I'm busy preparing for my imminent trip to Hoi An, but before I go I want to tell you about an exciting new project involving Song and his friends! So I’ve asked Rachel, a supporter from England, to write up this blog for me, she was in Hoi An on my last trip and met many of those involved. Basically this is the story of the most lovely group of people you could ever hope to meet! They all live in or near to Hoi An and they are all disabled in some way - some through accidents, some through cerebral [View Full Entry]

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Rin is a 23-year-old widow. Her husband died one year ago at age 29. Rin has two children: a son, Kin, age six and in grade one at school, and Thao, her two-year-old daughter. Since her husband’s death, Rin has had to return home to live with her parents. The Vietnamese poor commonly die of treatable illnesses because they cannot afford medical treatment or medicine. You have to pay for everything at a Vietnamese hospital—and I mean everything; nothing is free. For example, if you need a drip, you need to buy it. If you need a plastic bowl to bathe [View Full Entry]

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Thuy is a hard-working woman, spending her days hauling sand and bricks. Her husband, Duc, is a river fisherman. They have two children, 13-year-old Truyen, who has Cerebral Palsy (CP), and 6-year-old Tay. Thuy, like most mothers I meet who have disabled children, has a permanent look of worry, sadness, and strain on her face. When you are poor in Vietnam, it is difficult (bordering on impossible) to access medical advice and treatment. I think most poor people with children who are sick or disabled have a lot of unanswered questions. In many cases, they don’t know who to ask or [View Full Entry]

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At the end of November, I asked if you could help me buy for Song the "Best Ever Christmas Present!" - A present that would change his life! Well thanks to your amazing and instant generosity - here it is! Song is the proud owner of a brand new, specially adapted, three wheel motorbike! Born with polio, Song has spent his entire life confined to a wheelchair. He lives with his mother, a long way out of town and has had to propel himself to work and back by lifting and lowering the handle on his rickety old wheel chair. Now, [View Full Entry]

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Vietnam’s elderly receive no pension from the government when they are too old or no longer able to work. On this trip, I added a new program to Lifestart Foundation's work in Vietnam: Elderly Assistance. The elderly people that I helped this trip all had families, but they too were all poor. The reality that accompanies being old, frail, and unable to work is that there is no food, or access to medicine or medical treatment when you are ill. There simply is no money for those things. Thung is 81 years of age and La, his wife, is 79. They [View Full Entry]

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Hi Everyone, I think I should forewarn those of you who get a bit squeamish: this may not be an ideal blog for you to read. These blogs are not written for shock value or for sympathy. They are simply a true account of the range of highs and lows encountered on each trip, intended to give you as broad a picture as possible of the work that Lifestart Foundation undertakes. I went to Vietnam this time with a few medical problems on my “to do” list. As should be expected, unforeseen emergencies also pop up that need urgent attention. Here’s [View Full Entry]

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On this trip, I met families living on an island some distance from the mainland who were in need of help. To get to the island to visit these families, I took a half-hour motorbike ride to a little rickety jetty where a small boat was waiting. One of the volunteers looked dubiously at the small boat and commented on the absence of any seating. I jokingly reassured her that the crew would bring out the deck chairs for us at any minute, which put her at ease only until she realized I was joking! After the motorbikes were loaded onto [View Full Entry]

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The Lifestart Foundation Free School officially opened in March 2006. I am constantly looking for ways to improve what we do for the children, and also for new and stimulating things to introduce to them. Eight months down the road, I feel like our little school has settled into a good rhythm and is doing what I had hoped it would do (despite a few teething problems and the worst typhoon in ten years making a temporary mess of the school). The children are all happy and well adjusted; they are all doing well at school. Most importantly, they are loved [View Full Entry]

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Muoi and Le have three sons. Eight-year-old Thanh is in year three at school; Phuc, age six, is in year one; and three-year-old Tu is still at home. The family shares a house with four pigs, which they look after for their neighbours for a small fee. Living conditions for Muoi and Le and the children are quite difficult to describe, but I will try. The house (and I use that term very loosely) is made up of bits of plastic, some tin and flimsy bamboo. Gaping holes expose the family to the elements everyday. They have one bed and little [View Full Entry]

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Menh, the mother of nine-year-old Huy, has had polio since she was very young. Her husband (Huy's father) has been in a psychiatric hospital for the past two years. Menh told me that her husband may be discharged soon, which is causing her great distress—she is unsure if his problems have been addressed or, for that matter, even treated. If he comes home, it will also mean one more mouth for her to feed. She already struggles to feed Huy and herself. Menh is very independent despite her disability; she sells water at the local market every day. She starts her [View Full Entry]

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