I arrived to HCM airport on 28 July together with 3 other members of Japa Vietnam. This was my first visit to Vietnam and I did not have any knowledge of that country. Of course, I had seen movies and TV programs about Vietnam but I wanted to see with my own eyes what was going on there now.

The day after arrival we went on a 4-hour car ride towards the northwest to a place called Long Dien. There is a children's institution there for children of mountain tribes. The children come from faraway villages and go to public schools during the day returning to the residence after school. As soon as we arrived many children ran to meet us dressed with their ethnic customs. Then they performed for us their tribal traditional dances and songs. It was a very pleasant experience for me. At the same time I felt shame, because I didn't know that there are more than 50 ethnic groups in Vietnam, most of them very poor.

The residence holds over 90 children and has very few rooms with the kids sleeping all crowded together. The living conditions are not comfortable, but the children looked happy and studied very hard. I heard that, no matter their good marks at school, the children, especially the girls, return to their villages without continuing studying at High School, work in agriculture and marry very young. I thought it was a pity. Nevertheless their education now will certainly pay off for the future of Vietnam and their own personal growth.

We met many children during our stay in Vietnam. Back in HCM City we visited Thao Dan an institution to shelter and provide education facilities and guidance to street children.

In the North when we visited the province of Nghe An I could observe the poverty of the villages and see the ragged clothes of the children. I heard that many of them could not go to school for lack of money. They looked to me the most affectionate of all Vietnamese children. I can still keep vivid memories of the evening we spent at a Church of a village. The children in a festive mood danced for us happily no matter being drenched under a heavy rainy storm.

This tour of Vietnam gave me strength and new hope. The children blessed me with their genuine hearts. I pray so that they could attend school and fully live their infantile lives. They are like stars of hope for Vietnam. I wish I could go to Vietnam again to meet with them once they have grown up.

Last year I accompanied Japa Vietnam to the Mekong Delta and this time I went with them to Tan Tao (Binh Thuan), my home village where I met them for the first time 10 years ago. Among the many projects Japa Vietnam has been supporting there, the "cow bank" program has been a real success. The life of poor villagers has improved substantially and I feel very happy to experience, after being absent for 10 years, how good the living conditions are now.

I went also this year to Hoa Binh, a place I visited 7 years ago with them once. At that time we could not go through a road between rice fields because there was no bridge on the river, but thanks to the financial support of Japa Vietnam a bridge was built and the farmers used it daily. I felt very happy to see the smiling faces of the people coming back from the rice fields crossing the bridge. Several houses for poor farmers were also built and one house was still incomplete.

On the second day we moved to Chinh Tam church. It takes about an hour to reach the place from National road 1. Although the road is bad, several years ago it was not accessible by car. We went to a place where women and children had brought several cows. The children seemed to enjoy much their job taking care of the animals. Most of the people there belong to ethnic minorities and it was like a dream for them to receive a cow. On the contrary, many others in need looked at them with envy.

Anywhere we went we saw many people in need but all, children and adults had smiling faces. Please, come to Vietnam. They will receive you graciously.

Friends of Japa Vietnam, I wish all of you peace and good health!

Although I am just a young Vietnamese I was exceptionally lucky to have participated with you during your tour of Vietnam. I could not follow you all the time but I would like to express my feelings now.

1. I met many Vietnamese people and groups in our visits. They were neither rich nor persons of the high class. Most of them were poor, suffering with disabilities or rejected by society. In other words, they were people thirsty of love. You were always ready to meet with them and listen to their problems. You smiled to them and accepted them naturally, you showed generosity to all.

2. It is true that looking at the poor they are lovable. I observed how much hope and happiness they were able to obtain from you. I was deeply moved, beyond words, when I observed the tears in their eyes and the shaking of hands, as a manifestation of the warmth transmitted to them in meeting with you during the rapid visits.

3. It is my strong desire to have always you nearby giving joy to those in need, living unhappily around us.

4. I want to promise you that we will also try to contribute to reduce the suffering of people in close collaboration and solidarity with you.

5. With deep appreciation I pray that your activities and those of your cooperators produce positive results and that you could continue with courage the tasks you have undertaken.

About two weeks have passed since I went to Cao Bang and Nghe An together with the members of Japa Vietnam. This was the first time I lived together with Ms. Ono and Mr. Nobu, Shibata and Ando. It was only a week but my views were broadened and I learned many things.

We spent 3 days in Cao Bang and visited a hospital far away in the province of Nguyen Binh. The children of tribal mountain people interned there left a deep impression in me. They were very charming and beautiful, but although they were of school age had to remain home to help their poor families, bringing the caravaos to the fields or pushing the heavy carts with farm goods as adults do. We also went to Xuan Kieu and Nghi Kieu, villages in the Nghe An province.

The life of the people there is very poor but they are lucky to receive support from Japa Vietnam. I experienced the respect and friendliness people in Cao Bang and Nghe An feel for Japa Vietnam members, in spite of the language gap. I can not speak much English but I tried earnestly to make everybody understand each other.

I want to show my gratitude to Japa Vietnam and I am always ready to collaborate with them, because we are of the same family!