Internship Familiarization

It's hard to believe that we have now been in Ho Chi Minh City for over a week. We have all slowly begun to adapt to living in the environment.

Molly and I have had some interesting experiences at our internship. We are working at the little rose shelter. It is very different from any equivalent shelter in the U.S. The shelter aims to provide a home for girls who are either at risk for sexual abuse, victims of sexual abuse, or victims of human trafficking. The girls range from ages 12-18 and appear to be from all walks of life. The center itself is located in District 7, an area nearer to the edge of the city that is known for prostitution. The center itself is tucked in an narrow ally that contains small stores (such as a small gaming cafe) as well as smaller homes.

One concept at the center that is difficult for the western sensibilities is that these girls are receiving education, yet they are also receiving vocational training. For example, one girl is living in the center and training to become a bartender. The center is also equipped with a sewing room as well as a "beauty salon" room where the girls learn to paint nails, fix hair, etc. In some ways, one might wish that these girls could be encouraged to strive to reach a higher level of education. Yet, perhaps it is a more realistic strategy to give these girls profitable skills that can keep them from having to turn to prostitution. These are the kinds of debates that require us to reexamine our philosophies as well as the concepts that have been ingrained in us from having grown up in the U.S. The girls at the center are also extremely self-sufficient. They do most of the cooking and the cleaning at the center.

Molly and I are working to create an updated website for the center. This is proving somewhat more difficult than expected, for there are many levels of bureaucracy. that we are unfamiliar with, especially given that the bureaucracy of Vietnam is very different from that of Vietnam. At the moment we are trying to determine basic details such as how the center is funded as well as which organizations help oversee the center. Hopefully as we become more familiar with the center we will be able to create a website which will provide a forum in which people can learn about and donate to the center.