agreed to meet them.

We first met at the Hanoi Opera House, where Susan and Hugh had organised a concert to raise funds for a school for blind children. From the very start, they were committed. I remember Susan saying to me: "Tell me how we can help. We love what you're doing, so just tell us what you need."

And that was that. From that day on, both Susan and Hugh have always been available, always ready to get involved, and always there with a shoulder to lean on, or cry on, as required. In 2003, when it looked like I was going to be deported (that's a story for another time) it was Susan who came to my rescue. Without her involvement, Blue Dragon probably would not exist now.

And over the years, she has been an ongoing source of inspiration. Knowing that I am far from my own family and loved ones, she signs off every email with "Love, Mommy."

Susan, the world is in shock tonight. It seems much too soon for you to have left us. Thank you for all you gave. You will not be forgotten.


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Ring, ring

Just to make everyone (but my own)'s life more complex: I have changed my mobile phone number. Email me on bluedragon @ bdcf.org if you need to update your rolodex.

And to make this entry a little more interesting, here's an article for anyone who has ever asked me: "But isn't school free in Vietnam?"

Parents trapped in a web of school fees

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Tam on TV

I wrote last week that Channel 10 in Australia was showing a documentary featuring Tam Tran, who volunteered at Blue Dragon through an AusAid program.

Here's the clip of Tam from the documentary, via YouTube.

No Ordinary Journey

It goes for almost 8 minutes and gives some good insight into the work we do with street kids.

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