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About
Vietnam:
At the invitation of the Quang Ngai People’s Committee, Vietnam
Community Service participants live for a month in the communes of Tinh Hoa and Binh Phu, each of which is a few kilometers from My
Lai. During the Vietnam War,
American
forces, suspecting My Lai villagers of supplying food and shelter to
the Viet Cong, decided to “teach them a lesson.” At 7 a.m. March 16,
1968, despite meeting no resistance, U.S. troops burned and
destroyed entire communities, shooting and bayoneting fleeing
villagers and raping women and young girls. Despite this unspeakable
history, local people are as friendly, kind, curious, and welcoming
as any on this planet. Set among rice paddies, flowing rivers,
rolling hills, and miles of deserted sand beaches bordering the
South China Sea, these communities of rural farmers and fishermen
are among the poorest in Vietnam, with a per capita income of about
$80 US per year.
The Project:
Many residents live in simple shacks with mud floors which flood
frequently. The focus of each group’s work is the construction of
new homes for four families chosen by community leaders because of
their particular need. Working alongside skilled local craftsmen,
participants divide into work crews, removing the old homes and
erecting new structures. A portion of participants’ tuition
underwrites the cost of each new home. Students also teach English
in the community and undertake other projects identified by local
leaders. After work each day, there is time to play volleyball and
other sports with Vietnamese friends, to swim at the beaches, and to
explore nearby villages. In our third year as the first American
organization to be granted permission to undertake such a project in
central Vietnam, participants have a special responsibility to
reach out to local people who are completely unfamiliar with Western
life. The group lives in simple accommodations, enjoying healthy and
delicious Vietnamese food cooked by local women.
Weekends:
The group explores the former Ho Chi Minh Trail, and visits
picturesque, oceanside city of Hoi An. The program ends with three
days in lively Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), where students
explore the War Remnants Museum, the Unification Palace, and
endless street markets and cafes.
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