VVPA Newsletter Jul - Dec 2014 Issue 12

www.vietnamvision.org.au

Issue 12. July - December 2014

Welcome to our biggest issue ever!

This year VVPA sent the largest contingent of volunteers to Ca Mau and Long An in Vietnam to carry out its annual humanitarian mission and with great success.

When like minds meet, magic happens. Our pages are filled with unforgettable memories of our volunteers, old and new alike. Each one bringing their own take on the VVPA humanitarian work and want to share their first hand memorable experience with you.

Also including are details of the Vietnam Field Trip 2014, a parliamentary speech by the Honourable Cabramatta MP- Mr Nick Lalich, quotable quotes of ‘What They Said’, a letter of gratitude from a student from the Education Sponsored Program, highlights of fundraising activities since May this year and the ‘All Fun and Work Photo Gallery’ of the 2014 Field Trip.

With the festive season fast approaching, VVPA wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.

Happy reading, Stephanie Wong

Photographs courtesy of: Dr Thu Dung Dang, Dr Daniel Kim, Ms Anh Kieu, Dr Tam Tran, Mr Ted Mlynarz, Ms Hailey Grant, Dr Thao Truong.

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Long An General Hospital

Field Trip 2014

By Ted Mlynaz

“If there is something you do in life, do it for those in need” The 2014 Vietnam Vision Projects Australia (VVPA) field trip took place during 12 to 26 July 2014. The team undertook activities in the southern part of Vietnam, Ca Mau Province during the first week and the city of Tan An in Long An Province the next.

Volunteers from all parts of Australia arrived at Tan Son Nhat international airport in Saigon and were immediately faced with retrieving not only their personal luggage, but several hundred kilograms of equipment and medication for use during the field trip.

The first week commenced with a 7 to 8 hour bus trip to Ca Mau followed by several hours of setting up the areas of operation at Ca Mau General Hospital in preparation for an early start on Tuesday 14 July.

Following three days of intensive and long hours of operations in both cataract and dental areas, it was time to re-pack the equipment and medication and return to Saigon to evaluate the work completed and prepare for the next phase in Long An Province. At this stage some volunteers left the group to return to Australia, while replacements arrived to work during the second week.

Briefings were conducted and all was in readiness to travel to Tan An City. This trip was comparatively short (around 2 hours) compared to the first week, however, upon arrival at the Long An General Hospital it was straight into set up mode in preparation for operations to begin.

Another three days of intensive work and long hours resulted in very successful visit to the area.

Since the initial field trip in 2003, Vietnam Vision Projects Australia has grown and today there are around 300 registered volunteers from various backgrounds and professions who contribute their time toward the success of the organisation and the work it does: “Providing free medical, surgical, dental, humanitarian, education and disaster relief services to all communities.”

Without the support of the volunteers, sponsors and the community at large, who are very generous with the financial donations, this work is not possible. To enable the work of VVPA to continue the generosity of the supporters is vital.

All volunteers who travel with the team on the annual field trips pay for their own travel and accommodation expenses, meaning all funds raised are directed toward helping those in need.

With regaining sight, these people are again able to enrich their standing within the local community, village or family, by being able to contribute to activities and regain their self-esteem among their peers and meaning in their lives.

Statistics for 2014 AREA Ca Mau Long An TOTAL

CATARACT OPERATIONS 323 314 637

Waiting for Customs Clearance - Saigon

DENTAL PROCEDURES 514 623 1137

HUMANITARIAN PACKS 250 250 500

Ca Mau General Hospital

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Nick Lalich MP CABRAMATTA ELECTORATE

NSW Parliamentary speech 28 August 2013 On Friday 24 May 2013 I had the pleasure of attending the annual fundraising event for the Vietnam Vision Projects Australia at the Crystal Palace restaurant in Canley Heights. The Vietnam Vision Projects is a humanitarian project which gives those who suffer from cataracts the opportunity to see again. The project has been operating for more than 10 years and I congratulate the team on its commitment to this cause.

The project provides free cataract operations, but over time its services have expanded to include medical examination, special medical care, dental care and education. The project is also involved in distributing food parcels, and visiting orphanages and mental health institutions, as well as providing financial assistance to rural villages in Vietnam.

Cataracts are a major cause of blindness for individuals who are over 50 years of age. It is reported that in Vietnam more than 500,000 people suffer from bilateral blindness and more than 900,000 are blind in one eye. The Vietnam Vision Projects has been successful in conducting over 5,000 cataract operations since its formation and the project will continue this wonderful work as many people in Vietnam do not have access to such facilities or the finance for this type of treatment.

As I have said, the Vietnam Vision Projects Australia expanded its role into dental care, and that has been extraordinarily successful with more than 2,000 procedures carried out. As members know, dental care is ongoing and it is great to see the project dedicate its time to this necessary support service.

It is my great pleasure to inform the House that this year the field trip undertaken by the project expanded into

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other provinces in Vietnam, including Phu Khanh province and Lam Dong province. In 2012 Vietnam Vision Projects Australia celebrated its tenth anniversary here in Sydney, with volunteers across Australia travelling to our great city to commemorate this achievement. Planning and organising the field trips undertaken by Vietnam Vision Projects Australia is hard work. It is also time consuming and volunteers are required to give up their time to arrange the trip. In December 2012 the team visited more than six villages. They also visited medical clinics and hospitals and successfully reached their goal by providing 470 food parcels to the villages they visited.

The project conducts bimonthly fundraising barbecues at Freedom Plaza in Cabramatta where hardworking volunteers give up their time and support this great cause.

The volunteers ensure that their fundraisers are successful while raising public awareness about what Vietnam Vision Projects Australia does and educating the community about the project. I am proud of my Vietnamese community in Cabramatta and the great humanitarian service they provide, not only in Vietnam but also in Australia.

To enable it to continue, the project relies on financial donations from the community and sponsors, and I urge all people to assist this cause by donating at www. vietnamvision.org.au.

May the good Lord Buddha smile down upon the doctors and nurses who perform these operations and may he guide their hand so that all operations are successful.

There is so much more to be done but the project should be recognised and commended for its decade-long contribution. I wish the project and the volunteers all the best in the future.

What they said “I remember hearing that charity, if not a moral responsibility, it is certainly one of the key to happiness, even a justification to our other indulgence. No matter what our personal reason, it has existed always and will be as long as one aspire to humankind’s most enduring quality, hope.

“Whether you have made a gold coin donation today or in the past, at our Sunday BBQs, or whether you have given us a big cheque, we appreciate each and every one of you who support VVPA.

Without a doubt, VVPA, through its ideology of caring for the poor and family-like network, had allowed me to explore and experience hope at its basest and hence, happiness.

VVPA volunteers consider ourselves as a mean for which each and every one of you can fulfil your dream, ie. To do some kind of charity work.

Nothing can replace first-hand experience, albeit testimonials or literature. One can argue the merit of charity at any level from the political to the human right of existence and decency. Alas, nothing will surpass, sway or cement one’s opinion like hands-on experience.

And VVPA, through its volunteer work, allows us that most valued and treasured of human experience that will stay in our memory and lift our lives to new height. And if I may be so bold as to say, free us from the shackles of life.”

Dr Phuong Anh Nguyen, GP & Volunteer, Sydney, 2014 “I couldn’t forget the faces of our cataract patients. They were forever grateful to our Aussie doctors, for their second chance in life to see again.

One very sweet elderly patient in particular, who had travelled over five hours from a village near the Vietnam Cambodia border, came to the hospital for the operation.

She didn’t have any family by her side so I stayed and comforted her. She kept thanking me and the VVPA volunteers again and again.

We do not consider you merely as a donor, we see you as our partners. You are the partners of the VVPA team.

So please, be our ambassadors, and tell your friends about Vietnam Vision Projects Australia.”

Dr Hien Tran, GP & Volunteer, Sydney, 2014 “Cataract surgery is needed when the cataract causes reduced vision enough to interfere with normal activities.

In Vietnam our patients have more longstanding cataracts and are legally blind.”

Dr David Worsnop, Ophthalmologist and Volunteer, Dec 2011 “Remember, these are not the purpose built facilities both doctors and patients enjoy in Australia. This is medicine Vietnam Style, crude by world standards, but thoroughly expecting the same outcomes. In the end, the thanking smile from a patient or family member is sufficient reward for the volunteers”.

Charles Hili, Rotarian and Volunteer, June 2011

Mr Linh Van Lai, Pharmacist & Volunteer, Melbourne, 2014

“This is a local organisation making a difference for the better for the people in Vietnam. The Vietnam Vision volunteers from my electorate are people who do not sit idly by and watch what happens in Vietnam; they choose to make a difference. I commend them for the action they take.”

Chris Hayes MP, Federal Member for Fowler, June 2011

“While fortunate people around the world celebrate Christmas with their loved ones in the comfort of their homes, there are many poor people who face Christmas with the same struggle and suffering as any other times (sic) of the year.”

Chantelle Tran, Student Humanitarian Trip, December 2009

“Vietnamese and Australian doctors, ophthalmologists, dentists and volunteers work together in harmony. That has helped strengthening the bond between people of the two countries. It is a great opportunity and honour to join the VVPA team.”

Ngoc (Wendy) Hong Tran, Pharmacy student from Vietnam, Dec 2012

Seeing all the happy smiles on their faces after the surgeries was so rewarding and a very humble experience for me.”

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Letter of Gratitude

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Dong Nai, 5th May 2014 Dear benefactors from Vietnam Vision Projects Australia, My name is To Thi Thu Phuong, a year 9 student from Huynh Van Nghe high school, Dong Nai province.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your great gift to myself and my siblings. I was very happy and felt blessed when I received your gift. Your financial support will greatly help me overcome all difficulties that I will face in my path to successfully complete my high school study.

During the times before the scholarship was awarded to us, our family struggled to meet our financial needs. My mother had to borrow money to pay for our school fees. The money received from VVPA has lessened her burden.

I am really touched and very appreciative of your help which I never dreamed of receiving in the past. All the potential difficulties in the future will not be seen as barriers, but as motivating factors to encourage all of us to work harder.

God has created us with two eyes being placed at the front. He has done it for a reason. He wants us to look always, towards the front, to look forward into our future, not our past. I believe that we can always overcome our difficulties and challenges if we are prepared to face them. This is the reason why I have always tried my best to give myself an education, because I believe only education can change someone’s course of life.

I would very much like to meet the uncles and aunties (volunteers) in VVPA to show my appreciation, but due to the long distance between us I can only use the means of this letter to convey my gratitude.

Once again on behalf of my family, I thank you for your help.

My siblings and I promise to study hard in order not to waste your effort in helping us till now.

I wish all the uncles and aunties in Vietnam Vision Projects Australia all the best with your health, all the luck and success in your work and business, and to continue helping other underprivileged students like myself.

Thu Phuong Translated by Dr Hien Tran

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Education Sponsorship Update

By Tanya AnhTuan on behalf of the Education Sponsorship Program Subcommittee

Since the introduction of this initiative in late 2013, we now have 48 students that are being sponsored under this Education Program.

These students are from the following areas : Cu Chi .................................................................... 20 Students Trang Bom, Dong Nai .........................................3 Students Khanh Hoa, Nha Trang .................................... 25 Students

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The program seeks to give an underprivileged child the opportunity to go to school, to give them a future in life. The education program is run and managed purely

by VVPA volunteers in Australia, with the help of trusted key local volunteers.

Sponsors will receive an update on the child’s progress in their school assessments where possible.

Vietnam Vision Projects - Australia Education Program : Sponsorship Form This is a sponsorship program for children from poor & disadvantaged backgrounds whom otherwise would not have the opportunity to receive basic high school education.

The basic high school education cost for 1 child per year in Vietnam : $200.00 AUD SPONSOR DETAILS

Name :

…………………………………………………………………………….

Address :

……………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………….

Tel :

…………………. (h)

Email :

…………………. (w)

…………………. (m)

……………………………………………………

Occupation : ……………………………………………………

Number of children I would like to sponsor : …..

One year only

…….. years only

Annually until the child finishes high school (yr 6 – yr 12 : maximum 7 years)

Mastercard

Visa

Cardholder’s name : ………………………………………………………………………………………

Expiry date : …….. / ……..

Cheque Vietnam Vision Inc

Amount : $..............................

Signature : ..................................

Direct Deposit Vietnam Vision Inc BSB: 032172

A/C: 398031

Please fax or email this form to Vietnam Vision Projects Australia PO Box 313, Cabramatta NSW 2166 Phone: 61-2-9724 2495 Fax: 61-2-9726 6247 Email: contact@vietnamvision.org.au

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VOLUNTEER STORIES Every year we have new volunteers from around Australia and overseas joining the VVPA field trip to Vietnam to carry out its mission. This year the new volunteers range from experienced GP’s, dentists to medical, optometry and year 12 students.

And these are their stories.

Thao Truong Dentist, VVPA Dental Team, Adelaide

that were taking us to our mission destination, Long An. I had butterflies in my stomach.

The first task on arrival to Long An hospital was setting up the surgeries. Indeed, this crucial aspect of the mission is often overlooked but required the collective effort of all members and superior organisation skills within a very short time frame. I watched in amazement as empty rooms slowly transformed into functioning surgical rooms. We were fortunate enough to have the Vietnam Dental team join us; without their support, the mission would definitely not have been as successful as it was.

It is a difficult task to condense such a life-changing and immensely rewarding experience into a few paragraphs but it is something I feel needs to be shared. In July 2014, I boarded a plane to Saigon, a place I had not visited for almost 12 years. Several months earlier, my colleague had mentioned the Vietnam Vision Projects Australia in passing conversation and I was immediately interested.

Having only recently graduated from university, I was energetic and keen to apply my skills for a good cause.

I had reservations at first as I was entering a very closeknit and organised group; I was worried that I would mess up, that I would be lonely and that I would not live up to expectations. But my doubts immediately subsided the moment I arrived in Vietnam; I was welcomed with open arms and was quickly acquainted with other members of the team. There were seasoned members who had been with the project since its humble beginning 13 years ago and there were new members such as myself, keen to get involved. It was refreshing to see so many dedicated people from different backgrounds taking time from their busy schedules to come together for a good cause.

The first couple of days were ‘the calm before the storm’.

It involved some local sight-seeing and allowed time for team members to bond and prepare for the mission ahead. Early Monday morning we all poured into 2 buses

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The following days were hectic. The number of patients we saw over the 3 day period was immense. The team worked tirelessly with empathy and determination to drive us through those long days. The triage team had the nearly impossible task of prioritising patient treatments, especially in a young child with a mouth full of decay; where do we start? My heart sunk with every child that walked in with severe dental decay and multiple dental infections. The trend of poor oral hygiene was rampant.

Most of the patients we saw had never seen a dentist nor have they been taught how to properly maintain their oral health.

With the short time we had for each appointment and the extent of dental disease, I wondered whether we would be making any difference for these patients. However, one child, in particular, made me realise my role and helped me appreciate why I was there. Her name was Mai, 13 years of age, bright eyes and well behaved, she loved to smile but most of her teeth were decayed. She was nervous to meet me but listened tentatively to everything I said. I restored several anterior teeth but I felt it wasn’t enough. Despite this, she was overcome with happiness when she saw that her front teeth were white and no longer black/brown. I showed her how to brush and advised her to reduce her sweet intake. She thanked me profusely and said that she wanted to be a dentist to ‘help other people smile’ like I did for her. I was overcome with emotion; she had pinpointed exactly why I had become a dentist to begin with and why I joined the Vietnam Vision Projects Australia.

You always hear about how wonderful it is to volunteer, but until you actually take part, you never realize how it truly affects you. I first heard about the Vietnam Vision Projects Australia (VVPA) earlier this year from a colleague of mine, who had been involved with this group for the past three years. She never got the chance to finish asking me whether I was interested before I interrupted her with a very enthusiastic “Yes I would love to do this!”

I have to admit, when I first saw the empty rooms in the ground floor of the local hospital in Long An, I found it hard to picture how this was all going to work. But in a matter of hours the VVPA14 team managed to set up about 10 chairs all with their own working portable dental units, a sterilizing room, and triage/waiting area. Also hundreds of dental packs were made up which were given out to the children after their dental treatment. The next few days were a blur of children’s faces – smiles, sometimes tears, filling teeth, pulling teeth. Did we really see nearly 600 children? I stopped worrying that I hadn’t treated children for a while back home; I stopped stressing how differently things were done; I think I even forgot about the heat – that’s how hard we worked! We also managed to raise over $2000 AUD for some blind people that came through the clinic – such spontaneous generosity from our volunteers. On the last day, after we cleaned and packed up all the dental supplies, we drove down to a local temple and helped give out food packages to the villagers. This was a very emotional experience for me, and I will never forget how thankful the villagers were, one lovely lady in particular gave me a big hug after I burst into tears.

Sometimes the language barrier doesn’t matter.

The first few days in Saigon we got acquainted with the VVPA14 group. This was my first time in Vietnam, so as excited as I was, I was also a little nervous. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, showing us the sights and sounds of this amazing city. It was a great way to settle in before the real work began in Long An.

I am truly thankful to everyone involved in VVPA14 for looking after us so well, especially the local volunteers and dental students, whose assistance was invaluable. I’d like to think I made a little bit of difference, but honestly this experience made a huge difference to me. Once again, thank you, and hope to see you next year.

I am humbled and overwhelmed by the dedication and hard work of all the team members and appreciate the enormous effort that came with organising such a mission.

Everyone worked tirelessly and put 110% into the task at hand. I would like to thank the entire team for making the trip such an incredible experience. I met some amazing, beautiful people along the way and have memories to last a lifetime. The trip was an undeniable success and I look forward to many more.

Anita Moric Dentist, Adelaide

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VOLUNTEER STORIES Nikki Pham Optometry Student, Sydney Volunteering for Vietnam Vision Projects Australia was an experience that exceeded any expectations I had.

Though I did my research, I still felt like I had little idea of what to expect and what was expected of me. Feelings of apprehension slipped in as the trip approached closer and closer. At the end of the day, I am still only a student with little clinical experience, would I even be useful? Hence, I decided the best way to approach the trip was with an open mind which also meant lowering expectations free from pre-established misconceptions.

I decided to go on the trip as I felt that Vietnam Vision Projects Australia offered a unique opportunity, especially to optometry students like myself. Not many projects like this presents itself to optometry students and though I have been involved in many other charities and volunteering programs, I wanted to get involved with one that was applicable to my degree. VVPA presented me with a chance to not only gain experience and memories but also give back and apply and refine relevant skills related to my area of study.

Getting to know the rest of the team in Saigon before heading off to Ca Mau really helped to dissipate my initial feelings of apprehension. It was interesting to see the number of different people required to pull off such a trip.

Each member of the team had a purpose and without this unity towards a common goal, it would be impossible to pull off the 320 cataract surgeries in 3 days. At the start I did question how useful I would actually be. As soon as we started working, I no longer worried. I found that under the wing of the optometry team, there were tests that I could already perform and ones that I could learn on the spot. I believe one of the best ways to learn something is through practical application, something which no doubt, I got a lot of in that small span of a couple of days.

I think one of the most rewarding moments was seeing patients post-operation. We started off each day at the hospital by going around and checking up on the patients who received surgery the day before. This is also the first time that I get to properly encounter patients. Though I was involved in screening the vision of these patients preoperation, I was actually unable to properly interact with them because of the fast pace that we had to work at in order to be efficient given the time constraints. No words

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were needed by the patients to describe how happy they were when they realised they could see, you could already see it on their faces. These people were so happy and grateful in receiving something that we all take for granted - clear vision. Witnessing this made the whole trip completely worthwhile for me.

I think one of the biggest barriers that I faced on the trip was the language barrier. Though I come from a Vietnamese background, I do lack the ability to speak Vietnamese well. This trip has allowed me to develop a greater understanding of why it is important to connect with my Vietnamese heritage. Even though I developed my non-verbal communication skills to compensate, I think my experience would have been further enhanced if I were able to verbally communicate better with patients and local volunteers. This is something that I hope to acquire over time.

I am so glad that I decided to volunteer with Vietnam Vision Projects Australia and even more grateful for being given this opportunity. As an optometry student, going on this trip has given me a fresh and different perspective on my studies and I cannot recommend to my peers enough to get involved outside the classroom. There is so much that you can learn but also so much you can give and I look forward to going on many more trips with VVPA as a student but also when I become a practicing practitioner.

Hailey Grant Dental Assistant, Adelaide

This experience changed my life. More importantly, it changed the way I look at my life.

My name is Hailey and this was my first time travelling to Vietnam to volunteer.

Some things stand out more than others, the faces of the beautiful children are mostly a blur. The volume of people that came through those hospital doors in Long An still astounds me. The smiles on the faces of the hardworking team around me is something I will never forget. I managed to look up a few times and see the VVPA14 team working harder than I have ever seen human beings work, and catch the eyes of another volunteer and share an exhausted smile. The sense of kinship I felt with every single volunteer on the trip is something that still warms my heart. It truly is like a family. I think that without this bond it would not have been as easy to stand there and help people who live on 15 cents a day. You need passionate people around you so you can be there for the orphans who have literally not got anyone in their lives to rely on.

We managed to raise over $2000AUD on the spot for some blind people that came through, as well as fix what we could of their teeth. We also had the privilege of meeting

a gorgeous 3 year old girl who was very happy to have some dental work done, and the Eye Team upstairs also helped her with her eyesight. When we were finished she was jumping up and down giving everyone high fives!

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to be there and witness these things. It was such a different situation to work in compared to Australia, but we all got over that pretty quickly and did what we needed to do.

I experienced so many different emotions during this time, but for me, nothing compares to the last day. After packing up all our dental supplies and organising them ready for next year, a bus drove us to a temple so we could donate food packages to poor families in that province.

These people, young and old, were so thankful, even with the language barrier it was easy to see that they were so grateful for us helping them. It was truly heartwarming to see.

The whole trip has opened my eyes to a less fortunate way of life, and made me more aware of how I want to give back to the world.

I am so thankful that I am in a position to help people less fortunate than myself.

Until next year!

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VOLUNTEER STORIES Tony Truong Medical Student, Brisbane

I am an Australian-born Vietnamese who has had the chance to visit Vietnam on a number of occasions.

Throughout my years, I have studied our culture to a large extent and communicated with Vietnamese people from diverse backgrounds. However, the one thing that has affected me most was seeing people in need and feeling helpless about being unable to ease their pain, unable to reassure someone that they will be okay and that they will recover. It is heartbreaking to be placed in a position where I am unable to relieve the suffering faced by those burdened with disease, poverty and impairment.

I acknowledge that I am very fortunate to have been blessed with good health, countless education opportunities and networks to potentiate my future career. Due to this, I believe I should give back to the wider community that has given so much to me.

Like many other medical students, my goals and ambitions were very vague at this moment. It felt like there was a long road ahead, a road inundated by fog and mist, completely blurred. The thought of becoming a medical professional one day was surreal and I could not picture what medicine would be like in the real world.

I knew I had an urge to go out there and volunteer myself but I had never thought the opportunity would arise. The moment I found out about VVPA, I took my chances and registered. Words cannot express my feelings towards this experience: fulfilling and life changing to say at the very least.

My trip to Vietnam was a lonely, yet exciting, 9-hour flight from Brisbane. I could not wait to finally arrive at the hotel

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and meet all the volunteers from across Australia. During my flight, questions began to bombard my thoughts. I didn’t know what was happening, it was all a mystery to me. What taxi am I going to take to get to the Hotel? What am I going to encounter during the volunteer working days? How hectic will it be when we finally work? Will my Vietnamese be sufficient to communicate with the patients? Will they understand me? I did not know. All I knew was that I left my 2 aerosol cans at home and will now be eaten alive by blood-sucking mosquitos.

The first couple of days were spent briefing about the trip and travelling to our rural destination. On the third day, we started to work. Patients and family flocked the corridors and waiting areas. The number of patients exceeded the amount of seats available and family members found themselves sitting on the ground waiting. They had travelled hours on end to get to the hospital and were to reside alongside their sick family members for the next couple of days.

The care and compassion shown by the doctors were admirable, however the love and comfort provided by the patients’ family members were incomparable; a patience that I had yet to encounter until that moment. They sat and waited hours on hours with nothing but a piece of paper to fan themselves with. Living under impoverished

conditions meant minimal healthcare and limited access to facilities thus the support network that these family members created exemplify their determination to seize this opportunity to such privileges.

The patience shown by the doctors and volunteers were equally admirable. I worked alongside the general practitioner team, mainly assisting Dr. Nguyen Nguyen with her patients. The language barrier proved to be an obstacle on the trip with some volunteers being unable to speak Vietnamese; Dr Nguyen was one of them. I therefore became her personal translator. This complication was not a detriment as Dr. Nguyen was determined to learn Vietnamese. Her goal of the trip was to communicate with a patient without the help of her trusty translator; ME! She was successful on the 3rd working day.

As each day passed, I was overwhelmed by the support and the enthusiasm displayed by the volunteers and their willingness to assist those in need. By the end of the 2nd working day, a patient had felt some overwhelming discomfort in the hospital and had notified one of the volunteers. With no hesitation, the ophthalmologists and GPs rushed back to the hospital from their respective hotel rooms to treat the patient and ease him of this distress.

The doctors took the necessary actions and precautions to ensure that patients were safe to return home to their

families before discharging them even if this meant giving multiple checks to a single patient.

The most memorable and emotional part of the volunteering trip would be discharging patients. A mixture of smiles and tears was a common combination between both patients and volunteers. The look on patients’ faces proceeding the restoration of their sight will forever stay in my heart and is a memory that I will never forget. Needless to say, I had also shed my fair share of salty goodness.

Being part of a group that can make such a difference and improve the quality of life for others‌. It’s incredible.

This volunteering trip has allowed me to challenge myself, pursue my interest in medicine whilst giving back and making a difference to the less fortunate. I will strive to be a positive asset to VVPA in the coming years. I feel highly motivated and dedicated to pursue a life that benefits others.

I would like to wholeheartedly thank VVPA and everyone involved for this amazing experience, specifically Mr Thuan Nguyen for organising my accommodation, Dr Phuoc Vo and Dr Hien Tran for allowing me to be part of the team and lastly, Dr Khanh Tien Truong for exposing me to VVPA, thank you!

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VOLUNTEER STORIES Vy Tran Year 12 Student, Adelaide

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My name is Vy Tran and I am currently studying year 12 in Adelaide. I suddenly became involved with VVPA through my aunt, who has volunteered in the past, as she thought it would be a very insightful experience to actually see people living in such poverty and situations, as well as what we can potentially do, and what difference we can personally make, to help such people. Now reflecting back on the trip, it was all of those things, and more. I think one of the problems out there is that people see such huge issues in the world such as poverty, and fail to see a solution or what possible difference one person can make.

Yes, it is hard to comprehend the magnitude of people living in such horrible conditions. Yet, (saying this in the most cliché way possible), work such as this, what VVPA does, may seem insignificant when looking at the bigger picture and the millions of people living in poverty, but in helping and interacting with people individually and personally, the difference that these projects make is far from insignificant, especially from the perspectives of these people themselves.

I was able to witness such work in the waiting and recovery room, before and after cataracts operations, where I helped dress, undress and assist the patients. While the tasks I did were fairly basic, I still had a feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment with helping even in the slightest way. Now

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imagine how you would feel if you had diagnosed and treated someone’s illness, or fixed someone’s teeth, or even recovered someone’s vision. I was incredibly fortunate to get the opportunity to witness a cataracts operation, and I can say now that I was in completely awe of the surgeons and assistants. They worked tirelessly to get through hundreds of patients, restoring their vision and allowing them to work, and accomplish so much more in their lives.

I remember one sweet old lady who was so incredibly full of gratitude, who kept thanking me and the VVPA volunteers again and again, for coming to this community and for the work they have done for its people. And she was only one of the hundreds of people who were treated.

And it doesn’t even end there; we also visited a nearby temple to distribute food bags (including rice, noodles, oil and more) to its nearby residents. And while food distributions are only a temporary means of aid, they are still very much appreciated and can still go a long way.

This trip, overall, has been an eye-opening experience, as well as an inspirational one. Not only is the VVPA trip something I would love to volunteer with again as a student, but in the future, perhaps again as a medical professional where I would be able to do so much more.

Dr Ngo Minh Pham GP, Perth I went on my first VVPA field trip to Ca Mau this year with my daughter. It was full of apprehension when I put through my volunteer application to Dr Vo early this year, having had sown the seed of contemplation some eight years ago, when VVPA was officially introduced to Perth

by Dentist Giao through a very successful charity function that she organized.

Subsequent years went by full of empty promises blaming family and work commitments. My closest connection to VVPA being Dentist Tai, who kept me constantly confused by his ability to volunteer with VVPA every single year without fail (or I believe Tai went every year) with his solo Dental Practice commitment, and a family much younger than mine.

Needless to say, the level of apprehension heightened when time came short of the departure date. It was a combination of doubt about my capacity to be useful to the group, therefore my ability to serve the poor that VVPA was meant to help, and the helpless feeling of being away from my family for the first time.

How did I feel after completing the 1 week tour?

Everything became hectic and mesmerized from the moment of departure from Perth to the last day I had in Saigon. New friends to acquaint, old friends re-acquainted, and constant curiosity about the meaning of VVPA work kept me busy. I guess as one grew older, there is an unfortunate disadvantage of being more sceptical about the ulterior motive of people’s good intention.

Fortunately, I had a whole 7 hours bus ride to Ca Mau to discover the meaning of charity, which was very well summed up by the oldest Rotarian in the group: “Wealth is

not how much you achieve in your life time, but it is what you leave behind when you die”. Once the meaning sank in, quandary aside, servitude became a second nature.

No matter then the 04:30AM wakeup call for 05:30AM breakfast, to be ready for the bus to Ca Mau Hospital at 06:30AM. No matter then the fast pace consultations to ensure the patients’ safely through their treatment. The end of the first day brought a mutual relief to all the first time volunteers in our GP team, with Dr Nguyen, her sister Pharmacist Lee, Laura, and myself. The veteran volunteers (Dr Tam, Pharmacist Chau and Dr Loc) were a tremendous force in our rapid teething process. An honourable mention goes to Laura, our Irish volunteer, who was brave enough to be part of the GP team and became our frontline. The second day saw us proudly operated like a team of veterans. By the third day, there was no doubt that we understood our purpose, having received more in return than the effort of our contribution.

How do I feel now two months after my first VVPA trip?

If you have been contemplating for more or less than the time that I did, I’ll let you know when we come together for the VVPA trip next year; but then you probably would not want to ruin the full satisfaction of discovering for yourself. As for my daughter’s experience? She has already determined to volunteer for the full two weeks next year, well before I could make my decision to go again. I guess with a young open mind, she understood VVPA purpose much more. Nevertheless, I’ll have plenty of opportunity to learn more next year.

One last thing, about the very old and wise Rotarian, thanks Max. Also the not so old Rotarian, thanks Jim.

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Rotary Recognition A very proud and happy Tanya Anhthuan was presented with a Paul Harris fellow, a prestigious Rotary award for services to charity and the community. Tanya was presented with the award by the president of the Rotary Club of Liverpool West Shann O’Connell, for her outstanding commitment to Vietnam Vision Projects Australia.

With the award, US$1000.00 is donated to the Rotary Foundation to support its charitable programs.

ALCON News Originally published in Alcon Focus News

By Lisa Camilleri Some of you will be familiar with the name Peter Kandasamy. Peter is our Equipment Manager, Surgical District Sales looking after the Victoria and Tasmania territories and depending on which function you work in at Alcon you may have dealings with Peter. I was recently touched to hear that outside of Peter’s normal duties he gives back to our community in an incredible way and has been doing this for 10 years. Peter just recently returned to Australia from a trip known as the ‘Vietnam Vision Projects Australia’. The trip in 2014 was Peter’s 10th year in doing so and is all self-funded.

The cataract surgery arm of the VVPA consists of a group of about 40 volunteers from GPs, Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, Orthoptists, Anaesthetists, Ophthalmic Nurses and support staff. The group based in Sydney, undertake fundraising yearly to fund their medical

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expenses. Their trip in 2014 saw them travel to Ca Mau which is 8 hour’s drive to the most southern tip of Vietnam where they performed around 320 cataracts in 3 days.

After a 3 days’ rest in Saigon the group then set off to Long An which is an hour’s drive north of Saigon and it is here that they accomplish around 315 cataract surgeries, totalling an outstanding number of 635 cataracts in 6 days operating. This project uses 100% Alcon lenses and 90% of cataracts are done by Phaco. Alcon Vietnam supported the team with 3 Phaco machines and IOLs on consignment and Alcon Australia donated eye drops and gels for the 2014 trip.

Congratulations is extended to you Peter on your volunteer dedication over the last 10 years with Vietnam Vision Projects Australia, your commitment to making a difference in improving sight and meeting the eye care needs of thousands of people over the 10 year in Vietnam is honourable.

Fundraising Activities

By Ted Mlynaz To enable the charitable work of Vietnam Vision Projects Australia to continue and be able to change the lives of people who have endured hardship, fundraising events are regularly conducted and precious funding is raised.

with their positive comments and congratulations to the volunteers.

Recently, fundraising events have been held where volunteers give of their time to ensure successful outcomes. These events include:

The support from the public, sponsors and the local community has been unbelievable and with their generous donations the poor and at times desperately poor people in many communities within Australia and Vietnam are able to be assisted.

Bi-monthly BBQ/entertainment events – these popular events are held in Cabramatta Freedom Plaza and have become a council supported community event. Held 13th April 2014 and 22nd June 2014, next one is on Sunday 16th November 2014.

VVPA conducts several fundraising events throughout the year and wishes to acknowledge the support of several organisations who assist in these events: t Fairfield City Council t Nho Ban Ngheo (NBN) Charity Group t Redlands Grammar School - Cremorne t Canley Vale Public School t Rotary Club of Liverpool West, and its Satellite Club at Cabramatta t National Australia Bank t New Good Luck Butchery – Cabramatta t Delta Hot Bread – Casula

Cabramatta Moon Festival – held on 7th September 2014 and is becoming a major Sydney based community event with this year’s theme being “A Taste of Asia”, it is estimated that over 90,000 people attended.

Most importantly, the generosity of the public and local community has been outstanding and the support experienced from this area has been exceptional. Whenever a fundraising function is held people from all walks of life donate without a second thought and are encouraging

Vietnam Vision Projects – Australia Annual Fundraising Dinner – held at the Crystal Palace Function Centre in Canley Heights and has become a major social event for the community and an opportunity for VVPA volunteers, sponsors, major donors and supporters to enjoy an evening of friendship, good entertainment and great food and most importantly share the experiences and achievements of the Vietnam Vision Projects Australia.

Canley Vale Public School – A special thank you to the students and staff at Canley Vale Public School who organised a sausage sizzle at the school and raised in excess of $900.00 which was donated to VVPA. The support of the younger members is important and reflects the well toward the future of the community.

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Fundraising Activities Nho Ban Ngheo Luncheon Fundraiser

By Dr Hien Tran After attending the fundraising dinner of Vietnam Vision Projects Australia this year and learning about the working principles of the group, Dr Thien Nguyen and Dr Van Ngo, the husband and wife GP team pledged to fundraise for the organisation.

Using the existing facilities and the volunteers of Nho Ban Ngheo (NBN) charity group, the doctors spent their valuable weekend preparing and cooking a delicious Vietnamese dish – Hu Tieu Nam Vang, for guests to enjoy on Sunday 29th June 2014.

The doctors and NBN management team have kindly donated both their cost and profit for the day to Vietnam Vision Projects Australia. The total amount of $5,160.00 was received by Ted Mlynarz on behalf of VVPA. Not only did this duo husband and wife GP team helped to raise the donated amount, they also have agreed to promote the work of VVPA in their busy medical practice in Chester Hill.

On behalf of the management committee of VVPA, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to Dr Nguyen and Dr Ngo for their support. Also special thanks to VVPA volunteers, Dr Thu Dung Dang, Ted Mlynarz, Monica & Michael Luong, for helping out on the day.

School BBQ

By William Trinh Jr. After the inaugural fundraising sausage sizzle last year at my school Redlands in Cremorne for VVPA, once again on Wednesday 11th of June this year, a sausage sizzle was held to raise funds for VVPA at my school.

Initially, the event looked unstable with winter’s rain and clouds threatening to come but luckily the sun came out. It was a great day with lots of support from the Redlands community from Mrs Gray, the Service coordinator, the facility staff, year and assistant coordinators and my friends who helped (Luke, Jack, Lewis and Oscar) to sell drinks and sausages.

I would also like to thank Mr Mlynarz (Ted), Mr Leachy (Jim) and my parents (Dr William Trinh & Ms Stephanie Wong). They gave their generous time and effort to make this event possible and so successful, especially to my parents for sponsoring this event.

All together, the grand total of the sausage sizzle sale combined with a separate soft drink sale (held a week later) meant that a grand total of $1350.90 was raised. Every cent was donated to VVPA.

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Annual Fundraiser As usual, in May 2014 the fundraising committee of VVPA organised the annual fundraising dinner at Crystal Palace to fund for the overseas mission in July this year.

Each and every one of the 700 people in the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the night with plenty of dancing and great singing from volunteer talents in the Vietnamese community. Among the talented singers, two highlights of the evening was a Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance and an Ao Dai show – dubbed the “Golden Girls”.

The VVPA management committee would like to thank all donors who have supported VVPA financially. Special thanks this year to Realtime Business Solutions Pty Ltd which donated a generous amount of $30,000 on the night.

We also would like to thank all the volunteers who have donated their time and efforts to ensure the success of the function.

Dr Hien Tran on behalf of VVPA fundraising sub-committee

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2014 Vietnam Field Trip Volunteers VVPA wishes to thank each and every one of the following volunteers who participated in the Humanitarian Field Trip to Vietnam in 2014. It takes enormous commmitment, personal sacrifice and of course great leadership and teamwork to make each mission successful. This year is no exception.

Dr. Susan Ang Ms. Tanya Thanh Huyen Anhtuan Dr. Glenn Bakyew Ms. Megan Broughton Dr. Maria Phuong Hien Bui Mr. Maxwell Bunter Ms. Thi Minh Le Cao Dr Jennifer Ramsay Carden Mr. Joseph Cauchi Dr. Juliana Chong Ms. Alison Chong Mr. Duc Thang Chuong Mr. Gia-Long Solviken Dang Dr. Hung Duc Duong Dr. Mai Linda Nguyen Duong Mr. Christopher MinhTuan Duong Ms. Kaitlyn Kym Duong Dr. Kevin Foo Dr. Amy Lenha Fung Ms. Hailey Grant Dr. Oanh Thi Mong Ha Ms. Donna Ha Ms. Thi Tuyet Hoa Ha Mr. Charles Hili Dr. Henry Cuong Ho Ms. Trudy Phuong Thanh Ho Dr. Elaine Huong Thi Quynh Hoang Miss. Sheree Nguyen Hoang Dr. Le Duc Hong Dr. Tess Tien Huynh

Dr. Sue Yeun Hwang Ms. Laura Johnston Dr. Troy Lim Joon Mr. Peter Kandasamy Ms. Elle Kandasamy Ms. Anh Nguyen Kieu Mr. James Leahy Ms. Andrea Lee Mr. Duyen Hai (Michael) Luong Ms. Thanh Nhan (Monica) Luong Dr. Frances Ly Dr. Rex Rowan Martin Mr. Tadeusz (Ted) Mlynarz Dr. Anita Moric Dr. Andrew Narita Dr. Chinh Xuan Nguyen Dr. Dzu Dinh Nguyen Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Nguyen Dr. Tai Duc Nguyen Mr. Timothy Nguyen Mr. Van Tay Nguyen Ms. Lee Nguyen Ms. Thi Thu Thuy Nguyen Dr. Nina Nguyen Nordgren Dr. Su Kim (Sharon) Ong Dr. Minh Pham Miss. Nikki Thuy Chi Pham Ms. Alison Plain Ms. Joanne Rehe Dr. Nisha Sachdev

Dr. Michael Shiu Dr. Loc Dac To Dr Bich Dien Tran Dr. Khac Hung (Daniel) Tran Dr. Minh Tuyet Van Tran Dr. Tam Thanh Tran Dr. The Hung Tran Dr. The Minh Tran Mr. Vincent Vinh TheTran Ms. Bich Thi Tran Ms. Chau Ngoc Tran Ms. Christine Phuong Tran Ms. Helen Hanh Tran Ms. My Linh Tran Ms. My Phung Tran Ms. Thi Thanh Ha Tran Ms. Thu Hang Tran Ms. Vy Ha Tran Dr. William Trinh Dr. Khanh Tien Truong Dr. Thao Thi Hien Truong Mr. Tony Truong Ms. Dunia Tucker Dr. Van Phuoc Vo Ms. Bach-Dang Vo Dr. Phung Phi Vu Mr. Lucas Wheat Ms. Stephanie Wong Dr. David Worsnop Ms. Biljana Zjajic

All volunteers pay for their own travelling expenses.