| March 4, 2007 |
Da Nang, Viet Nam – One Family, One Home, 62 Children. |
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| A spectacular welcome to Da Nang Port from the Vietnamese Youth Union of traditional song and dance |
As Peace Boat pulled into the port-city of Da Nang, a large group of Vietnamese youths had gathered to welcome all participants with traditional song and dance. One study and exchange program was a visit to a Street Children’s Home in the ancient capital Hue, once the Imperial home to the Emperor Gia Long, ruler of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945). Despite it’s calamitous past, Hue retains a unique cultural identity dissimilar to the major cities and in 1993 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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| Peace Boat participants present the children with gifts of stationery |
The Japanese Association for Supporting Street Children in Viet Nam (JASS), a non governmental organization (NGO), worked with Hue City People’s Committee to open the Children’s Home in 1994. Mr. Michio Koyama, a Japanese teacher living in Viet Nam has been instrumental in setting up the home which is funded entirely by private donations from Japan. After arriving at the Street Children’s Home, or Kodomo no Ie in Japanese, there was a ceremony where Peace Boat participants presented the children with stationery collected in Japan. |
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| An entertaining concert by the children, here the girls perform a traditional Vietnamese fan dance |
After the ceremony there was an entertaining show put on by all the children with traditional dance performances and impressive break dancing from the boys. There was plenty of free time to interact with the children; most participants memorized key Vietnamese phrases before arriving to the Children’s Home, although the language abilities were limited this did not stop participants effectively communicating by using games, songs and simple phrases. |
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| Peace Boat participants outside the Kodomo no Ie Restaurant |
Street Children’s Home is not only a residential home but a vocational training facility where practical skills are developed so the children learn to be self reliant in the future. Subjects such as embroidery, culinary skills, English and Japanese are taught on site. An example of where these skills are applied is at the Kodomo no Ie Restaurant nearby. This restaurant employs several children as cooks that work alongside professional Japanese chefs. Peace Boat participants enjoyed an authentic Japanese meal together; some participants commented that dinner tasted just like their mother’s home cooking. |
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| Ms. Matsushita makes a speech about her experiences as a volunteer Japanese teacher in Viet Nam |
The following day Peace Boat visited the administrative center for Street Children’s Home and met Ms. Matsushita, a volunteer Japanese teacher at the home. Participants were pleasantly surprised to find out Ms. Matsushita was once a Peace Boat participant and post voyage she went back to Viet Nam in her commitment to contribute to a place that touched and inspired her. Though projects like the Street Children’s Home, it helps promote a better relationship and understanding between Japan and Viet Nam. |
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| Embroidering t-shirts and table cloths in the textile workshop |
Attached to the head office of Street Children’s Home is a textile workshop where some of the girls from the home are employed to sew and embroider t-shirts, bags and table cloths. One item usually takes between 2-10 days to complete depending on its complexity and all designs are original. In addition to embroidering, some handmade bamboo articles such as coasters and table mats are also made by the older children who learned the craft. |
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| Peace Boat participants Sara and Matchi with Thanh as they carry vegetables back from the market |
Peace Boat participants then returned to the Street Children’s Home where the children were waiting to go to the local produce market to pick out fresh vegetables and fish for lunch that day. Hand in hand the children weaved through the crowds while pointing and explaining various names of exotic fruit. |
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| Preparing vegetables for lunch together with the children |
Together everyone helped prepare a Vietnamese lunch that consisted of soup, grilled fish, a vegetable stir fry and rice. While lunch was being cooked, participants continued to interrelate with the students by playing basketball and a popular Vietnamese game that involves kicking a shuttlecock in turn as well as introducing some traditional Japanese children’s games. |
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| Free time with the children |
After the two day programme was over one participant’s comments were “In Japan children have everything they want or need, in Viet Nam children are content with a lot less. We have a lot to learn about enjoying simple things and not focus on material goods.” Another participant said “Even though Viet Nam is still developing as a country and it takes time to recover from a war, its people are friendly, warm and the children have a hopeful, positive attitude.” |
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