During the last few years, students of middle-high schools from different provinces that come to Tokyo in study tours visit the office of Japa Vietnam. Let me introduce them.

The first group of students came in January 2001. Two girls from Aichi province that had come to Tokyo on a study tour of their school came to us interested in the Vietnamese street children. They knew about Japa Vietnam through the Internet.

Since then, thanks to written report materials and propaganda done by travel agencies, the number of visitors has steadily increased. Last year, 50 children from 8 different schools, Akita in the north and Okayama in the west, came to visit us and to know about Vietnam.

Those students that come to Tokyo in official study tours spent one full day in one or two places to study different matters. In fact, the time allocated is less than two hours and it is difficult for us to explain the Vietnamese realities within such limited time. Third grade of middle-high school students do not know anything about Vietnam or the street children. They heard, maybe, about the war in Vietnam but are ignorant of its content and the same is true of a communist system. There is no way to explain briefly Vietnamese history and its present social realities.

On top of that, Japanese children live in an affluent society and cannot imagine the life style of Vietnamese poor people. Children here are accustomed to a society that controls and guards them somehow, unless they select to become dropouts and as a result express frankly their doubts: "aren't parents punished when they allow their children to live in the streets and not at home? If there is no fresh water in the villages, why doesn't Japan transport water for them in tankers, instead of using money to dig wells?"

It is also true that when they see photos and videos that show the real life of street children they listen to us seriously. Here are some reactions after the visits.

I got to know the realities of 14 year old children of my age that, confident in themselves, live with full energy. I became a little sad. I can only trust myself. I live much lonely." (Okayama)

I learned many things today. Why is it that a terrible situation of street children occurs? How are they living? What is the difference between ODA and private assistance? I hope that, from now on, we can also do something for the street children" (Fukushima)

Before our visit here I thought that a way to reduce the numbers of street children was to punish the parents that allowed them to live in the street. I now realize that this is a national problem difficult to solve. There is no much we could do and that was a shock to me. Anyhow, I think that the more people know about street children the better to understand their situation. From now on, I would like to help people in need" (Aichi)

Since schools are busy with various events at this time, the students come without much preparation. One cannot handle everything within such limited time because students will not be able to digest it, but the hearts of students are so tender that something will remain from the visit to us.

Sometimes they collect money among themselves and bring it. A small group of middle school students that visited us went afterwards to pay also a visit to a Korean school near our office. I felt joy seeing those girls jumping into unknown places for the first time without any prejudice. We are waiting for new ones to come here again.