Helmets are now compulsory in Vietnam, so I had a little protection when I headed into the district of Thu Duc – about a 45 minute one way trip from the centre of town. As if the helmet wasn´t enough, I was in the safe hands of Sr Marie Thao, Executive Director of the Friends for Street Children Association. So with a sister and a helmet, I was assured of some protection, divine or not, from the chaos of Ho Chi Minh´s traffic.
Now I wasn´t exactly on God´s mission, but I was on a mission of my own to see first hand the work being done by FFSC to improve the living conditions of children at risk. With a city growing so rapidly, there was bound to be cracks, and FFSC is assisting by catching those who fall through.
Rural immigrants from all over the country are heading to HCM as investment drives the economic development of the city. The majority of these immigrants arrive in HCM illiterate, with little capital, no job and no place to live. FFSC actively heads out into key areas of the city to offer children and their families warm shelter, development classes, recreational activities, vocational training courses, sponsorship, scolarships, healthcare and psycho-social protection.
Spending some time at the centre, speaking with the staff, mothers, children and volunteers, there was a common thread. It was the pride of independence, freedom from a life of scavenging and a life living in temporary shelters by railway trains and rivers.
Flipping through a project memory book, I spoke with one of the social workers about an image of some of the mothers standing at a blackboard with a whole heap of faces. The first face on the board had the biggest smile and as the faces went along, the faces got sadder and sadder. Each of the women were required to go along the board and had to place their name on the face they felt reflected themselves since being involved with FFSC. In the photo, every one of the women was smiling and waiting their turn to only put their name at the first face.
And it wasn´t only on the board, every child and adult I met during my short visit had a smile. The children were holding hands. The teachers were providing additional tutorials. The orphans were reading books. And young women who first went to the centre when they were children, were now managing the office or running their own business through the support of loan services provided by FFSC. It was obvious – this place was providing opportunity and changing lives.
Back we head to the hub of the organisation, which oversees nine centres, 55 staff and 1500 children and their families around the city.
After a quick prayer (I knew there was something I was supposed to do before taking that first spoonful) and lunch of pho and rambutans, Sr Marie thanked me for the visit, threw on her gloves and helmet and waved goodbye as she headed off to another meeting. As she flew into the sea of bikes, I knew this was one face that stood out in the crowd. And would never be without a smile.
I walked away with a heap of gifts and an order of 1500 pictures for an exhibition next year. Any interested supporters who´d like to support Sr Thao in a flying visit, please drop me a line.
As a final note, I´d just like to add how Sr Thao flew on the bandwagon of me and my marital status. Having met her last year, she asked me if I had a boyfriend this time around. At 37, it´s not looking too hopeful for me – the whole of Asia is starting to question my sanity. When I said that I didn´t, she nodded knowingly.
¨I understand why.¨
How could a nun I have met on two short occasions understand why I am single, when I don´t even understand it myself.
¨Because your heart is too big for one.¨
So hence lies the answer. It floored me. It´s kept me up until 12.00am when I´ve got to be up at 4.00am. And I guess it´s given me something to think about. I do have a big heart. I´ve let it get in the way too much in my life. But I think I´m finally using it the right way, and it´s working overtime on this current journey I am travelling.
I hope to find some more smiles as I head north to genetic disorder clinics… there´s still plenty more gloves to go around.
