I first came across the Vietnam Women’s Union in 2003, when I was researching aspects of the American War. The Union officials helped me identify and locate Hero Mothers to interview. In several provinces of Vietnam they made themselves available at all hours, travelling about on their scooters to numerous hamlets and villages to facilitate interviews with remarkable women, some of whom were of advanced years and in poor health.
At the time of the interviews the 11 Hero Mothers were an average 85 years of age and had lost an average 5 immediate family members during the 30 years of war. Some had served as soldiers, messengers, guides and in a huge range of other roles. In between all the action they produced babies, raised families, buried family members and kept their households in the best possible shape. They never lost sight of the considerable duties and responsibilities of the Mother of the house.
I find their courage and perseverance quite extraordinary, unmatched anywhere else. Then I learnt of some of the legendary women of Vietnam who stepped up to the plate when their country was in need. Children grow up learning of the exploits of the Trung sisters, fighting from the backs of their elephants against the Chinese, as did the indomitable Lady Trieu. Modern heroes abound also: Vo Thi Sau as a 14 year-old attempted to deal with a troublesome canton chief and was executed at 19 years of age by firing squad on the immaculate beach on Con Dao Island where her grave is usually covered in flowers, and a local school is named after her.
I was privileged to meet Ngo Thi Tuyen, the legend of the Dragon Jaw Bridge, whose exploits during the American War read like something from a really improbable movie script. She did what she did because it had to be done, she told me. And so the list goes on and on.Every time I see an old woman by the roadside, bent almost double, I feel the urge to learn her story, for everyone seems to have experiences to share. one cannot travel about accosting all these women, but what stories one would hear from them!
When an opportunity arose to give back a little to some deserving people in Vietnam, it was time to form a charity. A prerequisite, of course, was finding a local partner. It is a crucial relationship as the local partner is not only your local face to a great degree, but represents your organisation in many ways.
It was an absolute no-brainer for Platypus to invite the Women’s Union to partner us, and we were delighted when they accepted. We have since been congratulated privately, by people who know their way around Vietnam, on our wise choice of partner. It has enhanced our credibility and we are proud of the connection.
We are in our second year of operation now, helping children from poor families enjoy the complete school experience until graduation from high school. Currently we support 150 students (and growing) in Quang Nam and Ha Giang Provinces.
We have ideas we want to explore and so do our partners. They will be discussed in years to come and a joint decision will be arrived at. With the Vietnam Women’s Union we are comfortable that we are linked to the best.
