Asia-Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam (Jan-Mar 2005)

The Well We Sponsored - Viet Nam

photolog: 1 of 22 [ <Da lat| next> ]

The Well - Ta Nang Village School

<click> to enlarge

The story of THE Well started early in 2003 when we paid for the development of a clean water well, through the organization 'Care to Help' (caretohelp.org).

The well was built at a school in the highlands near Da Lat Viet Nam, that provided education for minority children.  This year when we chose to travel to Viet Nam, we inquired of Care to Help if we might visit THE Well. We were put in touch with Mr. Hung Nguyenviet, the organization's administrator in Viet Nam.

It all sounded so simple to me. In the plane over to Asia I envisioned a scenario  where Chuck and I met Mr Hung in the morning over coffee, drove to see the well midday. There I knew that I was going to see poverty and the local people would thank us.  I thought that after seeing the well we would thank Mr Hung over dinner and then go our separate ways. I had no previous experience that prepared me otherwise.

We did meet Mr Hung and his wife Nhon and have coffee. But from there the story takes an immediate turn. Over coffee, he said that he was not sure that it was possible that we could see the well. We required government permission and at this point they would not give it.

Now, after traveling for years in developing and emerging countries my first thought was, "Oh here comes the pitch for money". On the first day, that didn't happen. And each day in Da Lat, when Mr Hung came to pick us up at our hotel to show us another site, the first words out of his mouth were, "I do not think that I can get permission from my government". I finally asked very bluntly, "Do they want money? If so, how much?". I thought that Mr Hung was not bringing up the subject of money because, by his custom,  we were supposed to bring up the subject.

Mr Hung: No No No, you don't understand my government. They control everything.

And so we stayed in Da Lat and enjoyed everything that was close by for 5 days. On the 5th day, while Chuck and I were talking about traveling on the next day without seeing the well Mr Hung arrived with Nhon and a Buddhist Monk saying, "Maybe we  have permission, but we must  leave now and get a letter."

And so....

photolog: 1 of 22 [ <Da lat| next> ]

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