The whole morning there was a certain buzz around the team. We have been together for nearly 3 weeks and have mixed motivations for doing the ride, but ultimately we are all here to support vulnerable children in Vietnam. We were all enriched and inspired by our visit to Blue Dragon before the ride and were excited to visit another organisation which we are supporting.
Live and Give is a charity which started in Belgium with Oanh Le Tinh and Jan Peeters. They are committed to helping and supporting children in Vietnam. Live and Give has a boarding school in Pleiku which supports children from small minorities in Vietnam. Most kids from the school belong to an ethnic minority, called the Jai rai. From the age of 3, the children are tought the Vietnamese language and basic social skills, as their minority is so small, Vietnamese is not commonly spoken in their villages. From the age of 6, the children attend a public Vietnamese school nearby. Live and Give keep on helping them with extra lessons, homework, English lessons and how to work on the computer. It is their intention that as many kids as possible graduate from high school and intend to keep on helping them after graduation to get a university degree or to get some kind of a trade or craft.
With this knowledge we were very excited to meet these children and the nuns who run the school. As we arrived, freshly showered after our sweaty ride, we were greeted by sister Mai who teaches at the school. Her English was brilliant and she shared some knowledge of the things that they do. The school is placed in the heart of a coffee bean farm which hides it in a beautiful landscape.
As we talked with Sister Mai, we noticed a small face in the window. Den is a 21 month old cheeky little boy with the most wonderful eyelashes. He smiled and ran circles around us all. As we walked around we entered a gym full of children. We all tentatively entered as they looked at us shy and giggling. We began a small kick about which eventually turned into a massive game. The children were so alive and ready to interact, they just needed a little confidence boost.
After a good run around, we were ready for dinner. A beautifully served meal of spaghetti, salad, huge loads of warm bread and... CHEESE! A whole wheel of cheese! Every team member simultaneously turned into Gromit with excitement.
Not only did we have an incredible dinner (with incredible cheese) but we got to meet the most wonderful children that we are going to help support until they can provide for themselves.
We would like to thank all of the children and nuns at Live and Give for giving us an unforgettable experience and shedding a light on what the money we raise can do to help children in Vietnam.
-Emma
Read more about Live and Give organization here
Donate to our cause here
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