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Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Santa comes to football
In an unannounced visit to Hanoi's Long Bien football field on Sunday, Mr S. Claus revealed that all Blue Dragon children have been especially good this year...
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Monday, December 22, 2008
In the Christmas Spirit
... and now for a refreshing break from my anger and outrage of recent posts.
Check this out! The Blue Dragon kids made this!
Blue Dragon Christmas Card made entirely by the kids
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Check this out! The Blue Dragon kids made this!
Blue Dragon Christmas Card made entirely by the kids
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Friday, December 19, 2008
Conditions
I've written a lot about the child trafficking that Blue Dragon has confronted; here are some images to show what I've been talking about.
Here's a very short clip of the inside of a factory. Apologies for the low quality - footage is not easy to obtain.
This is where the kids and other workers sleep - right on the floor beside the sewing machines. The boy in the dark blue shirt looking towards the camera is 13 years old; he's one of the kids we took home.
And here are the 11 children we took back home by train. The man in the blue shirt at the end is the Deputy President of the local government area that all these children came from.
Here's a very short clip of the inside of a factory. Apologies for the low quality - footage is not easy to obtain.
This is where the kids and other workers sleep - right on the floor beside the sewing machines. The boy in the dark blue shirt looking towards the camera is 13 years old; he's one of the kids we took home.
And here are the 11 children we took back home by train. The man in the blue shirt at the end is the Deputy President of the local government area that all these children came from.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Rolling home
A quick update on our trip to Saigon to take trafficked children home...
As I write, Blue Dragon staff and 11 children (3 girls and 8 boys) are heading home on the train to central Vietnam. Another 3 girls have already gone home, bringing the total to 14. All of the children are aged under 15; most are 13 years old.
Frankly, we are disappointed that we couldn't take more. We encountered a new problem this time around: the traffickers were aware of what we were doing, so they warned the children that we were child traffickers. Some of the traffickers even rang the children's families in Hue province to tell them that they shouldn't let their kids go with us. Even though we were accompanied by an official from a commune People's Committee and a staff member from the Red Cross, the children were worried enough that some refused to leave the factories. Better the devil you know, I suppose.
But this is by no means the end. We are now well armed with facts, addresses, and names, so our next step will be to work with the police on ending this child exploitation.
And one bright note: we made the pleasant discovery that one of the trafficked children, a 13 year old boy named Tu, is an exceptionally talented artist. The garment factory where he worked was near a wood carving shop, so in every spare moment he had Tu would go and work alongside the local wood carvers. Tu's backpack is almost empty of clothes and personal items, but full of statues and models that he has carved out. It's almost unbelievable that such a little guy could produce such art! I guess we'll be getting him some art and craft supplies for Christmas...
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As I write, Blue Dragon staff and 11 children (3 girls and 8 boys) are heading home on the train to central Vietnam. Another 3 girls have already gone home, bringing the total to 14. All of the children are aged under 15; most are 13 years old.
Frankly, we are disappointed that we couldn't take more. We encountered a new problem this time around: the traffickers were aware of what we were doing, so they warned the children that we were child traffickers. Some of the traffickers even rang the children's families in Hue province to tell them that they shouldn't let their kids go with us. Even though we were accompanied by an official from a commune People's Committee and a staff member from the Red Cross, the children were worried enough that some refused to leave the factories. Better the devil you know, I suppose.
But this is by no means the end. We are now well armed with facts, addresses, and names, so our next step will be to work with the police on ending this child exploitation.
And one bright note: we made the pleasant discovery that one of the trafficked children, a 13 year old boy named Tu, is an exceptionally talented artist. The garment factory where he worked was near a wood carving shop, so in every spare moment he had Tu would go and work alongside the local wood carvers. Tu's backpack is almost empty of clothes and personal items, but full of statues and models that he has carved out. It's almost unbelievable that such a little guy could produce such art! I guess we'll be getting him some art and craft supplies for Christmas...
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Saturday, December 13, 2008
The real danger
As I write this, Blue Dragon staff are in the process of rescuing children as young as 12 from garment factories in Ho Chi Minh City. Most of the kids are from central Vietnam; some are from northern provinces. All have been taken by child traffickers who promised their families a chance at a better life, but instead were put to work up to 16 hours a day for no pay. The role of Blue Dragon is to demand the release of the children, take them home, and support them to live again in their communities.
The big question we get asked all the time is this: Isn't this work dangerous?
Certainly this work is not a ride in a fun park. There are plenty of people who get upset by what we do, most of all the traffickers and factory owners. Even some NGOs are unhappy about it. From 2005 to 2007, we worked hard at busting up a trafficking ring that was taking kids to use on the streets. Some big NGOs had developed programs aimed specifically at working with those children - but not to take them home. The programs were just teaching them English, so that they could make even more money for their traffickers. People would be shocked if they knew which organisations were so stupid. And they weren't thrilled when we took away their entire beneficiary group and returned them to their mothers and fathers, either.
So our work doesn't make everyone happy. This afternoon, a Blue Dragon staff member was surrounded by traffickers armed with sticks, threatening violence. Fortunately, the police came - and arrested my staff! The traffickers walked away having won the battle... (... but not the war, fellers!)
So yes, there's definitely an element of danger. But there's another way to look at this.
Why are the traffickers prepared to resort to violence? What is so precious that they have to protect? And if this is how they deal with other adults, how do you think they deal with the children?
We are yet to meet a child in a factory who doesn't want to get out immediately. Nobody's having a good time there. There ain't no bonus system for those overtime hours, but there are plenty of beatings for children who fail to keep up with the work.
All of this leads me to one conclusion: rescuing trafficked children is indeed dangerous work; but the real danger is in not rescuing them at all.
I hope to have an update on Monday - and if all goes well, there'll be a train-carriage load of happy children on their way home by then.
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The big question we get asked all the time is this: Isn't this work dangerous?
Certainly this work is not a ride in a fun park. There are plenty of people who get upset by what we do, most of all the traffickers and factory owners. Even some NGOs are unhappy about it. From 2005 to 2007, we worked hard at busting up a trafficking ring that was taking kids to use on the streets. Some big NGOs had developed programs aimed specifically at working with those children - but not to take them home. The programs were just teaching them English, so that they could make even more money for their traffickers. People would be shocked if they knew which organisations were so stupid. And they weren't thrilled when we took away their entire beneficiary group and returned them to their mothers and fathers, either.
So our work doesn't make everyone happy. This afternoon, a Blue Dragon staff member was surrounded by traffickers armed with sticks, threatening violence. Fortunately, the police came - and arrested my staff! The traffickers walked away having won the battle... (... but not the war, fellers!)
So yes, there's definitely an element of danger. But there's another way to look at this.
Why are the traffickers prepared to resort to violence? What is so precious that they have to protect? And if this is how they deal with other adults, how do you think they deal with the children?
We are yet to meet a child in a factory who doesn't want to get out immediately. Nobody's having a good time there. There ain't no bonus system for those overtime hours, but there are plenty of beatings for children who fail to keep up with the work.
All of this leads me to one conclusion: rescuing trafficked children is indeed dangerous work; but the real danger is in not rescuing them at all.
I hope to have an update on Monday - and if all goes well, there'll be a train-carriage load of happy children on their way home by then.
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Friday, December 12, 2008
Ethical shopping
I've been contacted recently by people who want to know about any businesses supporting Blue Dragon - and I've never done much in the way of promoting those businesses that help us, so it's about time I write a blog about them!
Here are some companies that donate to our work...
PhotoBox
This is a company based in England that's helped us in various ways over the years. Through PhotoBox you can buy greeting cards online, and nominate Blue Dragon to receive a percentage of your purchase amount.
Together in Life
Health and beauty products that would even make me look good! These are the same kinds of products that you buy elsewhere - the only difference is that part of the price is a donation to Blue Dragon. This is an Australian based business.
Little Smarty's
This company, based in Australia, goes by the motto: "Smart stuff for little people." Their quilts and teddy bears are produced in Vietnam guided by Fair Trade principles, and a part of every purchase goes to Blue Dragon.
FrancAustralia Education
A French company that helps students apply to study in Australia, FrancAustralia Education makes a donation to Blue Dragon every time a student fills in an application form.
Intrepid Travel
People traveling through Vietnam with Intrepid sometimes have the chance to visit Blue Dragon; and Intrepid's charitable Foundation matches donations made by passengers dollar for dollar.
Wide Eyed Tours
This is a travel company that was started by some Australians living in Vietnam. They've set out to be a bit different, and one way they achieve that is by allowing travelers to design their own 'charity challenge' or visit areas where Blue Dragon works.
So... when you're spending your money, give a thought to these businesses!
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Here are some companies that donate to our work...
PhotoBox
This is a company based in England that's helped us in various ways over the years. Through PhotoBox you can buy greeting cards online, and nominate Blue Dragon to receive a percentage of your purchase amount.
Together in Life
Health and beauty products that would even make me look good! These are the same kinds of products that you buy elsewhere - the only difference is that part of the price is a donation to Blue Dragon. This is an Australian based business.
Little Smarty's
This company, based in Australia, goes by the motto: "Smart stuff for little people." Their quilts and teddy bears are produced in Vietnam guided by Fair Trade principles, and a part of every purchase goes to Blue Dragon.
FrancAustralia Education
A French company that helps students apply to study in Australia, FrancAustralia Education makes a donation to Blue Dragon every time a student fills in an application form.
Intrepid Travel
People traveling through Vietnam with Intrepid sometimes have the chance to visit Blue Dragon; and Intrepid's charitable Foundation matches donations made by passengers dollar for dollar.
Wide Eyed Tours
This is a travel company that was started by some Australians living in Vietnam. They've set out to be a bit different, and one way they achieve that is by allowing travelers to design their own 'charity challenge' or visit areas where Blue Dragon works.
So... when you're spending your money, give a thought to these businesses!
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Preparations
Winter is rapidly approaching in northern Vietnam. The cool days are starting to feel cold and everyone is hoping that we don't have another dreadful winter like last year!
As the seasons change, loads is happening at Blue Dragon...
In coming days, our staff will be traveling between Hue in central Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in the south to rescue up to 20 girls and boys who have been trafficked to work in garment factories. A lot of preparation needs to go in to this - we can't just walk from factory to factory in the hope of finding the children - but so far we've been able to gather quite a bit of specific information. Perhaps the saddest case we know of, and will definitely intervene in, is of a small factory that bought a girl over 12 months ago for 4 million Dong - that's a little over $200 US. After working 16 hours per day, 7 days per week, the girl was able to get a message out that she wanted to escape. An adult friend tried to help, but all he managed to do was arrange to replace the girl with her younger brother, who now has to put up with the same conditions but equally wants - and needs - to get out. He will. Barring some unforeseen intercosmic calamity, he'll be free by Sunday.
Blue Dragon staff are also preparing for our first court case. We have long hired 2 young Legal Advocates who work with the police and with kids in trouble with the law, but this is the first time that one of our boys will have to front up in court. The boy has definitely done wrong - he badged a Mercedes! - but we're hoping that the penalty won't be too severe. It's a tense time as we get ready for the case, although I must say that the police have been supportive and helpful to both us and the boy throughout the whole process.
And preparations of a much happier nature... Christmas and Lunar New Year (Tet) are coming, and in 2009 Tet is unusually early. We're planning parties and celebrations, including our annual Tet Awards Night where all the kids receive certificates and gifts. It'll be a blast - it always is!
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As the seasons change, loads is happening at Blue Dragon...
In coming days, our staff will be traveling between Hue in central Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in the south to rescue up to 20 girls and boys who have been trafficked to work in garment factories. A lot of preparation needs to go in to this - we can't just walk from factory to factory in the hope of finding the children - but so far we've been able to gather quite a bit of specific information. Perhaps the saddest case we know of, and will definitely intervene in, is of a small factory that bought a girl over 12 months ago for 4 million Dong - that's a little over $200 US. After working 16 hours per day, 7 days per week, the girl was able to get a message out that she wanted to escape. An adult friend tried to help, but all he managed to do was arrange to replace the girl with her younger brother, who now has to put up with the same conditions but equally wants - and needs - to get out. He will. Barring some unforeseen intercosmic calamity, he'll be free by Sunday.
Blue Dragon staff are also preparing for our first court case. We have long hired 2 young Legal Advocates who work with the police and with kids in trouble with the law, but this is the first time that one of our boys will have to front up in court. The boy has definitely done wrong - he badged a Mercedes! - but we're hoping that the penalty won't be too severe. It's a tense time as we get ready for the case, although I must say that the police have been supportive and helpful to both us and the boy throughout the whole process.
And preparations of a much happier nature... Christmas and Lunar New Year (Tet) are coming, and in 2009 Tet is unusually early. We're planning parties and celebrations, including our annual Tet Awards Night where all the kids receive certificates and gifts. It'll be a blast - it always is!
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Sunday, December 07, 2008
Sam and Viet - doing fine
A few weeks back I told the story of Sam, a kid who came to Blue Dragon after running away from a pagoda to look for his father.
Since then, Sam has gone back to live with his family and is doing fine. He's about to go back to school to repeat the 2nd half of Grade 2, as it's too late in the school year to start at Grade 3. Sam has been coming to hang out at the Blue Dragon centre from time to time; he seems much happier now than he ever was before.
At about the same time that we met Sam, we also met another runaway boy, named Viet. Although Viet is 4 years older than Sam, they're about the size - Viet has grown up in rather severe poverty and hasn't received much in the way of nutrition.
Viet stayed at our shelter for a few weeks before opening up about himself and agreeing to return home. He had been living with his mother in the countryside, and desperately wanted to go to school. At age 14, he'd never had the chance to study. But his mother just wanted him to work as a shoeshine boy in the provincial capital so that she could live off the earnings. Even before we took Viet home, we knew this would be a tough case.
We did reunite Viet and his mother, but Viet ran away again - within hours of going home. His mother was insisting that he get back to work, and had no intention of letting him go to school.
So Viet is back living with us, and studying in Grade 1. He's happy and lapping up every opportunity for study and play.
Things have worked out well for both Sam and Viet, although life is very different now for each. Viet will spend the next few years in the care of Blue Dragon, while Sam returns to family life.
We hope that for both of them, the future brings better fortune than they've had in the past.
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Since then, Sam has gone back to live with his family and is doing fine. He's about to go back to school to repeat the 2nd half of Grade 2, as it's too late in the school year to start at Grade 3. Sam has been coming to hang out at the Blue Dragon centre from time to time; he seems much happier now than he ever was before.
At about the same time that we met Sam, we also met another runaway boy, named Viet. Although Viet is 4 years older than Sam, they're about the size - Viet has grown up in rather severe poverty and hasn't received much in the way of nutrition.
Viet stayed at our shelter for a few weeks before opening up about himself and agreeing to return home. He had been living with his mother in the countryside, and desperately wanted to go to school. At age 14, he'd never had the chance to study. But his mother just wanted him to work as a shoeshine boy in the provincial capital so that she could live off the earnings. Even before we took Viet home, we knew this would be a tough case.
We did reunite Viet and his mother, but Viet ran away again - within hours of going home. His mother was insisting that he get back to work, and had no intention of letting him go to school.
So Viet is back living with us, and studying in Grade 1. He's happy and lapping up every opportunity for study and play.
Things have worked out well for both Sam and Viet, although life is very different now for each. Viet will spend the next few years in the care of Blue Dragon, while Sam returns to family life.
We hope that for both of them, the future brings better fortune than they've had in the past.
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Monday, December 01, 2008
Smiles in Hue
My silence over the last 2 weeks has simply been because of all the busy-ness of Blue Dragon... so I will start off with some happy news!
One of the Blue Dragon staff, Van, has just been in Hue (in central Vietnam) where we work in 3 villages that have been the source-site of child trafficking for some years. Our work involves taking the kids away from the traffickers, getting the kids home, and helping them return to a normal life.
Last week, while Van was visiting the families and finding out about any kids who have recently been trafficked, he had the pleasure of distributing some donations that were given to us by Crocs in Singapore. Dozens of kids received Crocs shoes and shirts - and they sure looked happy about it!
Some pics below to tell the story...
This young guy lives in a tent on the beach. We rescued him from a factory in Ho Chi Minh City a few months ago.
The entire community came to see what all the excitement was about when Van was distributing the shoes and clothes.
Some very happy girls and boys showing off their new possessions!
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One of the Blue Dragon staff, Van, has just been in Hue (in central Vietnam) where we work in 3 villages that have been the source-site of child trafficking for some years. Our work involves taking the kids away from the traffickers, getting the kids home, and helping them return to a normal life.
Last week, while Van was visiting the families and finding out about any kids who have recently been trafficked, he had the pleasure of distributing some donations that were given to us by Crocs in Singapore. Dozens of kids received Crocs shoes and shirts - and they sure looked happy about it!
Some pics below to tell the story...
This young guy lives in a tent on the beach. We rescued him from a factory in Ho Chi Minh City a few months ago. 
The entire community came to see what all the excitement was about when Van was distributing the shoes and clothes. 
Some very happy girls and boys showing off their new possessions! .
Monday, November 24, 2008
Through the lens
A British photographer, Darren Zlatareff, is visiting Blue Dragon and has started a project with some of our kids... check out their progress here: http://bluedragonphotoproject.blogspot.com/
There are some really cool photos up already, and more will be added as time goes on.
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There are some really cool photos up already, and more will be added as time goes on.
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Friday, November 14, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Tight fit
This is one of those very Hanoian moments when all you can do is laugh...
Check out the pictures here of a truck that really, really wanted to pass under the Long Bien bridge: http://www.tinmoi.vn/index.php/tinmoi/cau-long-bien-bi-xe-container-dam-ldquo-trong-thuong-rdquo/69491.sn
Long Bien bridge is a city icon - and something of an icon for Blue Dragon, too. Most of our kids are from the area around the bridge; we play football within sight of it; and many kids we meet live on or under the bridge.
Of course, if people keep doing this kind of thing, we might be looking for a new icon.
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Check out the pictures here of a truck that really, really wanted to pass under the Long Bien bridge: http://www.tinmoi.vn/index.php/tinmoi/cau-long-bien-bi-xe-container-dam-ldquo-trong-thuong-rdquo/69491.sn
Long Bien bridge is a city icon - and something of an icon for Blue Dragon, too. Most of our kids are from the area around the bridge; we play football within sight of it; and many kids we meet live on or under the bridge.
Of course, if people keep doing this kind of thing, we might be looking for a new icon.
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Friday, November 07, 2008
When the river runs dry...
Hanoi is still recovering from last week's floods; there are still many homes under water and some Blue Dragon kids and staff are living without electricity or clean water. Dire predictions of more heavy rain keep coming... let's hope not! Some more pics here to give you the idea.
The Red River is very high, of course, and the families who live on boats along the river banks are really doing it tough. But in the centre of the river is an island, where many families live in tents and shacks. With the island now mostly submerged, all of these people have had to find other places to stay - and most have ended up staying on boats with friends.
A few families have moved in to Blue Dragon homes just until the waters subside; it's much too dangerous for families with young kids to be staying on the boats at the moment.
So for this weekend, the city is holding its breath in anticipation of more rain, and meanwhile we await the floods to abate and the river to return to normal...
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The Red River is very high, of course, and the families who live on boats along the river banks are really doing it tough. But in the centre of the river is an island, where many families live in tents and shacks. With the island now mostly submerged, all of these people have had to find other places to stay - and most have ended up staying on boats with friends.
A few families have moved in to Blue Dragon homes just until the waters subside; it's much too dangerous for families with young kids to be staying on the boats at the moment.
So for this weekend, the city is holding its breath in anticipation of more rain, and meanwhile we await the floods to abate and the river to return to normal...
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Monday, November 03, 2008
Hanoi, Venice of the East
One of the strangest weekends we've had in a while...
If you haven't been trapped in a car or on a motorbike for 6 hours with water up to your stomach, then you're not really in Hanoi!
You don't need to understand Vietnamese to get the gist of this:
http://vnexpress.net/GL/Xa-hoi/2008/11/3BA08030/
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If you haven't been trapped in a car or on a motorbike for 6 hours with water up to your stomach, then you're not really in Hanoi!
You don't need to understand Vietnamese to get the gist of this:
http://vnexpress.net/GL/Xa-hoi/2008/11/3BA08030/
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Saturday, October 25, 2008
The story of Sam
Pagodas - or Buddhist temples - are scattered right throughout Vietnam, and many of them provide a place of refuge for orphans or abandoned children. Some are terrific, and some are... not.
Sam is 10 years old, and he was left in the care of one pagoda by his father, who loves him dearly but couldn't provide a decent home for his son. It wasn't an easy decision, but the pagoda seemed to care for the kids living there and, hey, even the World Bank was giving them funding, so Sam's father figured they must be pretty good.
But Sam didn't think so. Punishment involved being tied to a tree and beaten. Visitors walked in and out of the pagoda all day, admiring the children like in a zoo and interrupting their games and personal times over every weekend. Nobody was in charge of looking after the children, so they ran wild and nobody cared until some arbitrary rule was broken - and then the punishment was public and severe.
So Sam ran away, dreaming of finding his father. He returned to the street where his father worked as a motorbike taxi driver, only to find that he was no longer there... and nobody knew where he was.
Sam's dad had been coming to visit at the pagoda fairly regularly, so Sam knew he must be around. But soon he had to join a gang of runaway children in order to survive. The kids went begging during the days, and at night they played and slept under bridges.
One day about 10 weeks ago, one of Blue Dragon's older teens met Sam and brought him to our drop in centre.
Sam has been living with us since then, while we tried to unravel his story, verify what he claimed, and look for his father. Several of the staff have been involved, and at times it's been more like a police investigation than a standard social work case.
After weeks of searching, we had a breakthrough on Thursday: we found Sam's father. He is quite old and his health is poor, so he has been unable to work for a long time.
He was shocked to learn that his son had been living on the streets. Despite his bad health, he has been going to the pagoda every couple of weeks to see Sam... and the nuns have been telling him that Sam is there, but "he's at school this morning..." or "he must have gone out to play somewhere but he'll be back in a few hours and we'll tell him you came..."
To make it even worse, Sam's father insists that the pagoda staff have his mobile number and could reach him any time. We've repeatedly asked the pagoda if they knew how to contact the father - and they've claimed they don't know where he is or how to call him.
These huge frustrations have only served to increase the joy of the father-son reunion. Sam has finally found his dad; and now his father knows the truth about where his son has been for the past few months.
Sam is still staying in a Blue Dragon home, but just for a few more days while we help sort out a few family problems. We expect that he'll be living with his dad again by the end of the coming week. They'll need some support - both material and social - to make it work, but both want to be together so I can't see why it should fail!
This has definitely been one of our more complex cases. It sure is nice to see things working out for little Sam.
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Sam is 10 years old, and he was left in the care of one pagoda by his father, who loves him dearly but couldn't provide a decent home for his son. It wasn't an easy decision, but the pagoda seemed to care for the kids living there and, hey, even the World Bank was giving them funding, so Sam's father figured they must be pretty good.
But Sam didn't think so. Punishment involved being tied to a tree and beaten. Visitors walked in and out of the pagoda all day, admiring the children like in a zoo and interrupting their games and personal times over every weekend. Nobody was in charge of looking after the children, so they ran wild and nobody cared until some arbitrary rule was broken - and then the punishment was public and severe.
So Sam ran away, dreaming of finding his father. He returned to the street where his father worked as a motorbike taxi driver, only to find that he was no longer there... and nobody knew where he was.
Sam's dad had been coming to visit at the pagoda fairly regularly, so Sam knew he must be around. But soon he had to join a gang of runaway children in order to survive. The kids went begging during the days, and at night they played and slept under bridges.
One day about 10 weeks ago, one of Blue Dragon's older teens met Sam and brought him to our drop in centre.
Sam has been living with us since then, while we tried to unravel his story, verify what he claimed, and look for his father. Several of the staff have been involved, and at times it's been more like a police investigation than a standard social work case.
After weeks of searching, we had a breakthrough on Thursday: we found Sam's father. He is quite old and his health is poor, so he has been unable to work for a long time.
He was shocked to learn that his son had been living on the streets. Despite his bad health, he has been going to the pagoda every couple of weeks to see Sam... and the nuns have been telling him that Sam is there, but "he's at school this morning..." or "he must have gone out to play somewhere but he'll be back in a few hours and we'll tell him you came..."
To make it even worse, Sam's father insists that the pagoda staff have his mobile number and could reach him any time. We've repeatedly asked the pagoda if they knew how to contact the father - and they've claimed they don't know where he is or how to call him.
These huge frustrations have only served to increase the joy of the father-son reunion. Sam has finally found his dad; and now his father knows the truth about where his son has been for the past few months.
Sam is still staying in a Blue Dragon home, but just for a few more days while we help sort out a few family problems. We expect that he'll be living with his dad again by the end of the coming week. They'll need some support - both material and social - to make it work, but both want to be together so I can't see why it should fail!
This has definitely been one of our more complex cases. It sure is nice to see things working out for little Sam.
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Thursday, October 23, 2008
Bits and pieces...
Lots has been happening here at Blue Dragon in recent weeks!
One 14 year old boy named Vuong has just started school - for the first time in his life! He came to us several months ago, having run away from his family in the countryside. After we took him back to his mother, it was clear that he would never have the chance to study if he stayed there. Within hours he had run away again and appeared at our centre asking to go to school. How could we say no!?
Linh, a 16 year old girl, has also gone back to school after an absence of 2 years. Our social workers have spent a lot of time working with Linh to get her ready for returning to the classroom; it's fantastic to see this happy outcome.
Some news from one of our original staff team... Tung, who started volunteering at Blue Dragon back in 2003 and later became a senior social worker has just passed an exam to study a Masters Degree at the University of Economics. Congrats, Tung!
BIG NEWS from one of the youngest Blue Dragon kids. Tan, who has cerebral palsy, has just been accepted into Grade 1 in a local primary school. Tan's story is here - and although we've been making good progress with him, it's been hard to find a school that could include him. We now plan to work with the school on preparing their staff and upgrading some facilities so that Tan can fit in with all the other kids.
And on the not-so-bright side, one of the Blue Dragon boys was injured last week in a knife attack in our parking area. Actually it was more of a sword than a knife, and the local police have been GREAT in looking for the attacker. Fingers crossed that they find him before he strikes again - but we've had to put a few extra security precautions in place.
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Sunday, October 12, 2008
2 homes needed - urgent!
There's a lot of bad news around lately, but Blue Dragon has some urgent needs to meet that won't cost $700 bn...
Two families in Hue are having a crisis of their own: homelessness. Each family consists of two sons and a mother; and each lost their house in a storm. The first family (below) owns their own land, but are living in a tin shack which will be freezing this winter and has been unbearably hot all summer.
The second family (below) is one that I have written about previously. One of the sons was trafficked to Ho Chi Minh City, but we helped him come home in August. This family is living in a tent on the beach; their living conditions are just extraordinary.
Two families in Hue are having a crisis of their own: homelessness. Each family consists of two sons and a mother; and each lost their house in a storm. The first family (below) owns their own land, but are living in a tin shack which will be freezing this winter and has been unbearably hot all summer.
The second family (below) is one that I have written about previously. One of the sons was trafficked to Ho Chi Minh City, but we helped him come home in August. This family is living in a tent on the beach; their living conditions are just extraordinary.
We're estimating that each family needs about $2500 to rebuild their home, connect the electricity, dig a well, and get some basic furniture. I don't to like use the blog in this way too often... but if you can help with even just a part of this, please let me know: bluedragon@bdcf.org.
If you want to do this in somebody else's name, Blue Dragon can send your friend or family member a picture of the home that they have helped build... could be a cool Christmas present.
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Friday, October 10, 2008
Back where they belong
A tremendous feeling this week:
In the Central province of Hue, in a tiny village by the beach, a group of girls walk home from school.
Just weeks ago, these same girls were working in garment factories in Ho Chi Minh City, 700kms away. Having been bought by traffickers, sold to factories, and rescued by Blue Dragon... finally, finally, they are back where they belong: with their families, in their communities.
I can't help but smile.
In the Central province of Hue, in a tiny village by the beach, a group of girls walk home from school.
Just weeks ago, these same girls were working in garment factories in Ho Chi Minh City, 700kms away. Having been bought by traffickers, sold to factories, and rescued by Blue Dragon... finally, finally, they are back where they belong: with their families, in their communities.
I can't help but smile.
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Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Newsletter
The Blue Dragon team has put together a quarterly newsletter with some stories about our recent work... Email us if you haven't received it, but want to:
info@bdcf.org
It's a great read - check out our latest reviews:
"This newsletter is all about job creation, under the umbrella of shoring up our economy, and health care reform, and ultimately the tax payers are going to bail out." - Sarah Palin
"My dream, and my hope, for this great nation of ours, is to dream of the hope of the... ah, just read the newsletter already." - Barack Obama
"Since reading the Blue Dragon newsletter, my banking stocks have tripled in value!" - James Fenbroke, Wall Street Analyst
What more do I need to say?
.
info@bdcf.org
It's a great read - check out our latest reviews:
"This newsletter is all about job creation, under the umbrella of shoring up our economy, and health care reform, and ultimately the tax payers are going to bail out." - Sarah Palin
"My dream, and my hope, for this great nation of ours, is to dream of the hope of the... ah, just read the newsletter already." - Barack Obama
"Since reading the Blue Dragon newsletter, my banking stocks have tripled in value!" - James Fenbroke, Wall Street Analyst
What more do I need to say?
.
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