Social Work Center in Đô Lương

Day 6: Visit to the Social Work Center in Du Long

A great man once said that "there is no substitution for hard work", and before this trip I would have been willing to argue with him (in case you're wondering that man was Thomas Edison, inventor of the lightbulb and many other things). Ice cream sounds like a better substitution for hardwork, and even a nice long nap (everyone needs some shut-eye every now and then). But this week that quote couldn't be truer.

As previously noted, we spent the week working hard - possibly harder than any of us have worked in our entire lives. The job was tough, and at times frustrating (a few wheelbarrows tipped over; lots of physically demanding labor - who thought you could move a fully grown tree with bamboo and bike tires). In the end, however, the hard work was more than well worth it.

To thank us for our help at the Nghe An center, the director, Mr. Le Trung Thuc, invited us to visit the Đô Lương social work center, the original center and counterpart to Nghe An Center. The welcome we received was - to say the least - overwhelming and highly humbling. The previous night we'd gone out as a group and purchased books for the children at the center. We'd expected to give the children that the center services their new books, perhaps play a bit, and then maybe eat a nice lunch. What we got however, brought tears to my eyes. 

The director, along with other board members of the center, had organized a beautiful ceremony that included news coverage, to thank us. Performances, gifts, and tons of pictures later, it was finally time for us to meet the children we'd been hearing so much about; children who were to benefit from our service.

Lead into what appeared to be a school house, all eighteen of us finally came face to face with the children. Wide smiles, bright eyes, and somewhat skiddish dispositions greeted us. At first, due to apparent language differences, the conversation and interaction with children was somewhat tense and strained. The Vietnamese students helped us to integrate in  the best possible way with the children. One of the older children read Little Red Riding Hood, and then as a group we acted it out. But soon story time gave way, and children's laughter filled the air.

Whether we were blowing up balloons, drawing with chalk, walking babies, or even swinging kids around, that moment made all the hardwork we'd done days before well worth it. The smiles, the laughter, the utter joy of the children showed just how valuable our time had been. The work we did at the center in Nghe An, though at times brutal, did not go unacknowledged.

A lot of sweat, a bit of blood, and even a few tears all added up to hardwork well wrought.
Everything we'd done from smashing walls, getting chased by bats, fighting centipedes, moving full grown trees, and rolling grass couldn't compare, however, to the reward of seeing those children smile.