Ono Hiromi

During the 3000km journey we observed new good changes in the Provincial hospital of Cao Bang. In the rural areas of Philoc they had already started building the bridge and repairing one more water reservoir for fresh water. The pig-raising program that begun 3 years ago was developing successfully and they were planning similar projects in other villages. They were still building the facilities for the adult literacy programs and they showed us their plans for a Kindergarten and for expanding the fruit trees to produce income. In Binh Phuc where we have been assisting the education of children of ethnic minorities, since 1996, the Center has now 83 children belonging to 7 different ethnic groups, four times the number at that time.

Tan Tao, in the Binh Thuan province was one of our first projects, back in 1992. Hundreds of villagers worked for over three months to build a vital bridge for four villages. We contributed most of the building materials. Since then, we have been involved in the building of educational and training facilities. Each summer we spent a night in the village. Three years ago they presented us a program of a �gcow bank�h. The program is executed through a village committee. At the beginning, we helped them to buy 10 cows that were sorted among the poorest families. Next, the number of cows increased to 40 for 40 families. This time when we visited them, they had increased the number of cows to 118 for 75 families.

Going south we stopped at Thu Thua, where the drinking water system started three years ago has reached more than 107 families, living 1.5 km far from the facilities built at the Church. We proceeded further to the Mekong delta region to Soc Trang province that was one of the first programs of Japa Vietnam 11 years ago. Since then, several bridges built have replaced the �emonkey bridges�f and over 86 wells of drinking water have been constructed. Vital roads, clinics, school boats are part of our contribution to the poor hamlets in that area.

Finally, in the city of Ho Chi Minh from where Japa Vietnam begun its activities we continue our cooperation with citizens�f groups that care for slum dwellers, HIV patients and street children.

After I joined Japa Vietnam I was caught between the attractive life of the Vietnamese living with Nature and the shocking realities of the economic poverty in Vietnam in contrast with the material affluence of Japan. That made me to reflect on globalization, the poverty gap in the world and development assistance. The past years have been a period to consolidate national structures through economic growth, but the new 21st century demands the fulfillment of human rights, democracy and equality. Japa Vietnam has also a role here. How could we live together with people that are living in environments so different from ours?

Going south we stopped at Thu Thua, where the drinking water system started three years ago has reached more than 107 families, living 1.5 km far from the facilities built at the Church. We proceeded further to the Mekong delta region to Soc Trang province that was one of the first programs of Japa Vietnam 11 years ago. Since then, several bridges built have replaced the �emonkey bridges�f and over 86 wells of drinking water have been constructed. Vital roads, clinics, school boats are part of our contribution to the poor hamlets in that area.

Finally, in the city of Ho Chi Minh from where Japa Vietnam begun its activities we continue our cooperation with citizens�f groups that care for slum dwellers, HIV patients and street children.

After I joined Japa Vietnam I was caught between the attractive life of the Vietnamese living with Nature and the shocking realities of the economic poverty in Vietnam in contrast with the material affluence of Japan. That made me to reflect on globalization, the poverty gap in the world and development assistance. The past years have been a period to consolidate national structures through economic growth, but the new 21st century demands the fulfillment of human rights, democracy and equality. Japa Vietnam has also a role here. How could we live together with people that are living in environments so different from ours?