Vietnam School Visit

One-third of the population in Vietnam is under the age of fifteen. The country wants to improve its education system but a history of war and poverty means schools are not equipped to provide enough teachers, books, or even chairs for all of the children. In some areas, kids attend school in half day shifts. Saigon presents a progressive image and seems to illustrate a more industrialized society, yet three-fourths of the population lives in the countryside in poverty.

International Literacy Day is being celebrated the day of our visit to a school.

A well-stocked Room to Read library.

Fun can transcend language.

The exciting news is that the government has given permission for RtR to reach into North Vietnam for the first time. This is both a triumph and a challenge. It will mean bringing literacy to 50 different ethnic groups including the most marginalized people living in the mountain highlands.

Sign me up right now for the joy that visit would be!

A Glimpse of Vietnam

This photograph was taken in Ho Chi Minh City, commonly still referred to as Saigon. The street scape is a contrast between modern buildings, street vendors and open markets.

A bamboo pole with a basket of bananas on each end becomes a fruit market. It is colorful and fun to see but a reminder of the basic economics of survival. Two plastic stools on the street becomes a restaurant. The lady in the photo below has a restaurant-to-go on her shoulder pole.

One is often called out to with "Please, Madame..." with an emphasis on the second syllable. It is a reminder of the French influence in the early colonization of Vietnam.

Electrical engineer Dave says this is what's known in construction terms as a "bird's nest"! Even he is speechless at how this lineman is figuring it out.

Crossing the street in Vietnam is the ultimate challenge. Motorcycles six deep do not stop. You step off the curb and keep going. The drivers have calculated your crossing and if you hesitate at all - you'll get smacked. The hum of the motorcycle engines is everywhere.

To get to the rural school on our itinerary we must travel down the palm-fringed Mekong. It is tradition that the face painted on the boat will help "see" the way in the dark.

On our way to the school we walk through a rural market and make friends along the way.

Pictures of the school will be in the next post!

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is a powerful symbol of Cambodia and a source of great national pride.

The name Angkor Wat means "city temple" in the Khmer language. It was built in the 12th century as a capital of the Khmer Empire. 100 stone temples are spread out over 40 miles. It took 25,000 workers over 37 years to complete. The empire fell in 1431 precipitating the abandonment of the city. For centuries, it remained unknown to the outside world existing only in legend.

Although there have been political problems and war, the temples remained essentially unscathed.

Ta Prohm Temple shows what a tropical forest will do to an architectural monument if left untouched by humans. The gnarled trees have a stranglehold on the structures.

The movie,Tomb Raider, starring Angelina Jolie, was filmed here in 2001. Sidenote: Angelina's adopted son, Maddox, is from Cambodia.

Angkor Wat is one of the man-made Wonders of the World and I was eager to see it. We had deferred from the 4:30 am sunrise viewing but it was still morning when we arrived and very hot.

At first, one has to wonder how were those stones lifted to such heights? How were all the stone carvings accomplished? Every inch is covered with intricate story-telling bas relief. I try to picture these temples teeming with Cambodian life in the 12th century.

After the 400 years of abandonment, the discovery in 1863 by a French botanist, partly inspired France to declare Cambodia a protectorate. This was when Angkor Wat first appeared on the Cambodian flag. It has remained on the flag even after independence from France in 1953.

Note the stream of ants crawling in a steady parade across the bas relief. Apparently this happens in times of rain. It was fascinating to watch them.

Kall, the Room to Read country director for Cambodia, considers Angkor Wat as "a gift from our ancestors." It is an important legacy attracting visitors from all over the world. This smiling Buddha is the most popular image of all.

Cambodia

We knew it was the rainy season in Cambodia. Still we are awestruck when we see rain soaked fields for miles as we approach Siem Reap. We are accustomed to rain cooling things off. Not so in the tropical climate of Southeast Asia. It is wickedly hot and humid.

The skies did clear for our visit to a school and a welcoming ceremony there.
The story of Cambodia is compelling. For four years In the mid 70's, the Khmer Rouge tried to restructure the entire society by eliminating the educated and business classes. Two million people were killed.* The genocide ended when Vietnam invaded the country in '78. The Vietnamese stayed for ten years. When they left, the UN helped establish an interim government. Political upheavals continued in the 90's.

This is Angkor Wat. 12th century. It is the world's largest religious building and Cambodia's most cherished national symbol. (More on Angkor Wat to come.)

It is commonly felt that despite the destruction of Buddhist records, libraries, temples, shrines, and killing the monks, Buddhist teachings hidden deep inside the people helped them endure the years of war and poverty. Peace has encouraged their hopes for a better life. They clear landmines and have worked to build schools and revive traditions.
The people were warm and friendly. We left Cambodia with regret that our visit was short and with the desire to return.

*Recommended reading: First they Killed my Father by Loung Ung.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island country about 20 miles off the tip of India. Most of the people are Sinhalese who are Buddhist. About 9% are Tamils who are Hindu. For 30 years there has been a bitter civil war between them.Only in 2009 has there finally been peace.
Sri Lanka is tri-lingual. Sinhalese and Tamil are official languages as well as English which is considered the "link language". It is important for children to read in their mother tongue in all countries but this has taken on political significance here. Because Sri Lankans revere education, the validation of both cultures through preserving the languages in its literature acknowledges and respects both the Sinhalese and Tamil heritage of this nation.
Who would have thought children's books could have such an important function to a whole society and its politics? Kids books are something we take for granted. They've been part of American culture for a hundred years. In poorer societies, they've not existed at all. Local Language Publishing is an important function of RtR. We saw an impressive display of kids books in all three languages.

                           

We met local authors and illustrators. They are all self-taught. I am in awe looking at the drawings.

One artist asked to draw my portrait. I pulled out my sketchbook and with a laugh, offered to draw him, in return. It was fun to exchange our 5 minute sketches of each other.

Previous to the recent advent of children's books, students learned by rote memorization and have not been learning to read for pleasure. In the past, kids had learned to "answer the questions but not question the answers".

It is fun to think of kids now discovering the delight in a good story and to have their curiosity stimulated through attractive books written just for them.

As well as the political strife, in 2004 a devastating tsunami hit Sri Lanka. Hundreds of schools were destroyed. Poverty, isolation, dilapidated schools, scarce materials and girls at a significant disadvantage combined with war-torn areas and a natural disaster creates a tremendous need here.

My first impression upon arriving was how cordial and genteel the people are. Never had I seen an immigration official -usually officious and stern - smile as he stamped my passport, welcoming us and suggesting we stay longer.

We saw Neena from our small hometown in Michigan. She is preparing her doctoral dissertation on religion and the effects of well-meaning faith-based NGO's using devastating events as opportunities to evangelize. As an anthropologist, she is particularly interested in the effect that can be on a culture. We love seeing her and seeing the Sri Lanka that has become dear to her.

She agrees with us about the genuine friendliness and hospitality we have observed in the people. Every single country we've seen has compelled us to want to return!

Chicken Feet

The evening celebration with Room to Read South Africa was a colorful feast. African masks were centerpieces. Unique South African pinotage was the wine of the evening which is every bit as good as the best pinot noir.

Having had plenty of rice and curry over the last few days, we eagerly approached the traditional African buffet to try something new. I looked askance at a big bowl of bite-size, claw-like, barbecued... Chicken feet!

Sitting next to one of the local team ladies, she inquired had I tried them? Her eyes squinted in laughter as I demurred. "There's no meat on them" I declared. Oh, how she chuckled! "We cook them in garlic, onions, tomatoes. They're delicious. We make use of every part."

Later we learned they're quite adept at spitting out the bones and claws much like a watermelon seed spitting contest. I'm pretty adventurous about trying new things but chicken feet? Nope. Couldn't do it.

Coming back to South Africa

Three years ago, we visited South Africa for the first time. Anticipating the long flight, I'd picked up Leaving Microsoft to Change the World at the airport newsstand.

In the next few days, two things happened. I finished the book and we had become enchanted by South Africa. It wasn't just the adventure of being in the bush finding animals but also visiting a village, experiencing the culture and seeing the children.

Witnessing firsthand the poverty and the effect of HIV/AIDS leaving so many orphans, Dave and I were inspired to do more than just be a tourist. As soon as we arrived in Capetown, I was on the hotel computer exploring the website of Room to Read and discovering RtR South Africa was about to launch. At the time they weren't in a position to accept specific projects yet. So, instead, I sent a box of books and kids clothes to the village and temporarily put aside what else we might do.

We never forgot about South Africa and intended to return some day to help. Today was that day.

We gathered around a table and listened to the RtR in-country team tell us about their challenges and triumphs. Their passion and dedication to educating their children is illustrated in a story told by one of the Reading Room Program Coordinators:

"On a long and arduous trip to monitor a rural library, she encountered a washed out bridge.  She did not give up.  Undaunted, she parked the car, took off her shoes, waded across the river and kept walking several kilometers to reach the library.  She knew how badly the children needed her."

John Wood closed the evening with these words:

"When they write the history of the 21st century, I am convinced  there will be a chapter about Room to Read and the global movement to rid the world of illiteracy. We have come so far, so fast in the last 10 years...1100 schools, 11,000 libraries, 7.8 million books, 10,000 girls on scholarship..and yet there is so far to go.

 200 million kids get up every morning and don't go to school. Almost 800 million people can't read or write.

 Let's go out and make sure that we put this notion, the notion that a child can be told that they were born to the wrong parents, at the wrong time in the wrong circumstances and therefore do not have the right to an education, let's put that notion in the dustbin of history.. And let's re-write the story, the story of South Africa rising and show the world that we have overcome a separation of the races to become a democracy that treats everyone equally and forgives the trespasses of those who have oppressed us and joins together in creating a secure future. One is which all children receive an education, especially our girls so that they can educate the next generations. Let South Africa lead this global movement.!"

Mulenga

This is Mulenga. She started in the Girl's Education Program in Zambia at age 13. Now at 16 she exudes confidence and personality. Here she is being interviewed by John Wood.

Zambia - Part 2

We arrive at the school and are greeted by a chorus. 

We are invited into the library to listen to skits and play learning games with the kids.

We interacted with these girls and relished our time with them.  Listening to them express themselves as they tell us their goals and dreams and how to be strong young women touches our hearts. When John congratulates them with encouragement and pride in his voice and stretches his arm to them saying, "Your success is my dream come true! " There wasn't one of us who didn't have a tear in our eyes.

 John Wood recording the video with Mulenga (see clip)

We have invested in Room to Read because of its mission and it is gratifying to see the results.  The effect has been profound.   We already want to come back to Zambia!

Zambia

 It is winter in Africa. When we arrive in Lusaka, it is 75 degrees with a breeze. It would be a perfect summer day in the U.S..

Zambia is a landlocked country in south central Africa. It is slightly larger than Texas.

Mostly a savanna, it is also home of the famous Victoria Falls.

A typical rural home has mud brick walls and a thatched roof.

There is a genuine quality to the friendliness of the Zambians. Shy, but sure smiles on faces greet us. Zambians value a clean and neat appearance. Most women wear a colorful wraparound skirt called a chitenge.

Here a mother uses a separate chitenge to carry a baby against her back. Girls and women fix their hair into tiny braids. While the process can take hours, it is considered an important way for women to look beautiful.

We are on our way to the school. Little boys run alongside our van grinning and waving back when I wave to them.

The population is 11.9 million. It's a young population due in large part to HIV/AIDS. Nearly 50% are younger than 15. 68% live in poverty. More than half are illiterate.

The government is committed to trying to improve education and has implemented a nationwide Primary Reading Program. However, there is a severe lack of access to reading materials in most schools and very few have libraries. Room to Read has already established 100 libraries here since 2008 and has targeted for 75 more this year.

We are anxious to arrive at the school and see the progress being made.