CBC Adelaide students in joint pilgrimage to Vietnam

In the two weeks before Christmas last year, eight students and six teachers from Christian Brothers College Adelaide and St Mary's College travelled to Vietnam to assist and reach out to disabled children at the My Phu Orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City. This report of the pilgrimage was written by Ben Clarke.

HE VIETNAM PILGRIMAGE GROUP consisted of Benedict Samuel, Lachlan Kierns, Carson Scott and Ben Clarke from CBC and Alice Garlick-Wilson, Cassie Frogan-Brown, Rebecca Amodeo and Kate Wadey from St. Mary's College. The pilgrimage was also assisted by teachers from both schools, namely; Mr. John Fanning, Mr. Shaun Clarke, Mrs. Phoung Van, Mr. Peter Batty, Mrs. Eileen Young and Fr. Peter Gardiner. Prior to the pilgrimage, some nine months were spent meeting as a whole group planning and organising our travel arrangements, expectations, understanding of Vietnamese culture, basic language and raising money for the orphanage.

Even though, the group was small we went as ambassadors for both college communities, taking collectively over $10,000.00 that was raised by both schools throughout the year. This money was raised through activities such as the Walk-athon, Purple and Blue Concert evening and the hard work of the Social Action Group. The My Phu Orphanage was situated in District 17 of Ho Chi Minh City, away from the tourist centre of the city. We located ourselves in a hotel not far from the orphanage, which allowed us to walk everyday to the orphanage and to mix with people that live in the local region. The orphanage consisted of over 230 children with varying disabilities, some with multiple and severe disabilities, which prevented them with the ability to move out of their cots. The children ranged from newborns to those in their early twenties, although their size was never an indication of their age. While at the orphanage we were involved in a variety of tasks such as feeding children, holding them, taking them for walks and to assist with simple exercises that allowed them to move their muscles. As a group we rostered ourselves to work in different areas throughout the orphanage, giving us the opportunity to relate with as many children as possible.

Each day commenced for us at 8.30am. The children at the orphanage started at 5.30am, so by the time we had arrived they had been feed breakfast and bathed. This allowed us to have time for one to one contact with as many children as possible and over the week develop a deep relationship with many of the children. A highlight for us all was the project to transform the infirmary room. This was a grey, water damaged room, where children were confined to their beds, looking at the ceiling all day. As a group we brought paint and designed a room, which in the end was extremely colourful with images of the sun, moon and stars and various mobiles hanging from the ceiling. For the children the room had come alive! With the money we raised we were also able to buy a new playground, two new computers with desks and chairs, wooden toys, new cleaning trolleys and money to support the building of an undercover area for children to play.

Even though, these were important items, the most important thing we brought was love. It was amazing to see the difference we all could make to the lives of these children by our touch, smile and opening of our heart. Despite having limited Vietnamese language, through our interaction with the children we were able to make them smile, laugh and give them hope. This interaction not only empowered the orphans, but also us a whole group. The experience in the orphanage changed our perception of life and how we can all make a difference irrespective of how small it does seem. The hospitality and friendliness of the Vietnamese people touched us all; by the way they always welcomed us and displayed a positive attitude towards life. This was always present when we ate meals together or on our tours of the Mekong Delta, Vung Tau and the Ch Chi Tunnels.

Two weeks ago members of the CBC Vietnam Pilgrimage group travelled to Port Augusta (Fr. Peter Gardiner's parish) to present a reflection on our experiences at the orphanage in Vietnam to the local parishioners. We presented a Powerpoint at both masses in Port Augusta and at the Wilmington Church, some thirty kilometres outside Port Augusta. Next week the group will be addressing the whole college at an assembly and presenting our Powerpoint to different year levels in both the junior and senior schools. The pilgrimage group will also be presenting gifts from Vietnam at our Missioning Mass and handing these to the Year 11 students, who wish to be part of the 2006 pilgrimage to Vietnam in December.

As a group of graduates, who have now finished at the college, we would like to thank the college community. In particular, Br Cronin and Mr. Fanning for supporting us and allowing us to have this powerful outreach experience that has changed all our lives forever. We have lived the vision of Blessed Edmund Rice as a group, seeing how our own lives can be enriched by giving to others in need. As stated by Blessed Edmund Rice: "Were we to know the merit and value of only going from one street to another to serve a neighbour for the love of God, we should prize it more than gold or silver."

Ben Clarke
On behalf of the CBC Vietnam Pilgrimage Group