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Hello everyone
Well it has been a very very longtime since i have written at blog but as i am now back in Vietnam (Tam Ky) were i volunteered 2 years ago i thought it would be a good idea to write one!
A lot has changed in the two years since i volunteered, both to the volunteer program itself and to Tam Ky! The Home of Affection no longer exists, that is were I taught many
English classes during my time volunteering, it housed children between the ages of 6 or 7 up to the age of 18. It was shut down by the government earlier this year and many of the young kids have been transferred to the centre in Hoi An which many of them are not enjoying at all! The old children have either been given back to there families (i have no idea why, how that has happened) or left to there own devices which is Vietnam all over!
The GVN program no longer goes to Misa, Tam Thanh or the Children's Disabled Hospital. Misa is were I also taught many English classes though the kids at the school were better off than the kids at Home of Affection as fee is required to attend Misa. Tam Thanh was the small fishing village that I also held classes for. At the moment it the raining season in Vietnam so the car is unable to get there apparently. The reason that no volunteers are able to go to the Children's Disabled Hospital is because there is not enough of us at the moment. Lack of volunteers over the last 6 months has been a serious problem. For example last month there was only 2 volunteers in Tam Ky, normal to run a full program you would need a least 4 and even that is a stretch!
The baby orphanage is still part of the program here and there has been massive improvements over the last 2 years! The has been a whole knew wing built to house more children, all the older children now have bunk beds, there has been a new play area built (just imagine a small climbing frame with a slide and swings etc). The babies area has moved to the brand new wing and has much better washing facilities and is generally a much cleaner environment for the babies. Other positive development is that most of the older children (ages 5 and up) having starting attending school on a regular basis! Previous when i volunteered there was 30 to 40 kids living at the orphanage (including babies) now there are nearer 50 to 60 kids, even with the new wing and better facilities, housing that many kids in a facility like this is far from ideal.
Another massive issue caused by there being a lack of volunteers is lack of funding for food and equipment for the children. For example the kids no longer get milk and fruit everyday like they did two years ago.
Lots of the children at the orphanage remembered me which was a good feeling considering it was 2 years since they last saw me! It was great to be back in Tam Ky and see some old and new faces! Hope everyone is well and I hope this blog wasn't totally pointless because it has been so long since i have posted one!
Al
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