The Mountains of Tuyen Quang

August 31,2017

The Mountains of Tuyen Quang, July 24 - 25, 2017

Our LDSC experiences have taken us on another adventure. This time traveling to the mountainous villages of Tuyen Quang Province. We left Monday afternoon and drove North West of Hanoi for three hours, to the province of Tuyen Quang. Two ladies from the Women’s Union - one of our partners here in Vietnam, came with us since they are partnering with us on this project.

Because we left late in afternoon, we stayed overnight in Tuyen Quang City. The hotel was brand new and very nice. We had a room with the view overlooking the pool and a distant lake. The local Women’s Union hosted us for dinner that evening, and we enjoyed a variety of delicious ethnic food from that region of Vietnam. The fish was especially delicious. After dinner, the ladies invited us to see a memorial in the city square that was walking distance from our hotel.

The memorial was all lit up with a very huge forested mountain behind it. In the evenings the people of the city had come to visit and let their children play in the square. The monument recognizes the sacrifices of the people in helping the people of Vietnam rise up in resistance against the French in the 1940’s and 50’s. 

The Women’s Union ladies wanted us to try a soup consisting of a rice gruel with a special bitter root juice, only found in the mountains of Tuyen Quang, that is supposed to be very good for older people. The wonderful medicinal quality of this soup is that it helps people to sleep very soundly at night. I found the root to be very bitter, but I did sleep very soundly that night.

The next morning we arose early to meet with the People’s Committee of Tuyen Quang to discuss what LDSC could do to help the people of the province. When they found out that we really don’t have funds to help build dams and highways, they suggested that we might be able to help supply medical equipment to commune health care clinics, which is do-able for us. We left telling them that the LDS Church is willing and prompt to come with emergency aid if they should experience a disaster of any kind in their province.

We returned to the hotel and left for the village of Hoa An, about 100 kilometers from Tuyen Quang City. We went on small winding roads that went up into the incredible, lush green landscape of the mountains. There are rice paddies everywhere, and fern-like jungle landscape around every corner. The light green of the newly planted rice fields in contrast to the Emerald green of the tropical plants is a delight for the eyes. Some parts of the road have been washed out because of the recent rains. However, the villagers were out with shovels tamping and fixing the roads so that cars could pass the troubled spots. 

When we came to the school, the children were ready and excited to greet us. All of the 100 children attending this kindergarten are between the ages of two and five. They had a musical program ready to perform for us. The younger, three year old children performed the song “Small Family, Big Happiness”. It was delightful to watch.

The second performance, by five year old children, was done "Gangham Style", and was quite a remarkable performance for such small children.

We participated in some welcoming speeches and then toured the latrines and kitchen. I have never seen such tiny toilets. Everything was nicely done, with a washing station and donation plaque. We were interviewed by the local news and had lots of pictures taken of the event. With funds from LDSC, new mats and blankets were purchased for the children to nap on. 

The kitchen has also been furnished with a storage rack, new pots and pans, a large rice cooker, and a new hot plate with a combination, electric and propane, heat source. Also, there is a new dish washing station, where the ladies that fix the meals don’t have to stoop and wash dishes on the ground, as they had previously done for years before. It is well done and very neat and clean. 

After leaving the school, we hurried 15 minutes down the road to visit a medical clinic, we have been assisting. The doctor and head nurse/midwife took us to see the new latrines that have recently been built. 

The new latrines are very nicely constructed, with a new well that has pure, clean water. It is quite a welcome addition for the medical clinic that serves 30+ patients a day. The doctor and nurse are thrilled with the new facility. 

We asked the doctor what the biggest problem they face with the people coming to their clinic. His answer was malnutrition. The clinic asked us for some new scales: one to weigh the babies, and another one for adults. The scales they use, currently, are shared with two other clinics in the nearby area so they are not available to them all the time. Scales...such a simple request that we have available to us at our modern clinics in the USA. Yet, not so available in the high mountain jungles of Vietnam. We will try our best to get them some new scales that will be useable for their clinic.

After our tour, we were treated to a lunch fixed by the local Women's Union, and then we left for our five hour drive back to Hanoi. The trip was very eye opening to us. As Americans, we have such modern facilities that we often take for granted. Yet, many people in the world don't even have the bare necessities. I am grateful that we are able to help people with LDSC funds. I love these sweet, humble people who are so grateful for the help we bring.