Mobile Humanitarian Care Unit - You can help make it happen!

In my previous post, I mentioned having to rent a van and driver because the convent vehicle had not been reliable for our use visiting the remote leper villages.

I thought I would explain that issue with the use of pictures.

Their current vehicle is a 1995 Mekong 4 x 4. It was only produced for a couple years in Vietnam and replacement parts are not readily available.


The one day we did use it to go to a leper village was a real challenge. There is an ever so slight slope going up out of the convent grounds. The driver would rev it up, put it into gear and we would lurch forward only to have the car stall. Again and again he would go through this procedure as we inched up the incline until we finally reached level ground and could proceed forward. I was sure we were just going to "blow" the engine trying to get to the top of that hill.


This is definitely not the type of vehicle you want to rely upon when you go to the remote locations to visit these leper villages.



This group of sisters services 68 villages with 700 lepers. The nearest of these villages is 10 km (6 miles)and the farthest is 80 km (50 miles) from Pleiku city. They have a total of 29 sisters who can make these visits.

However, their ability to visit and deliver the food, medicine, bandages and medical care the people need is seriously hampered by the condition of this vehicle.

Currently they travel to the more remote villages on motorbikes and are restricted to what they can carry to take in to tend to them.

If the roads are in good shape and wide enough, they will take a large cargo van that they have to carry any food they are delivering. However the cargo van is limited to two people so they end up still with nuns traveling by motorbike as well.

If they have visitors, they end up renting a passenger van and driver to make the trip but that is not economically feasible for the more regular visits they need to be making to each of these villages.

Our long range plans are to figure out how to obtain a better vehicle for their use...in doing so we could assure that 700 lepers and their families would be receiving the loving care of these nuns.

I picture a mobile humanitarian care unit of sorts, bringing them

LEPER BANDAGES



MEDICAL CARE FOR THEIR WOUNDS




MEDICINES FOR LEPROSY AS WELL AS MORE COMMON AILMENTS


LIFE SAVING FOOD SUPPLIES









It is possible and would really make the difference for these people. If you would like to help assure regular deliver of food, medicine and wound care to these lepers, send your donation to The D.O.V.E. Fund, P.O. Box 350741, Toledo, Ohio 43635 with the notation of "Bandage Brigade".

April 6 - Down the Long Road Past The Rubber Trees - Another Leper Village

Because our convent vehicle had been so unreliable in the previous days, this morning we were picked up with a rented van and driver. It was ourselves, Mr. Minh and 4 of the young nuns going out to visit a large leper village.

It was a very long dusty ride of about 90 minutes on dirt roads with a number of unmarked turns. Finally we passed expansive forests of rubber trees and arrived at the village.

This was a Protestant village with 140 families. There were all ages, small children up to very old adults. There are 65 active leper cases in the village. The remaining families are children of the lepers.

To minimize "traffic" upon our arrival, the food had been dropped off earlier but once we arrived it was brought out and the nuns worked to sort out the allocations.


We were pleased at each stop to see the amount of food that our US Dollars purchased and the number of people that we were able to "touch" with these gifts of love.


Everyone was anxiously gathered around so we kept them involved with handing out candy and cookies. The thin, dirty little hands shoved at you were heart wrenching.




They are however polite and very honest...with none coming back for seconds after their first allocation.




When it was time for the food to be handed out, the village leader checked each family off of his list as they received their allocations.

Most of them brought baskets to put their food in. Once packed they were so very heavy but they cheerfully hoisted them onto their backs for the walk back to their personal homes.


Mr. Minh told us that the first time he visited this village the children had NO clothes. They were clothed today but no diapers...most of these small ones were naked from the waist down.








If you can imagine, up until just recently these people lived without a water system or indoor bathroom facilities. Thanks to the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres they obtained funding to build them a 4 stall bathroom (Asian style hole in the floor) with running water. We were told they had to be literally educated on the benefits of using an indoor bathroom and instructed on how to use it.






The people were very thin and dirty. Their clothes were filthy and mostly in bad condition.


The more you study these pictures, the more you spot the deformaties that these people live with day by day.


Many artificial limbs are in use but they are in bad condition and many are just barefoot.




One of the sisters stayed behind to tend the people's wounds. She will later get a ride back on a motorbike.





We had such a hard time leaving these people when they are in such great need.


Our driving force was the fact that coming back and sharing what we had seen was the best way to get more help for these gracious people.

April 6 - School for Minority Girls studying to become Nuns

On our way back from Kon Tum to Pleiku, Mr. Minh took us to a school for young minority girls studying to become nuns. This school is the only facility of its kind with all minority girls in attendance.

They leave home just out of high school and stay at this school studying to become a nun for two years without ever returning home to see their families. After completing this school, they are then assigned to a parish/church.


It was obvious that Mr. Minh has visited here often. They were very happy to see us. One senior girl dressed in black was the spokesperson for the group. She spoke very good English and presented herself very well.


They sang lovely songs to us and shared their enthusiasm for life. Gary decided to liven things up a bit by demonstrating with them his special hand shake.


Soon, they were literally lining up to demonstrate this new handshake with Gary.


Before we left, we all joined hands and prayed together. It was obvious to us that these fine young ladies will be a true blessing when they return to their native people in the service of God.

April 5 - Weaving Beautiful Souvenirs in Kon Tum

One of our stops in Kon Tum was a minority craft workshop and store. It was fascinating to see the young girls weaving fabric for purses, belts and coats by hand.

As you can see from the pictures, they brace themselves against the wall so they can make sure they are maintaining tension on the strings into which they are weaving. They seemed to be very happy in their work and did not mind having their pictures taken.


At home in the US these antique treadle sewing machines would be collectors' items. Here they are the life blood of the operation. Used continually to sew together the parts and zippers for the items being constructed.


I loved the smile of this seamstress who was obviously enjoying her work...and perhaps even the fact that I already had several items laid out ready to purchase.

April 5 - Convent Orphanage for Minorities in Kon Tum

This was another of the orphanages we visited in Kon Tum. They house mostly minority children and it was obvious they are doing a great job with them as evidenced by these smiley faces and great personalities.






Our guide at this orphanage was called away during our tour. That left us with this lovely group of giggling kids...none of who spoke any English. First we tried sign language and then we started picking up things and offering the English word for it with them offering the Vietnamese translation. They were great kids and by the time our guide returned we were all great friends happily singing songs together.



The socialization of these young people is so very important to their future both in school and potential employment. I would say this group is off to a great start.

April 5 - Vinh Son Montagnard Orphanages

We visited two of the five Vin Son Orphanage facilities. They have more than 500 Montagnard children in five facilities. Their care is administered by the Sisters of the Miraculous Medal and sponsored by "Friends of Vinh Son Montagnard Orphanage" a non-profit organization headquartered in Auburn, California.


They were very heavily hit by the Typhoon and subsequent flood. Mr. Minh holds his hand to demonstrate to us how high the level of the flood waters were. Damage was extensive and they have already had to replace walls, foundation for their water tower, restore stock and repair fields and roofs.






As we looked at their grounds and the sad condition of their playground equipment, I could not help but imagine one of the nice, clean, new playground structures like The D.O.V.E. Fund has installed at some of our schools in Quang Tri province.


All we saw at both of the facilities were sick babies which was very disturbing. The first orphanage had a bout of chicken pox they were battling. How sad that vaccines and inoculations we take for granted are apparently lacking there. At the second facility we were not even able to see the children as they had a doctor there doing blood tests on them as they were sick as well.





I can definitely see the need for both good ongoing nutrition and access to proper medical care for these orphans.