The Hope Centre Hue truly is a happy place. It is a training and residential college for those with a disability and the happiness is a pure, simple happiness born through the innocent smiling, laughing and joking of those present.
Yesterday, Hearts for Hue joined in the fun, bringing 16 children from a fishing village outside of Hue city along for a daytrip. In the fishing village, people live on boats and make their income from well, fishing. Children often drop out of school before completing their final year, and move to Ho Chi Minh City to earn additional income for the family. Leaving home at such a young age to work for the minimum wage is a dangerous venture, and the foregone educational opportunities mean that these children struggle to find other work in adult life.
For the children, it was a rare opportunity to see the big city of Hue. From Hearts for Hue’s perspective, it was a way to keep them engaged in life in Central Viet Nam and reward them for their schoolwork and continued participation in the Motorbike Book Club. The Motorbike Book Club is a partner organization of Hearts for Hue who works on a weekly basis with the children from the fishing village, improving literacy and providing life skills training.
The Hope Centre Hue runs a number of vocational training programmes and also trains tourists in local handicrafts. Our group was fortunate enough to make some pottery and products from Bamboo. After they have dried, the pottery will be returned to the fishing village on the Motorbike Book Club’s next visit.
The day ended with some dancing and games led by Hope Centre Hue residents.
