Longtime Dollie lady and (4) time Dollie Ambassador Darleen Guien shared her most recent excursion with us – Enjoy!
“I am traveling in a group of 11 with Overseas Adventure Travel, a nonprofit that helps, through Grand Circle, the local economy in many countries where trips are organized.
We went by motorbike from the city of Ngan Trang (in Central Vietnam) to a small village in the bamboo forests called Xóm Gio where the kindergarten was located. Going through the city was scary but once we were in the countryside I could unclench my teeth and loosen the grip I had on my poor driver!
The welcome at the school was amazing. All 36 children were waiting in the front of the school jumping up and down, waving and giving high fives as if we were a Presidential delegation. Then, groups of 3 or 4 grabbed “their” visitor and escorted us inside.
There was one fairly large classroom with no furniture except a tiny desk for the teacher. Toys and books were arranged along the walls. The room also serves as the nap time room where they all sleep on mats (teacher, included).
The teacher arrives at 6:00 a.m. to prepare, and the children start arriving at 6:30 a.m.. The parents are farmers and factory workers and need to drop their children off before going to work. Each student is fed a snack and lunch during the day, and leave to return home at 5:30 p.m. We were told that with such a long day, they really do sleep at nap time.
There is only one teacher and one aide for the 36 children. The kids are fabulous—full of energy and curiosity.
We were entertained by songs in Vietnamese and recitations of numbers and the alphabet in English. Then we sat on the floor and the children played with us, showing us their toys and books. Some of the supplies come from previous OAT guests.
We were even given neck massages by a team of students to make sure we leave happy!
The morning snack was ready at about 10:00 a.m. We served the children a bowl of soup with rice.
While they were eating the teacher told us about herself. She studied early childhood education for 4 years at the university and was very happy to be able to come back and teach in the village where her whole family lives. She has been teaching for 10 years and earns about $250 a month. She loves her job and the children. I could see why. They were very sweet and full of spirit.
The other members of my group brought school supplies, but my dilemma was that I could only find room to stuff 12 Teddy Bears (that I have been carrying around Vietnam and Cambodia for 3 weeks) into my suitcase. Had I brought 36, one for each child, I would have had to forego bringing any other clothes besides what I was wearing!
The teacher explained to the kids that they would have to share the Teddy Bears within the classroom and she would keep them safe in the large Dollies Making A Difference tote bag.
The kids loved them! They held the Teddys high in the air while laughing with glee. They were all absolutely adorable.
The village is poor and the parents are of modest means, but the children are well cared for and obviously very much loved. I noticed there were no Teddy Bears or Dollies in the classroom, so I felt like this was an exceptional treasure for them.
“To Give is to Receive”…indeed! I got back such happiness from this experience.
Darleen Guien
Dollie Lady and 4 time Dollie Ambassador ( Africa, Europe, South America, Asia)
