Vietnam 2009 Flood Relief Report
I went to Vietnam for 8 days on family matters and to visit a close friend. At the same time Ketsana Typhoon reached central Vietnam with an immense destructive power.
Hands for Hope (H4H) was formed after the disastrous cyclone Linda in Vietnam in 1999, so we are familiar with the emergency relief work. However, typhoon Ketsana was beyond comprehension in term of intensity and duration of destruction with flooding to a level unseen previously, for instance in Dai Loc water raised over 4m high.
Putting family visit aside, I spent the next three days in the hotel either on the internet or on the phone in contact with friends and supporters back in Australia making desperate call for donations to help these people. By Tuesday, the amount raised by H4H members and their family reached $700, with another $2000 from H4H’s annual emergency relief fund. The management committee then decided to approve a further $1000 making the total amount of $3,700 which would help at least 270 families in the coming week. The three worst affected provinces were Kontum, Quang Ngai and Quang Nam. By Wednesday afternoon, H4H transferred $5140 (which is equivalent to 83 VND millions), I was ecstatic knowing that 400 families from Quang Nam province will receive our relief package consisting of 15kg of rice, 30 packs of instant noodles and 50,000VND.
By the time I began my relief trip, Katsana has moved on leaving behind a disastrous path of destruction. It’s difficult to describe my feeling, but every time I visit central Vietnam heartache and sorrow seemed to be common feelings for this disaster prone region. A lone female traveller to this region not easy, but I pushed on to deliver these packages in this time of needs hoping to ease their pain and suffering.
I stayed in Quang Nam province for 42 hours, enough time to visit and hand out emergency relief packages to people at Tam Ky, Duy Xuyen, Dai Loc and Dai Son. While in Dap Goc, Hue, we had a trusted H4H representative helping us to distribute the relief aid. I wished I had more time where I can go further to other provinces like Kontum, and Quang Ngai or walk all the streets of Dai Loc, Dai Son and Dap Goc to help the rising number of unfortunate people needing assistance.
As of 16th October, donations for the emergency relief fund reached $14,369.65 including the $3000 from H4H’s annual emergency relief fund. H4H management committee will plan how best distribute the remaining unused fund to directly assist other families affected by Ketsana typhoon especially in Kontum, Phu Yen, Quang Ngai and Dap Goc. We will certainly keep you posted of the outcome of this emergency relief effort via our website.
Nhan Nguyen
Email 2 am Wed 7th October 2009.
You’ve received this email because you’ve donated to the Special Typhoon and Flood Relief Appeal for Central Vietnam 2009 (STFRA)
FUNDS AVAILABLE TO DATE
Thank you so much for your prompt and very generous response to the desperate calling from VN for the Ketsana Typhoon and Flood victims of central Vietnam. You’ve exceeded H4H pledged amount of $2,000.
I confirmed the receipt of 83,000,000VND at noon 7 Oct (Exchange rate 1AUD:16,147VND)
Donations from Vietnam:10,000,000VND
Total VND on hand 93,000,000VND
As mentioned, I will personally fly out (at my own cost) in a few hours and work with H4H Reps to manage the distribution. 73,000,000VND will be used to distribute amongst 400 families in Quang Nam and Hue tomorrow. The remaining 20,000,000VND together with donations received after 12pm Wed 7 Oct will be used to assist victims from other provinces eg Quang Ngai, Hue, Phu Yen and Kontum in re-establishing their lives.
I will take the opportunity in the next 2 days to assess the destruction and report directly to you in a timely manner. Please check our website for regular updates going forward (saving me time typing up email addresses) :)
We have obtained the list of 400 families from the following areas who will receive your gifts tomorrow:
| PROVINCE VILLAGE/TOWN | NO OF FAMILY/Package |
|---|---|
| Quang Nam Tam Phu/Tam Ky | 120 |
| Quang Nam Duy Xuyen | 50 |
| Quang Nam Dai Loc | 75 |
| Quang Nam Dai Son | 50 |
| Hue Gap Goc | 100 |
| TOTAL | 395 |
Each package contains 15 or 10kg rice, 30 packs of instant noodles and 50,000VND
CORRECT BANKING INSTRUCTION
To avoid fraudulent when the appeal email is circulated, please refer to our contact page for correct banking instruction. Please ensure that you notify us of your donation via finance@handsforhope.org.au
I will ensure the security for money you’ve raised and the distribution of your gifts as above in the most effective manner. Thank you those who’ve shown concerns for my safety. I dont think Perma typhoon will hit VN land any soon and I will bring myself home safe and sound :)
Regards
Nhan
Day 1 - Oct 8th 2009
My destinations for today are:
1. Tam Ky 120 packages
2. Duy Xuyen 50packages
5:20 am - the alarm was supposed to go off an hour earlier, my flight was scheduled at 6:40 am and I need to be at the airport 60mins before boarding
5.40 am - The girl at the counter told me my flight was booked for yesterday 7th Oct and my ticket is forfeited lol.
8 am - Arrived in Da Nang. I could smell the sadness and great loss in the air. I’d Mi Quang for breakfast on the way to Tam Ky (first stop to hand 120 packages) i couldn’t finish the bowl. I wanted to get there as quickly as I could.
10.10 am - Arrived in Tam Ky, every thing is ready. Su Co Chủng Liên from Tịnh Xá Tân Kỳ greeted me at front door, 120bags of rice have been transported to the meeting point in an empty building in the village. She drove me to the meeting point by a van transporting the remaining 120 bags of instant noodles.
12.10 pm - They were there waiting since 8am, each held a notice handed out by Sư Cô Chủng Liên the day before. I finished handing out 120 packages to 120 families.
There were so many people in need. It was sad to see many went home empty handed.... Feeling empathetic, I took out my pocket money, there were 500,000VND left. I handed 50,000VND each to the old people who didn’t get their rice, noodles and money. Then I realised there weren’t just 2 of them who didn’t get their ration ......
12.30 - Back to the temple, had very quick vegetarian lunch. So yummy!!! :)
1 pm - Went for a ride with Su Co Chung Lien further into the village, many houses were empty, people have been evacuated because their houses are now without roof of totally destructed by Ketsana typhoon. Help is needed enormously but I know we won’t be able to help based on our leftover funds.
3.30 pm - A driver drove a company’s employee from Tam Ky to the airport. He was gladly gave me a lift to my second destination, Duy Xuyen, which is half way from Tam Ky to Da Nang.
Got there at 4:30 pm, an hour late. People were gathered at Hà Linh temple at 2pm and have gone home. Finished handed 50pacakges by 5:30 pm, in time to get a return lift from Phu on his way back to Tam Ky.
10 pm - I spent the evening with the orphans or disadvantaged students who board at the temple. Sư Cô Chủng Liên paid for their education since they were little. They are now made it to university, TAFE or other training courses to become a useful people in a few years time. I saw the kitchen was busy.....
5 am - Day 2 — .... Interesting findings at an early hour of day 2...but... it’s now day 2 and I’ve to head off to Đại Lộc to hand 75 packages and 50 packages to Đại Sơn. They said these 2 areas are badly affected...
Day 2 - 9th October 2009
5:07 am – “Wake up Nhan” – Sư Cô Chủng Liên knocked on the door. It’s time to get up….
It took me 7 mins before I reported to Sư Cô Chủng Liên downstairs. It was now explained why the stoves were on last night at 10pm. We spent the next 2 hours driving from one hospital to another to give out congees to patients from 6 hospitals in the province. 800 bowls of congees were given out to patients from all over Quang Nam province and the temple has been doing this every morning since 1995.
8:30 am – as per my sms
11:30 am – We got to Dai Loc, this was one of the worst hit area of Quang Nam. The water was raised 4 meters high. We could not go into the village due to blocked muddy roads thus the people had to gather in town centre to receive their gifts. I handed the gifts to exactly 75 families who have been waiting since 8am. An elderly man was trembling when I handed him the 50,000VND, he was too weak to carry the 15kg rice to his bicycle so Hau, a volunteer had to come and help him. He told me . he hasn’t had anything in his stomach since yesterday and he knows that he and his wife won’t go hungry for the next few weeks if they just cook congees from this bag of rice.
Father NTL is a new arrival to the parish in Đại Lộc. Prior to my trip, he advised me that he was warned by the government officials that if people receive assistance from religious groups, they won’t receive anything from the government. It has been 7 days and government’s promises have not arrived. Father NTL was very nervous to meet us…. It was very sensitive here and I appreciated where he was coming from. I offloaded the rice and noodles myself as the volunteers were an hour away. I asked Fr NTL to give me the list of 50 families from Đại Sơn who he will organize private delivery before they die of hunger.
I slept 2 hours each night last few nights. Within 2 days I could not make it to Hue and so 100 packages to Đập Gốc, Hue Province will be organized by our long-term, trusted representatives. Dung is a very sweet girl who has been helping H4H with our educational projects for the last 7 years or so.
There are many more families in desparate need, please keep those donations coming!