A field trip at last!

After much anticipation and waiting, last week I finally got to go on my first field trip for work. My destination was the district of Can Loc in Ha Tinh province, central Vietnam. The project that I visited is SRD's VM038 project, "Taking a value chain approach to improve rural livelihoods in the context of climate change and natural disasters". The main goals of this project (as the name suggests) is to help the farmers, especially women, improve their ability to make a living in agriculture through improving their market access by taking a value chain approach. The project aims to do this while taking into account the challenges of climate change, by improving the local's adaptation and disaster risk management skills. Reading the project's proposal document as preparation for the trip and getting to know more details got me really excited to see the project! These kinds of projects are exactly the kind of work I hope to do as a career (which, as a side note, means I guess I'm destined for NGO jobs). I love that this project embodies a more sustainable approach to poverty reduction. It places it's beneficiaries at it's core, and more importantly, is helping them cope with issues that they are facing on a daily basis.

A co-worker and I departed Hanoi on a night train to the the city of Vinh, and when we arrived at 5 am the next day we hopped in a cab for an hour to get to Ha Tinh town. The commune of Vinh Loc (one of the the farming villages we work in) is about a 10 minute drive from Ha Tinh.

In Vinh Loc, my co-worker facilitated a workshop on gender equality for the farmers. They discussed the difference between a man's day and a woman's day, the barriers to equality in their community, and the gender inequality in other parts of the world. They also made plans for overcoming those obstacles to gender inequality. I was so inspired by the enthusiasm that the community members showed for this workshop! They were all excited to participate, and were very open to talking about the somewhat serious topic of gender equality. The atmosphere was optimistic and happy, with tons of laughter and music throughout the day. Even though I could only understand a little of what was being said during the workshop, I felt the drive that the farmers had for bettering their community. I felt unbelievably welcomed in Vinh Loc, having lunch with some locals in their home and being greeted with smiles everywhere I went. I also got to ask the leader of the farmer interest group about his thoughts on the project and visit some farms as well, which was really rewarding. I learned that the project has helped farmers cope with disasters and improve their incomes by introducing a rice variety that has a faster germination period so it can be harvested in only a few days. The leader also shared with us that he felt the project could be applied in other farming communities prone to disasters.

The next day of my field trip, the district of Can Loc came together and participated in a competition that SRD organized about climate change. There were 2 groups that competed, and they performed songs and skits that spread messages of climate change/disaster awareness and community spirit. There was even climate change trivia! Many locals, of all ages, came to the community center to watch the event. I thought the competition was a fun and approachable way for the farmers to get informed about climate change! There was no shortage of laughter and comedy during the event for sure. I think the crowd's favorite moment was during one of the skits, when a woman played a drunk man and stumbled all over the stage while pretending to smoke a tobacco from a dieu cay (farmer's pipe). I loved to see that the farmers of Can Loc were so passionate about climate change issues. They understand these issues not from textbooks or journal articles as I do, but from their own experiences of climate change effecting their lives; and that was a really invaluable thing that I got to experience on this field trip.

              

The competition was followed by a community meeting and dinner. The meeting consisted of both leaders and ordinary community members sang songs, and talking about the recent activities and progress being made in the district. Dinner was a huge celebration of the community, and I was again overwhelmed with the friendliness of everyone! I couldn't keep count of the number of handshakes I received and times I was cheers-ed. My coworker told me that the villagers don't often see many foreigners, so they were very happy to meet a Canadian like me.

Overall, the trip was a great chance to see my organizations work "in action", and to learn more about Vietnamese culture. I really got to see what NGO work is like on the ground, and I absolutely loved what I saw. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to go on this trip, and I hope to travel for work a lot more of course!

Climate change and Typhoon Haiyan

First of all, I reassure my friends and family (again!) that Typhoon Haiyan did not reach me in Hanoi. Though the storm’s projected trajectory did say it would hit Hanoi at one point, all that we got was some heavy rain. That being said, mass media has already well documented Haiyan’s impacts in the places it did strike. Haiyan could be one of the strongest cyclones to make landfall ever recorded, with the highest measured wind speeds clocking in at 315 km/h as the storm hit the Philippines. The destruction and loss caused by this terrible storm are so heartbreaking to see. Death toll and economic loss estimates keep rising. News reports continue show the dire situation of Filipino victims. Emergency supplies, aid, and humanitarian efforts are starting to flood into the country.

For me, Haiyan has opened my eyes to the reality of climate change victims. When in Canada, the stories of natural disaster victims were part of my motivation for getting into the development field. Now they’ve even become my reason for pursuing masters in climate change and disaster management. But living in South East Asia, where these extreme whether events occur on a regular basis, has made these stories hit closer to home. I can’t help but think about how I am only a boat ride away from those Filipinos who have lost friends, family, and livelihoods due to Haiyan. It has made the impacts of climate change more real than ever for me. Of course the direct link between climate change and weather events like cyclones is a hard one to make, as this article shares.  However, we do know that rising sea levels (caused by climate change) make storm surges from cyclones bigger, which is why these storms have become more damaging for island nations like the Philippines. If Haiyan has taught us anything, it's that it can not be denied that climate change is threatening the lives of the already poor and vulnerable (whether you believe Haiyan was caused by global warming or not). “There is no need for exaggeration and there is no excuse for inaction.”

With COP 19 (the United Nations conference on climate change) discussions happening now,  I can only hope that the devastation caused by Haiyan is a wake up to policy makers! It often takes events like this typhoon for major action to be taken…  but whether action really will happen this time remains to be seen.

Ha Giang adventures!

I’m think I can safely say that I am becoming a little more Vietnamese with every passing day. By now, eating with a knife and fork is odd to me, I can navigate through rush-hour traffic on my bike no problem (even with a passenger on the back…), and “ôi giới ôi” has become part of my daily vocabulary. But this weekend, on a trip to Ha Giang province, I got to see a whole other part of what it means to be Vietnamese.

I got the opportunity to go on the trip with a group called Hanoi Couchsurfing, with about 70 people in total! After a grueling night bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang city, we rented motorbikes and I was luckily paired with a great driver. Then we hit the winding mountain roads, and spent the day driving to the small town of Dong Van. Along the way, I got to take some incredible photos and make some new Vietnamese friends. The sheer beauty of the province was breathtaking. I felt like at every turn, there was another amazing mountain view to be mesmerized by. The stops at lookouts/restaurants/cafes, and the bond fire we had in the evening also made the experience a real adventure!

On the trip, we also got a chance to see what life is like for the ethnic minority, farming, communities in the area. We visited a traditional home, went to the local market, and gave some kids fruits and sweets. I took in so much just by passing through neighborhoods…  seeing the day-to-day lives of locals.  I saw children as young as 3 and women as old as 70 carrying enormous baskets and herding livestock down the steep roads. That includes at 5am, when we were on our way to a mountain peak to see the sun rise. Having the chance to experience this part of life in Vietnam, and not just read or research about it, was truly eye opening. I couldn’t help but want to spend time with these interesting people, and learn more about their lives. I realized that this curiosity is why I’m in the development field!  I want to help give opportunities to people like those I met in Ha Giang. Now that I have a field trip planned for work later this month, I hope that I will finally get to help my organization do exactly that!

A road trip, and lesson, to remember

For my Thanksgiving weekend, my roommate invited me to go on a road trip to the province of Thai Binh with her and some of her friends from Kung Fu class. I did want to spend some time with Canadian friends to celebrate the holiday, but I decided that I might as well take advantage of the opportunity! It was certainly an eventful trip, and despite the flat tires, unreasonable hotel owners, and disappointing “beach” we ended up at, it really was a great experience. There was incredible scenery along the way and I got to make a few new friends, but there was one person I met on this trip who made it very special.

During one of our pit stops, we were sipping tra da (iced tea) on a street corner when a young boy around 9 years old and his father sat down next to us. The boy came up to us and started grabbing our arms, waving at us with the biggest smile on his face. We said hello to him and smiled back enthusiastically, but he did not speak back to us. He also had a physical deformity where his head was very small for his body. Without us even asking, his father soon began explaining his son’s behavior, and told us that he is a 3^rd-generation victim of agent orange (The herbicide that was sprayed to during the Vietnam war to destroy forest cover, contaminate water supplies as well as destroy the crops of the Northern Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops). He said his son only has 2 more years left to live, but is still very happy and friendly. As could be expected, I felt a lot of sympathy for the both of them and wished I could help somehow! As they left the street corner and we continued our journey, that little boy stayed on my mind. I decided that the best way I could help them was to educate myself more on the effects of Agent Orange, and to share what I learned.

According to this article, over 1 million Vietnamese have been impacted by Agent Orange, including 150,000 children who suffer from birth defects such as physical deformities, tumors, blindness, deftness, metal disabilities, and even cancer.  What’s more, according to The History Channel, Vietnamese victims of the herbicide’s effects have yet to see any form of justice. The class-action lawsuit made by a group of victims in 2004 was dismissed by the American court.

After reading the articles I mentioned above, it seems to me that that the lives of Agent Orange sufferers are defined by their physical/mental abnormalities. So how can I, as a development worker, improve their lives and help them reach their full potential? Even if Agent Orange victims do somehow receive compensation from the companies who produced the herbicide, would that really make their lives better? Or would skills training, and helping victims adapt to the challenges they face, have more impact? The answer to me (as a development agent) seems clear, but by no means can I claim that I understand what the victims of Agent Orange want and need. These questions are ones that I would like to start discussing with my co-workers, seeing as SRD does work with people who have disabilities. My time at SRD is meant to help me better understand how to approach complicated development issues like Agent Orange, and discussion is certainly a great place to start!

The best, and worst, of times

These past few days have really shown me the highs and lows that being on placement will be putting me through for the next 7 months. Of course I knew that good days and bad days were going to be an undeniable reality, the last week has really brought me on an emotional roller coaster that I wanted to share a bit of!

Let’s start with the good (because I want to keep this post optimistic, don’t get me wrong). Over the weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to go on something called a Hash run. Basically it’s a group of runners (and beer-drinkers!) who get together every Saturday and go running in the rural areas around Hanoi. Let me tell you that the scenery and people I meet on the run were truly remarkable, and I cannot wait to do it again! I also went to go see some live bands with my room mate and her son to celebrate her birthday, which was a lot of fun too. Finally, on Sunday I took a bike tour around Hanoi with two of my fellow INDEVOURS, where we got to learn a lot about the city and take in some Vietnamese culture. My work week had it highs too! I got to attend a workshop on organizational accountability and transparency within SRD and got to give some input into our accountability policy, which really made me feel a part of the SRD team.

Then came the lows. On Sunday night, I started to feel a fever coming on and by Monday morning I was pretty sick. Now if you know me, you know I hate being sick with a passion and I will say that I’m “fine” no matter how bad I feel. I ended up making it through my work day (partially because of my stubbornness), and managed to sleep the sickness off over a few days. I was hoping that would be the end of my “low” streak, but I was wrong. I decided after work one day to try and figure out (on my own, might I add) where to renew my bus pass. Long story short, my attempts landed me at a closed booth in a dark bus terminal with no new bus pass and frustrated as ever with my lack of Vietnamese. I do admit I was in tears on my ride home, but luckily when I finally made it back to my apartment I was greeted with tea and a funny movie.

What I’ve taken away from all these ups and downs is that Vietnam is truly going to make me a stronger person. I’m going to have to learn to take the good with the bad, and to work hard to make my time in Vietnam what I want it to be. If I let experiences like the one I had at the bus terminal get to me too much, then I’m only setting myself up to have more of them. And most of all, I’ve learned that I need to pick up more Vietnamese!

I apologize if this post was a bit of over-sharing, but it feels good to get all of it off my chest. Until next time, Internet! Xin Chào

Tôi yêu em, Hanoi! (I love you, Hanoi!)

As I sit on the balcony of my room in my apartment writing this, I’m feeling pretty excited about my life here in Hanoi. This city has such an atmosphere of excitement and adventure about it! From the horns of motorbikes, to the karaoke bar across the street, to the fruit vendor trying to get your attention, Hanoi has truly captured me! There always seems to be something new for me to try (like the snails I ate yesterday with my co-worker) and discover. Even though I have gotten into somewhat of a routine having been here for about 2 weeks now, every day has been an experience for me. Just walking by myself in my neighborhood today, I couldn’t help but feel fascinated despite my surroundings being somewhat familiar to me!  I can’t wait to explore the city even more, and I think that even in my 8 months here I still won’t get to see it all. I guess for the first time, I’m feeling like my “placement experience” is really coming together and that I am on track to experience some pretty amazing things both professionally and personally. And I definitely already have, especially now that I’ve started work. My time so far at Sustainable Rural Development has been really incredible! I feel right at home in the office, and have made some great friends already. The communications department is such a close family… I’m so lucky to be part of such a great work environment! I also feel really good about the work I’m doing. In my first week at the office, I’ve helped fixed our website, developed a facebook strategy to grow our fan base, and even written a few articles myself. I’m also going to have the opportunity to go into our project sites to collect some of the information for these articles myself, which is the part of my mandate I’m most excited about.  Although the kind of work I’m doing right now is not what I plan on doing as a carrier, I’m already learning so much from it. I feel like I’m diving into the world of NGO work very quickly, but I’m enjoying every second of the ride! 

GOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM!

My journey in Vietnam has officially started and I still I can’t believe it’s finally here. In the 4 days I’ve been in Hanoi, I’ve experienced so many new and amazing things. I’ve seen a lot of the wonderful touristy sights like the Vietnam Women’s museum, I’ve enjoyed tons of good food (and coffee!), figured out some customs and behaviours, tried out what little Vietnamese I know! It’s been a bit overwhelming at times, but I’ve loved every minute of my time here so far. It’s incredible to finally experience the city that I’ve been reading about for 3 years now. But now that the reality has set in a little, I’m also realizing that I am no longer just a tourist on vacation. Hanoi is my home for the next 8 months, and I am truly going to be immersing myself in life here.

 

Meeting my co-workers at Sustainable Rural Development today was a big part of that dose of reality! When my supervisor and I started talking about my mandate, I got this overwhelming feeling of responsibility. All I could think was “wow, I’m actually going to do things that will contribute to this NGO work, and maybe even make a difference”. It’s a humbling, but exciting thought. My title is a communications officer, and so far it looks like I’ll be writing project reports and proposal, newsletters, and maybe some social media stuff. Although I’ve never done that kind of stuff, I’m very happy to have the opportunity to try out “communications work” . I’m really excited about what I’ll be doing, because I will get to be informed and involved in all aspects of Sustainable Rural Development’s work. As well, I’m going to get some really practical skills and help SRD in a very tangible way. I can’t wait to get started working, and for all that Vietnam has to offer me!