CSVN Vietnam 2023 Team USA 🇻🇳 🇺🇸

Today we visited the Hold the Future Center.  HFC is focused on ensuring that young people with disabilities have an opportunity to live a rich and full life.  The aim of the program is provide its members with the necessary life skills and support in order that they can move towards independent livelihoods, vocational training, vocational placement and employment.  HFC is funded predominantly through the sale of their handcrafted products. Our primary focus for visiting HFC was to meet with one of the Associate Directors of the program who herself is disabled from a severe genetic deformity of her hands and feet.   We would like to support her and welcome her into a new program focused on providing hand prosthetics to enable patients to be more productive.    I am not an expert at prosthetics but the technology here in Vietnam seems to be in the infancy stages.  When asked about this it seems to come down to cost.  There has been signif...

Under the current VISA situation in Vietnam you can only get 30 days VISA’s this requires me to have to leave Vietnam every 30 days.  This is common practice here and locals call them VISA runs.   There are actually services here who will drive you to Laos, Cambodia for the day.  The key thing is getting your passport stamped showing you left Vietnam and entered another country.   Last time I went to Bangkok for the afternoon.   Depart 9:00 and have lunch in Bangkok, fly back and home by 8:00pm.   A bit crazy but that’s the current rules.   Vietnam goverment is looking to start issuing 90 VISA’s soon as they did pre-COVID.  This trip I went to Chiang Mai which is in Northern Thailand close to the Burma boarder.   During my trip I visited the Kayan Village.   The Kayan tribe is better know as the Long Neck community.   This is based on the tradition of the women of the tribe wearing brass rings around their necks.   Belief is th...

We had a 2 week break between clinic visits so I went to visit friends and family in Nam Ban.    Nam Ban is a small farming community of approx 9,000 out side of Da Lat.  Da Lat is famous for coffee, it is the Napa Valley of coffee in Vietnam.   In Nam Ban the best coffee is served at the Reng Reng cafe.  Operated by the amazing Nguyen family.  The name Reng Reng comes from the fact that their son started selling Arabica coffee beans in Hanoi from his bicycle and would ring the bell to get people's attention.   This small enterprise developed into a famous coffee shop and movement to appreciate the Arabica variety of coffee.     Nam Ban is a beautiful small town in the foothills lush with coffee plantations and other local crops like Dragon Fruit, Bananas, Avocados and various flower farms.  The most beautiful part of the town are the people.   This amazing community treats me like family, the welcome mat is out at every home. ...

Banh Mi is one of the most popular sandwich in Vietnam.  Bahn Mi is a baguette with thin, crisp crust and soft airy texture.  A typical Banh Mi is fusion of meats and vegetables from native Vietnam such as Pork, cilantro, pickled carrots, cucumber, pate.   In Vietnam Bahn Mi are typically eaten for breakfast or a snack. Bahn Mi was introduced by the French in the mid-19th century and became a staple food by early 1950s.  As a staple food the Bahn Mi sandwiches are available everywhere.     Best Banh Mi in Hanoi?  “Bahn Mi 25” according to Trip advisor for many years.  Bahn Mi 25  happens to be owned by my first friend in Hanoi-Phoung.  In addition Phoung’s father Mr. An is the founder of the NGO I am volunteering for.    7 years ago I meet Phoung, his wife Ha  and his mother.  This  beautiful family was there for me when I needed anything.   9 years ago Phoung opened a small Bahn Mi cart with a few tables in...

Our final clinic in Ha Giang province was in Ha Giang City.   Ha Giang City is the largest district in the province.   The good news is being in a larger city we saw fewer serious cases and no children with burn wounds.   During our week visit to Ha Giang province we screened over 330 children for surgery.  We had one interesting case, a young boy with black pigmentation spots all over his body.   Any medical experts out there want to take a crack at diagnosing this condition?  Severe hyperpigmentation?   During our clinic we went next door to the district Orphanage, home to 75 children and 20 adults.   I was very impressed with the condition of the facility.   They had separate housing for boys and girls a very nice kitchen and dining area.    Large play area and lots of activities for the children.    Staff and children all appeared to be very happy.     To view photos and google photo link click.  READ MO...