June 2 Five Hundred Chicks (Katie)

June 02, 2018

At 7:30am this morning, we traveled to the rural Huong Van Commune... an impoverished community 14 miles outside of Hue. Ten families with disabilities (either physical or mental) in that village now have fifty 21-day-old chicks each which will provide a long-term source of food and income! Luckily for the chicks, it was a more overcast morning, so they weren't too hot during the distribution.

We were driven to Huong Van by my dad's friend Khanh (Chairman for "Hearts for Hue" which is a local NGO). Upon arrival we were greeted by Mr. Tuyen (Chairman of that region's Red Cross unit), Mr. An (Chairman of the People's Committee for Huong Van Commune), and Ms. Ahn (a representative of the region's disability union).

If the individual with the disability was unable to come, a family member or friend came to collect and deliver the chicks in their place. After an introductory speech made by my father, he began the process of handing each family, one by one, a container containing fifty chicks. The recipients then strapped the box or crate onto the back of their motor bike or bicycle and headed home happy. We had arranged to have the waterers and feeders delivered ahead of time.

While some of the faces were new, three immediately stood out to my father from previous visits. The first was Mr. Thuong, the man who lost both of his hands in a fire. There seems to be little he cannot do though! The second was Mr. Tho, the one-legged veteran who fought for the south and lost his leg in the war. The third was the sister of Ms. Hanh (the woman born with no arms), who was there to accept the chicks on Ms. Hanh's behalf.

After the distribution was complete, Mr. An invited us inside for tea. There, he expressed his appreciation for my father sponsoring this project, and for all the contributors that help make it possible. It was emphasized how important it is for these families to be given such a stable source of income and how it has such potential to improve their quality of life. We learned more about the damage that this village underwent last year during the November floods, after which we'd provided substantial flood-relief assistance to those affected. Lastly, we discussed plans for the best focus for future visits.

Thank you to all who contributed to better the lives of these ten families! A little bit goes such a long way over here and these grateful people will never forget your generosity.

We will return to this area later during this trip to pay specific visits to the three people I mentioned above in this post... Ms. Hanh, Mr. Tho, and Mr. Thuong.

Kira and my father just returned from a little trip across the Perfume River to the market.... there by a dragon boat and back by a cyclo (a three-wheeled bicycle taxi). Khanh (our friend from Hearts for Hue) invited us to celebrate his birthday with him and his friends and family tonight. Happy Birthday to Khanh!