That’s it. My time with AEPD in Dong Hoi has come to an end. Time flew in the last weeks. Yesterday I left this beautiful city and its even more beautiful people with a heavy heart. Looking back, it was an extremely rich experience for me, both culturally and professionally. I have met and closely worked with many out-standing and dedicated individuals and by getting to know them better every day I learned about their impressive stories. And friendships were knotted.

I would like to thank Dung, Hong and Nga, the three women who are running our office, for having me introduced into their new (old) organization and provided me with all the support I needed, at the same time letting me enough free space to work independently. My deepest gratitude goes also to the 7 AEPD outreach workers, the lifeblood of the organization, and especially to Luu and Hoai who took the time to share their personal story with me. They accompanied me on our field trips to their beneficiaries and were a constant source of great knowledge and in-sight. We had many good laughs and discussions together. What they do for the disabled people in the region is simply amazing. They love their job and, themselves “disabled”, they are among the most cap-able people I have met in a long time.

Finally, I wish AEPD good luck for their future as a local NGO. They are doing a great job to support persons with disabilities living in poor conditions, and provide solutions tailored to the needs of every individual. We can see the results. In numbers it is more than 2500 persons with disabilities assisted in the past 7 years. But at the end of the day this is not what counts. It is the look in the eyes of people like Hue or Son when they talk passionately and enthusiastically about the support AEPD provides them, and how it changed their lives. Towards a better, brighter future.

With some pictures from AEPD’s first congress, which was held 12th of August in Dong Hoi, and a short video (unfortunately only in Vietnamese), I would like to say goodbye to you, too. Thanks for having followed my blog, and for all your supporting comments and feedbacks. I heard it many times in Dong Hoi – the polite standard English sentence when you leave somewhere,  – now I finally have to say it myself: “Goodbye, and see you again”.

AEPD team at the first congress, 11 August, Dong Hoi

Ms. Dung, AEPD chair woman

AEPD outreach workers presenting a song

Ms. Hue and me

Please watch also the Video on AEPD’s first congress, only in Vietnamese version. It is produced by Quang Binh Provincial TV. And finally, have a look at AEPD’s new homepage (still work in progress though):

http://aepd.org.vn

Hoang van Luu was born in 1964 during the “American war” in a farming village in Van Trach commune. When he was three years old, his parents died in a B- 52 bomb attack. Most of the villagers lost their lives under the hail of bombs this day, 18th of April 1967. It is remembered ever since as “the day of the village’s funeral”.  As if by a miracle, Luu, his older sister and two older brothers all survived the attack , hiding in one of the many underground tunnels and caves, which the villagers had dug for protection against the air raids. The four orphans were brought up by their grandparents.

In summer 1972, Luu’s eldest brother found a fist-sized bomblet and brought it home. It was one of hundreds of thousands unexploded cluster bomb sub-munitions, that had been scattered throughout the Vietnamese countryside during the nearly ten years of war. He didn’t know this by then. Neither did 7-year-old Luu who picked the bomblet up thinking it was a toy.

“I thought it was some kind of ball out of metal. So me and four other children from the neighborhood started playing with it. As I hit it several times on the stone floor of the hairdresser’s shop where we were playing, I heard a ‘clic’ and the bomb exploded in my hands”.

Startled by the explosion in the town center, neighbors and Luu’s uncle came running and found the five injured children and brought them to a near-by hospital. The bomb ripped off Luu’s hands. The doctor could only save two fingers of his left hand, his right arm had to be amputated at the height of the elbow.

Mr. Hoang Van Luu - AEPD outreachworker since 2003

After he had recovered physically from his injury, Luu went back to school. He had to convince his teacher, who was first reluctant to take back this boy without hands, thinking that he was not able to follow the class and learn writing with only two fingers. But he did well. The teacher’s hesitation made Luu understand that from now on he had to be better, and more intelligent than the others – the “normal people” - to compensate his physical disability and make something out of his life. To prove wrong all people who had doubt in his aptitude to do things, and to earn their recognition.

His brothers and sisters stopped attending school and worked to earn money and support Luu to go as far as possible with his education. They knew as well as he did, that this is the only way he could keep all possibilities open and to live an independent life in the future. “I owe them my deepest respect and love, for what they did for me and how they supported me. Instead of going to school or university, they worked hard. For me. They sacrificed themselves for me.”

Luu was a brilliant student. He finished high school without the slightest difficulties and passed his university exams to study Biology in Hue. But then everything changed. Because of love. He was in love with a girl from his hometown, while studying far away. They send each other letters nearly every week. It was difficult for them to keep in touch. The girl’s parents did not allow her to be with him and worse - to marry him. Because of his disability. The couple was very sad and discouraged. He had been in Hue for nearly two years when she saw no other solution than to take her life. She threw herself in front of a train. Luu left the university and went back to his hometown, devastated.

Mr. Luu on the way to work

He had never forgotten what he resolved himself as a young boy, to be like anybody else or better, despite his disability. He did all his tasks with diligence and put great effort in doing them as perfect as only possible.  “The other construction workers and employers respected me for what I was, even if I was different, and for what I did on the construction site. I was confident, I knew how to work.”

In 2001 he got married, and became father of a daughter and a son.  He had bought a piece of land and built his house where he wanted to live with his future family years before, without knowing who “the one” would be. But he was convinced that he would meet her, sooner or later.

Peer support visit: Outreachworker Luu with Tan Van Son

Then, in May 2003 he got a letter from the local authorities, inviting him for a job interview with the newly established international non-governmental organization LSN-V. They were looking for landmine and bomb survivors, who had made their lives and could share their experience with other survivors to help them to overcome their physical and mental trauma and make their lives meaningful again – the model of peer support. The job was made for him. He became the first LSN-V outreach worker and he has been working for LSN-V, now AEPD, for the last seven years.

“I met hundreds of people having the same situation as mine. I learned from them and I advise them, sharing with them my experience in life, which I’ve gone through. We have helped each other to overcome difficulties of disabled people and the feeling of complex and inferiority, and to do business to earn income for their families and join social activities. Many of the individuals I have assisted in the past, participated in social events with eagerness and enthusiasm. The work with AEPD has made me happy, confident and energetic. My colleagues trust me, ‘my survivors’ trust me. We overcome all our difficulties together and live as normal persons.”

Please watch the interview with Mr. Luu. He talks about his job as an AEPD outreach worker, and the impact AEPD has on the disabled people they intend to help.

Luong Thanh Hoai has been an outreach worker for AEPD (formerly LSN-V) since 2006. Himself physically disabled, he has helped many other disabled people by peer support. During this summer we have become close friends, even if we don’t speak the same language. We have been working together and spent many evenings playing Co Tuong (Chinese Chess), joking and drinking coffee. His 16-year-old daughter Ha My accompanied us every time and helped us to translate.

One evening, when we were sitting as usual in a coffee shop and heavy drops announcing the coming rainy season were pattering on the bamboo roof, he told me his life story.

Hoai grew up in a wealthy family in Va Hoa in the North of Quang Binh Province with his three brothers and two sisters. He was very smart and did well at school. And handsome how he was, the girls of his age admired him and fell in love – he told me with an impish, heartily smile. At the age of 18, he aimed to go to university and study law, to follow the example of his father, a judge at a criminal court.

Hoai received an invitation letter to present himself to the university entry exams in Da Nang. Upon arrival, he was not allowed to take the exam. He was told, that he had to write the exam in Ho Chi Minh City. But it was to late to get there in time and he missed it. The university administration had sent him a wrong notification.

With 18, instead of going to university, Hoai had to join the Navy

This mistake, which was not his, changed his life irrevocably. Instead of a career as a lawyer, his strict father decided that Hoai should join the army, to learn the values of discipline and obedience. In 1988, after two years in the Vietnamese Navy, at the age of 20, he was badly injured in a missile attack during the Truong Sa Sea battle. Hoai lost his left hand, and his right eye. It was replaced by a glass eye. The explosion also left him with scars on his face and chest.

He spent 3 months in military hospitals in Na Trang and Hanoi, before he recovered from his injuries and could go back to his hometown. “First my neighbors and friends didn’t recognize me. When they realized that it was me, they cried and felt deep sympathy for my hard destiny. In the first years, I was very sad and felt pity for myself. The horrible moments I had experienced during the attack haunted me. But it was thanks to my good friends and family that I recovered mentally and grew strong again. I knew I could live with the disability and start a new life”.

Luong Thanh Hoai, AEPD outreach worker since 2006

Hoai and his dauther Ha My

In 1993 he got married to a teacher of literature, and became father of a son and a daugther. After many years living out of a military penison, Hoai started an administration job at the Quang Binh University where he worked between 1999 and 2003. Then, three years later, he joined LSN-V, as a strong, highly intelligent and confident man, who knew where he stood.

His life would have been so different if he had gone to university, instead of joining the army, Hoai told me. But sometimes a tiny little detail can change our lives forever… Proud father of two healthy and beautiful children, winner of two silver medals in discus and javelin at the 2007 Vietnamese ParaGames, brilliant chess player and patient teacher. And a dedicated outreach worker who loves his job.

For this shot, Hoai won the silver medal at the 2007 Vietnamese ParaGames

“I realized the change in my life when working with AEPD. As an outreach worker, I have the chance to know and learn more from many persons with disabilities who share my fate. In fact, our peer support method has proved itself very helpful for disabled people in overcoming their complex of inferiority and to reintegrate into social life. AEPD brought me the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the community in helping other people with disabilities to get over their daily difficulties and finding their place in society.”

In his opinion, to make the assistance and consultancy meaningful and effective, the outreach workers have to understand the real needs of the beneficiaries and propose specific ways to help them.For Hoai, an outreach worker should be like a mirror, a good example for others to follow. He try to give his best every day.

I am very happy for having met Hoai and I would like to thank him very much for everything he has shared with me. His will and strength, but also his cheering smile are simply inspiring.

Co Toung (Chinese Chess) lessions

Two weeks ago, an unexploded aerial 250-kilo-bomb was uncovered on a construction site to extend the Nhat Le River promenade in Dong Hoi. This place is only 200 meters away from my Hotel. All works were suspended, until the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians from the international NGO Mine Advisory Group (MAG) inspected the bomb and decided that it cannot be removed without rendering it safe first as it was still fuzed and still contained a quantity of high explosives.

The event was announced in the local News, so I wanted to go and watch. I have been working with cluster munitions and bomb victims during the summer, and have learned how they have to live with their injuries – cut legs, hands and fingers, facial scars – an how it changed their lives. But I realized that I haven’t seen a real bomb or explosion so far.

I stepped out of Nam Long Hotel and saw that the Police and the military had evacuated a huge perimeter around the clearing site. As I observed the MAG specialists from far doing their work, I understood that the scenery couldn’t be more telling. The bomb was found meters away from the Tam Toa memorial church. Built in 1887, this church suffered 48 bombing attacks but the facade and the bell tower are still standing. The ruins of what was one of the most beautiful churches in Vietnam were declared a war memorial site by the provincial authorities. “This is one of the last buildings in Dong Hoi that survived the bombing. The whole city was destroyed. It was terrible, there were explosions every day, we had to leave the city and hide in the countryside during the attacks”, an old man standing next to me told me.

I knew that Quang Binh Province with its capital Dong Hoi was one of the most bombarded areas during the “American War”, because of its proximity to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the Ho Chi Minh Trail. But hearing it from a man who had to live through this was very impressive.

MAG Mine action team at work: Bomb deactivation next to memorial church (source: MAG)

During the MAG operation, a large perimeter was evacuated

Tony Fernandes (MAG TOM) preparing the rendering safe of the 250kg bomb (source: MAG)

American Airplanes dropped approximately 7 million tons of bombs over Vietnam during ten years, and only a third of it actually exploded. These Unexploded Ordnances (UXO) in all their forms can explode if disturbed. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs reported in 2007 that since the end of the war there have been at least 104,701 civilian casualties caused by explosive remnants of war. Today, most of the UXO are not on the surface anymore. Covered by the growing forest, picked up by children who wanted to play with these unknown – cruel – objects (sometimes the size of a tennis ball), and removed and buried by farmers to clear their farming land on their own. They prevent people from carrying out everyday activities such as farming fields, building houses, digging fish ponds or collecting food in the forest. This is the long-term impact of UXO. And this just happened in front of where I am living in Dong Hoi.

Everything went well. Within one hour, the big bomb was rendered safe for transportation. I wanted to meet the specialists from MAG, who were working there in the hot sun in their long-sleeved brown uniforms with the scull logo. That’s how I was introduced to Tony Fernandes, the Technical Operations Manager of MAG Vietnam. He is South-African, and has been working in humanitarian Mine Action for the last 6 years in Vietnam, DRC and Sudan preceeded by a year in commercial Mine Action in Iran . Prior to this, he was a Bomb Disposal Technician  in the South African Police for 14 years. He was very satisfied with the operation’s outcome, because if something had gone wrong, if the bomb had exploded, the church and the surrounding buildings would have been seriously damaged.

As he saw my interest in his work, he invited me to show me the work MAG does in the rural areas around Dong Hoi. He told me that MAG has been working in Vietnam since 1999, destroying more than 150,000 items of UXO in order to give thousands of people the opportunity to leave their lives in safety and without fear.

MAG teams go systematically from village to village, asking local people if they know about UXOs buried in their neighborhood. If there are any, MAG send clearance teams to take care of the bombs, cluster munitions and unexploded ordnances. They decide then if the UXO has to be destroyed on site, or if it is possible to transport it to a safe dedicated storage area where it will be destroyed in a controlled demolition along with other items of unexploded ordnance that MAG has found during their operations – like the bomb from Dong Hoi.

Last Friday I went with Tony and the MAG team to the demolition site, a military controlled area outside Dong Hoi. This day, MAG destroyed 59 cluster munitions in a bulk demolition, a missile rocket motor, the bomb from Dong Hoi and a 350 kg bomb. I learned that this bomb was found by a farmer in 1972 and buried under a tree in his backyard. He had to live with the knowledge and constant fear of having a bomb buried close to his house, where his children were playing. But he couldn’t bring it anywhere else. Not until MAG came to his home a few weeks ago.

300-kg Bomb ready for controlled demolition. (source: MAG)

When a bomb explodes, you first see it, then you hear it and then the shock wave makes you feel it. My body trembled as I watched the demolitions from more than a 1 km distance. My ears rang because of the terrible dump sound of the explosion. The demolition area was beautifully set in the deep green mountains. A big burst of dust and soil, and then black and white smoke that rise high up in the air. In this moment, I tried to imagine, how it was for the people 35 years ago during the war, when B-52s dropped day and night thousands of bombs on the jungle, rice fields and villages. Even if I had just seen a bomb explosion with my own eyes, I couldn’t.

Contolled Demolition of 59 UXO items and the explosives of the 300-kg bomb (source:MAG)

During this summer I was involved in the victim assistance part of humanitarian mine action. I would like to thank MAG, and especially Tony for sharing with me the other important part: Mine clearance.

On the field with Jasmine and Tony (MAG Vietnams Technical Operations Manager

Nguyen Thi My Hue was born disabled. She has a serious congenital malformation, is humpbacked and has experienced an abnormal growth of her body. Today, at the age of thirty, she is only tall like a ten-year-old child. Hue is a victim of Agent Orange. Between 1962 and 1971, US Military airplanes sprayed around 50 million liters of this dioxin-contaminated herbicide on the jungle and rice fields of Vietnam, Laos and parts of Cambodia. Agent Orange was used to defoliate the forest and rural lands to deprive the Viet Cong food supply and cover. Hue’s father was directly exposed to the dioxin during the war. The Vietnamese Red Cross estimates that, like Hue, 3 million Vietnamese have been affected by Agent Orange, among them at least 150’000 children with birth defects.

Hue begins her story with: “I was born unlucky”. But her eyes are bright and she smiles.

Ms Hue is confident for the future

Hue grew up with her parents and her seven younger sisters in very poor conditions in a farmer village in the Phúc Trạch commune, Bố Trạch District. “I was really weak at that time and could not do anything. I could not walk or stand straight because of my disability. I only crawled. When I was ten, I could start helping my parents with housework: cooking, washing an even cutting grass on the paddy field.”

Because of her general weakness and unstable health condition, her parents did not allow her to go to school. But Hue insisted on going. Thanks to her strong will and enthusiasm she managed to convince her parents and the teacher. And once in school, she could easily catch up with the others.

“I was so unhappy that I could not go to school. I had to stay at home. I tried to teach myself one letter a day. My mother taught me to write. Once I could read and write my name, I wanted to attend the class. But my friends at the same age were already in 3rd grade and the teacher did not allow me to join. My father insisted. The teacher asked me to read my name and a newspaper. I did well, even 10 simple calculations. In the end, the teacher agreed. I went only two years to school.”

Unfortunately, Hue could not continue her education because her family was too poor to afford the tuition fees for all seven sisters. As the eldest, Hue demonstrated responsibility and maturity, which is special for a 12-year old: “I thought I should stay at home and help my mother. I wanted to give my younger sisters the opportunity to go to school too. I knew how to read, write and calculate. This was enough.”

Paddy field

In the following years, Hue helped her parents to earn money for the family. They lived mainly on rice cultivation. Her physical constitution didn’t allow working on the rice field. So Hue sold small products on the local market. Despite her efforts, the money she made was not enough, around 18 dollars a month. She felt discouraged and struggled in her daily life.

In 2004 her father suddenly died from a serious disease. This was too much for Hue. The pain about the loss of her beloved father provoked a heart attack. Even now, when Hue recalls these days, she has tears in her eyes: “I fainted, fell down and my body trembled epileptically. I only survived because neighbours came running and reanimated me.” Her mother brought her to the Pham Ngoc Thach hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, which is 1200 km from here home. She stayed there for three years. But even after returning home, she had to stay in bed for another two years, until 2009.

As Hue recovered from her heart attack, her first thought was to support her mother in providing for the family: “Our economic situation was very difficult. Only my mother was working on the rice field, but we didn’t have enough to feed all family members. I wanted to have a new job. I came up with the idea of selling groceries for the neighbours in a small store integrated in our house.”

Despite of her undeniable talent for sales, which she has developed since her childhood, she had to face serious start-difficulties: “I asked people to lend us some money. I borrowed 5 million dong (250 Dollars) to buy a small cupboard and an old fridge, which cost 1,3 million Dong. But the old fridge broke down. I lost the money. To run the store without a fridge was very difficult. The days here are very hot and people like drinking cold beer and water with da (Ice). Without the fridge, they did not come to me anymore. I was so disappointed and wished nothing more than to have a fridge again.”

In February 2010, Mr. Thuan, an AEPD outreach worker, visited Hue at her home. She should become one of the first beneficiaries of AEPD’s new project “Promoting development of small enterprises by persons with disabilities”, funded by Irish Aid.

“Mr. Thuan asked me if I wanted to have a job and join a vocational training. I told him about my dream to keep and expand my store at home. The vocational trainings he proposed, incense and candle making, were not suitable for my health. So Mr. Thuan invited me to participate in a business planning and management workshop held in Hoan Lao village” – about 40 kilometers from Hue’s home.

The new store beside Hue's home

Since Hue has never left her village during her whole life to join any public event, she was very nervous and hesitated to participate. “I was very happy and worried at the same time because of my low education and because I have never travelled far to meet other people. But he convinced and encouraged me that I should believe in myself, overcome my feeling of inferiority and complex. ‘Everyone loves you and supports you. Try your best he told me. Thanks to his encouragement, I got over my fear and decided to go. During the 4 days of training in April, I met many people who are also disabled like me. This was the first time in my life I was outside talking with other people. It was a great experience”.

After the training, Hue was more than ever determined to keep her store and to make it successful. With the help of the Mr. Thuan, she developed a business plan. All she needed was a working fridge…

Ms. Hue, proud owner of her store

Neighbourhood kids playing in front of Hue's store

In May 2010, AEPD provided Hue with a new fridge and paid  part of the building cost of a new store in front of her house. Today, Hue’s small store business provides her with a sustainable income. “Since having the fridge and store, I have been attracting more and more clients and my mood and spirit changed a lot. I am happy and feeling healthier than ever before.”

Hue discovered a new talent as well. She has a beautiful voice. And one of her passions is singing. In different social and cultural events organized by self-clubs of disabled persons, Hue went on stage and presented her songs, including a poem she wrote herself about her life. It was a big step for her and needed a lot of courage, but Hue did it.

“While singing on the stage, I felt very lucky and honored to present my voice to the audience.” And the audience applauded and cheered strongly. This made Hue proud of herself. Proud of what she achieved despite her disability.

Singing is Hue's passion - Integration event in Dong Hoi

Vietnam has an immense number of disabled people. Around 5 millions or 6.3 per cent of its whole population have to live with a disability. In Quang Binh province alone there are around 40’000. Among them many survivors of landmines and cluster munitions, as well as victims of Agent Orange – the legacy of twenty-five years of war.

Most of them live in rural areas and below the poverty line, especially in Quang Binh, one of Vietnam’s poorest provinces. Here the average per capita income is around 15 Dollars a month. Only few people with disabilities have stable jobs and regular income. Environmental, economic and social barriers prevent most handicapped from fully participating in society.

AEPD’s current project, funded by Irish Aid, aims to reduce poverty among disabled people by assisting them with developing small enterprises. Through business and vocational trainings, which are tailored to the specific needs of every individual and in-kind support, AEPD works to improve their livelihood conditions in a sustainable way.

Currently around a hundred people with disabilities and their families are assisted by AEPD. In the past few weeks, I had the chance to visit several beneficiaries of the project at their homes in the rural areas around Dong Hoi. I was deeply impressed by their stories and the way AEPD has been working with them. Every story is unique and remarkable. I would like to start sharing them with you.

This is the story of Mr. Tran Van Son (46), who had his two legs and three fingers amputated due to an artery blockage. Thanks to his own strong character and AEPD’s support, he has built a successful carpenter business in Ray village in the Bo Trach District. He received frequent peer support visits by AEPD outreach workers, pain medication and two machines, a power saw and a lathe. He proudly showed me his workshop, attached at his home, where he lives with his wife and his 12-year-old son. He insisted in telling his story on his own. Here it is:

Mr. Tran Van Son, a strong man and succesful carpenter

“I was born in a poor farmer family. My parents needed my help on the rice field and could not afford the school money, so I had to stop attending school. I joined the army in 1984 when I was 20 years old. After 3 years in the army, I came back to my village to work and I got married.

At the age of thirty-five, the artery blockage started. I was constantly in great pain. I travelled to many hospitals in the nearby provinces, then to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. But nobody could treat my disease.  In 1999, I had my left leg amputated. In 2000, my right leg was amputated as well. But I did not recover. Then the doctor cut my fingers as the last way to prevent me from death. I thought my life would end. I did not want to live anymore. But my wife encouraged me. I should live and hear my children calling me “papa”.

Two years of spending all our money on medicine and many hospital stays made our economic situation worse and worse. I had to borrow a lot of money. We could not afford a normal life anymore. Despite my severe disability, I decided to learn a new job in order to be able to pay back my debt and support my family. I wanted to become a carpenter. During this time, I learned about LSNV. The organization provided me a power saw. Since then I have become more confident and energetic. In 2010, I received a second machine, a lathe. My carpenter workshop is the only one in the surrounding communities and it is very successful. My clients bring me the raw material and I produce what they wish: Doors, windows and furniture of all kind. Everybody really likes my products.

I realize that many other persons with disabilities and amputees are less lucky than me. They have no wives, no children and no relatives and are fully dependant on outside help. I am so happy to have my supporting family and a job that is suitable to my health condition. Today I am independent. I earn my own living and am able to provide for my family. I have the opportunity to participate and contribute to the society thanks to the encouragement and consultancy of AEPD.”

Mr. Son proudly presents the new lathe

Teamwork

Mr. Son and his son Tran Xuan Lam working with the power saw

On the three-wheel in fron of the workshop

Mr. Tran Van Son and his wife

Now we are officially the Association for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (AEPD). I would like to show you what the NGO does and how they work. In 2008, the organization, which at the time was still the Landmine Survivor Network - Vietnam, produced a short promotional movie about the work they do. It will provide you with a good insight into my daily  surroundings and the people I work with (even if some have left the organization since then). Also, it shows how LSN-V has helped many people with disabilities in the three sectors of health, economic opportunities and social empowerment. LSN-V has achieved many remarkable things, especially thanks to its unique model of peer support, which will remain at the core of AEPD. Enjoy!

This summer is a very important time for Survivor Corps Vietnam, as the organization is leaving the structure of the SC global network and transforming itself into a local independent Vietnamese NGO, called “Association for Empowerment of Persons with disabilities” (AEPD). Next saturday, July 10, Survivor Corps Headquarters in Washington closes its doors as a consequence of the lack of funding triggered by the global economic crisis. This day will also mark the beginning of AEPD.

Survivor Corps has helped over 2500 landmine and cluster munitions survivors  and their families in Quang Binh province since 2003. Now AEPD is committed to continue this mission and to go beyond this by expanding its support projects to all people with disabilities.

After some initial uncertainties over the changes within the organization where I am volunteering this summer, I have realized the opportunity offering itself to me. Many things have to be done in the final stages of this localization process. During the past two weeks I have developed the logo of AEPD with the support of a great graphic designer and friend (thank you Mänu!). Also,  I have currently been preparing the content and structure of the AEPD’s new website. And maybe most importantly, a new fundraising and outreach strategy has to be set up, as from now on AEPD has to stand financially on its own feet.

AEPDs new logo

The work atmosphere in the office is good. As everyone from the small team is very busy, I can work very independently and come up with my own ideas – It is a mixture of creativity, spontaneity and learning-by-doing that is asked by my superiors Ms. Hong and Ms. Dung. However, if I find myself in difficulties with certain questions, I receive all the necessary support.

There is another reason why working with a small local development NGO is highly beneficial for me. I can learn a lot about the dynamics of community-based grassroots organizations, as well as about their challenges and difficulties. They are mainly linked to the financial dependence of national and international donors. So far I have had only theoretically knowledge about fundraising, but to see its importance in daily work life is impressive: NGOs’ activities and staff salaries depend entirely on it. This is especially visible in harsh economic times, when less donor money is available.

Luckily, AEPD has recently assured a two-year contract with the Irish development agency Irish Aid.  This grant guarantees that AEPD can keep its head above water during the difficult transition time and continue to support persons with disabilities. So the first step towards localization is done and this is a base AEPD can build upon for a successful future.

It has now been one week since I have arrived in Dong Hoi. Time has passed very quickly and intensively as I have been absorbing openly and eagerly many new impressions and encounters with interesting people. Everything is new and exciting. I adore immersing myself in new foreign settings and way of life as well as adapting quickly to local cultural habits. I like walking through the local market and appreciate the intense and fresh colors and flavors of the (for us) exotic cooking ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, green lemon, chili or coriander.

I arrived last Tuesday morning after a one-hour flight from Hanoi. Shortly after I moved into my room in the nice little family-run Nam Long Hotel, I went full of anticipation to the SC/LSN-V office, which is only a two minute walk. There I was introduced to Ms. Dung (director) and Ms. Hong (operation manager), as well as Nga (monitoring and evaluation officer) and Jasmine, a Canadian girl, who is also volunteering with SC/LSN-V. I was warmly received and now, only a couple of days later, I already feel part of the team. The enthusiasm and commitment of the LSN-V staff to improve the livelihoods of persons with disabilities was immediately evident to me. Within the first week, I had the chance to visit two beneficiaries of SC/LSN-V’s small business development project, which aims to reduce poverty among persons with disabilities by providing employment opportunities and building capacity to start their own small enterprises. Read more here.

SC/LSN-V office

Dong Hoi has 100’000 inhabitants and is the capital city of the Quảng Bình province, located 500 km south of Hanoi. (see map). Compared to chaotic motorbike-crammed Hanoi, this marvelous little coastal city is rather quiet and relaxed. Between two sips of ice coffee, a businessman from Ho Chi Minh City explains me why he loves coming here. Dong Hoi is famous for its excellent fresh seafood, its beaches and for the hot climate – and most importantly for its nice and friendly people. I can only agree with him.

All the crab, fish, squid, and shrimp I have had during this first week in various seaside restaurants were amazing – and very cheap. And the weather is hot. Really hot.  In the afternoon, the thermometer climbs up to 35 – 40 C degrees, and that does not include the humidity. Luckily, one can generally rely on fans and air conditioning. But every other day, the state-owned electricity company cuts the power for a couple of hours in certain areas of the city to save money. Imagine!

At first sight, Dong Hoi has little to offer tourists, and is not on Lonely Planets’ hot spot list for Vietnam backpackers. But the fact that it is not touristic at all is, in my opinion, one of its great advantages, especially if you plan to stay here for a long time. As a result, people are not very used to seeing many foreigners, except for some development workers and a couple of passing tourists. This explains the curious looks and smiles I get here, whether entering a busy restaurant at lunch, or simply walking down the street. It is not uncommon for motorbikes to slow down, as the driver and the up to 4 others passengers (including kids without helmets) turn their head to stare at me. But I don’t feel uncomfortable or embarrassed, because people have only been kind and friendly towards me.

Fishing boats in Dong Hoi

I am impressed by the hospitality of the people from Dong Hoi. I feel welcome here. However, even basic communication is often difficult, as I only speak a couple of clumsy words in Vietnamese, and most of the people in Dong Hoi don’t speak English at all. So exchanges with people on the street, in a restaurant or a store are basically limited to some standard sentences like “Hello, how are you?”, “What’s your name?” and “Where are you from?”  If you want to enter into a deeper discussion, you have to be creative and use alternative ways to communicate, including hands, legs, pens and paper. It feels as though you were playing Charades or Taboo with a complete stranger, and it can be very entertaining. But luckily, I am able to speak English with my Vietnamese co-workers from SC/LSN-V and with my Canadian friend.

After one week in Dong Hoi, I am quite sure that this is a place where I will feel fine during the summer.

Tomorrow the day finally arrives when I will get on the plane towards Vietnam, where I am going to spend my summer working as an AP Peace Fellow with Survivor Corps Vietnam (formerly the Landmine Survivors Network) in Dong Hoi, Quang Binh province. This region close to the former demilitarized zone, which separated North and South Vietnam, is still heavily affected by unexploded ordnances (UXO) like cluster munitions as well as landmines.

During the past weeks I have been very busy finishing my studies in Paris, spending a couple of days with my family in Switzerland and preparing my departure to Vietnam. Right now, I am already in Bangkok for the weekend to visit some friends who I met two years ago during my internship at the Swiss Embassy. I was very happy to leave again for South-East Asia. I have never been to Vietnam before, however, so in this sense I am entering complete unknown territory.

I am very much looking forward to having the opportunity to work with Survivor Corps over the next few months. Even though I don’t know yet what exactly my tasks are going to be and how I will fit into the NGO’s daily work, I have already had first email exchanges with Survivor Corps staff over the tentative work plan, which looks highly promising and interesting – and also very challenging. As an AP Fellow, one of my main tasks will be profiling the NGO’s beneficiaries, i.e. victims of landmines and cluster munitions explosions, which then can be used for their fundraising and outreach strategy. Also, Survivor Corps is currently preparing various advocacy activities to urge the Vietnamese government to ratify the international Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which will celebrate its entry into force on 1st of August. This includes the production of a documentary film on cluster munitions issues in Vietnam, and I am impatient to contribute to this project. In addition to advocacy linked to the CMM, I will be asked to help supporting the promotion of two other priority campaigns, the implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty and of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In any event, it is going to be a very rich and lasting experience for me, and I hope that I will be able to contribute to Survivor Corps efforts in the most positive way during this summer. I like the feeling of anticipation, which one has just before a departure to the unknown. There are many challenges and adventures waiting for me in Dong Hoi. I’ll arrive there Tuesday morning. Can’t wait any longer.