Làng Hòa Bình, The Village of Peace
Orange is not the new black in Vietnam. A chemical named after its signature orange color, Agent Orange has blackened the lives of many Vietnamese since the Vietnam War. It was utilized by American forces to destroy the trees and coverings that the Viet Cong used for their guerilla tactics. This chemical did not just damage the fervor of the Viet Cong during the war; it also impacted the hopes of the following generation. Those who came in direct contact with the chemical did not show any visible symptoms, but unknowingly, their offsprings would.
Agent Orange, a chemical that caused irreversible gene damage, caused mothers who came in contact with the chemical to bear stillborn or mentally and/or physically disabled kids. The children that survived pregnancy lacked the care they needed and many were rejected by their own families. The only place that they could get the care they needed was in orphanages and hospitals. Our organization, WISEN, had the opportunity to visit one: Làng Hòa Bình, Village of Peace.
As we entered the section of the hospital that housed these children, we were greeted by an exuberant man in a wheelchair. He introduced himself as not only the guide of our tour, but also a persevering survivor of Agent Orange. The first room he showed us set the mood for the tour. This room held the fragile bodies of the infants who passed away due to pregnancy complications. We always heard stories and saw images of these children, but this room displayed to us, first hand, the chilling effects of the chemical. Continuing with the tour, our hearts grew heavier when we were finally able to meet the surviving children; they were not as lucky as our tour guide. These kids suffered from crippling mental and physical disabilities that made it hard for many to understand their struggles.
Despite this, the nurses displayed a love and care for the kids that showed us their intimate understanding of each child. Many of the children could not talk or communicate their thoughts, but the nurses' love transcended any of their communicational barriers. Along with the nurses, we played, read, and interacted with these children. These young boys and girls yearned to be loved and held.
There was this boy who constantly asked to be held and once he was, he never wanted to let go. The children reminded us of the loving comfort that we yearned for and were given as adolescents; these children simply wanted a little bit of the comfort. The nurses opened up our eyes to lives in another world where compassion overcomes our biological limitations. This opportunity has invoked us to be open and vulnerable, to seek and gain understanding of things that few people choose to experience.
