Two Vietnamese-French people contribute to their native country

Here is the story of Hoa – a 7 year-old girl who was adopted by a French family when she was o­nly 9 days old and her return to Vietnam.

Mr. Tran Van Thinh, a Vietnamese-French economist and former Ambassador to the European Union recommended Hoa to the French family for adoption.

Hoa and Mr. Tran Van Thinh are both Vietnamese born and share the desire to contribute something to their native country, Vietnam.

Little Hoa was so happy to return to Vietnam with her foster family and her family friends, Mr. & Mrs. Paul Tran Van Thinh. It felt so strange for her walking o­n soil roads which were totally different to the roads in Paris where she lives.

To our surprise, Hoa said “Me Lan” (Mother Lan) when rushing to the female Head of the medical station. This was the first Vietnamese word said by Hoa. We wondered why she could learn and say so clearly “Me” when she doesn’t understand Vietnamese.

The medical station of Vien Noi commune, Ung Hoa district, Ha Tay province looks so poor, with downgrading walls, old beds and a cabinet of very few types of medicines. Next to the window, it is the bed where little Hoa lay for the first few days after being born and left behind by her natural mother for uncertain reasons. And it was here she was adopted by her French family.

Even though Hoa has a wealthy life with the care of her adoptive family’s members in marvelous Paris, there seems to be something invisible binding her to her native country.

Mrs. Karine Brillion – the adoptive mother of little Hoa said, “Ever since she was aware of things, she often used to ask why her hair ‘was different to her brothers?’ and ‘why her skin was not the same as ours?’ For this reason, we decided to bring her back in Vietnam to seek her natural parents. I would never want to separate her from her native country. It is all her decision”.

After her first return in Vietnam, little Hoa asked her adoptive parents why her native country is so poor and why her new friends there have such a hard life? Feeling so sorry for their child, Mr. and Mrs. Brillion together with Mr. Paul Tran Van Thinh came up with an idea to help little Hoa with some fund-raising to repair and better equip the medical station. It’s little Hoa who wrote and signed the appealing letter for charity donations. Her letter was sent to many addresses and up until now, the fund has raised over 200 million VND. o­n her return in Vietnam, Little Hoa and her adoptive parents granted this money to the medical station of Vien Noi commune.

It’s nearly 50 years that Mr. Thinh left Vietnam to work abroad. He used to be the ambassador of the European Union next to GATT – precursor of World Trade Organization (WTO). He is top-ranking trade negotiator in Europe and married to a beautiful European woman. However, for him, Vietnam is the motherland, his native place to come back to.

Mr. Tran Van Thinh said, “Anybody, even French or American…all have their native place. Therefore, you should come back to your native place. To have no native place or forget your native home you will die. It’s that simple.”

Next to the old medical station, is a new building in progress. In the next few months it will be finished and equipped with better, modern furniture, all because of the kindness of a 7 year-old girl.