The following is a guest post, written by Greg Christensen of the Intel Education Service Corps team serving in Vietnam, March 14-29.
I had never considered toilet paper a luxury item, but it’s not available at the orphanages in Vietnam. I had never seen an orphanage, nor met an orphan for that matter. I had never felt many of the emotions that I did during the last two weeks with the Intel Education Corp team that visited Vietnam. It was an emotional roller coaster that ranged from sobering, humbling, exciting, sorrow, and happiness all blended together for an exceptional experience courtesy of Intel's Education Corp, Orphan Impact, and a great Intel team.
There were a few weeks and many long nights of preparation for the trip, but the team arrived and all were anxious to get started and have an impact on some of these less fortunate children in our world. On the eve of our first scheduled orphanage (Quang Ninh), we received the news that we were not allowed to pay our visit. This was truly a discouraging blow, but the bigger disappointment was learning of some of the bigger challenges our Non Government Organization (NGO) partner faces in this country. After weeks of preparation and planning, one of the officials made different plans and threw our scheduled visit to the wind. This is unfortunately all too common. There is little effort made by most on behalf of the children in these centers. Not only does our NGO provide the Intel Classmate PCs, but they also pay for teachers, internet, and a range of other negotiated items, just to have the opportunity to come in and teach the children how to use a PC and open up their world to a brighter future. After our small taste of disappointment, I asked Tad Kincaid (our NGO partner at Orphan Impact) how and why he continues to fight such an uphill battle with government obstacles continually placed in his path. His simple and obvious answer was centered around the benefits it provides the children and the even sweeter taste of success when things do pull together and they are able to have an impact on these kids with education and technology.
Two days later we arrived at Vihn Phuc. As we rolled through the gated compound I was fairly impressed at the outward appearance of the facility. While their infrastructure is sufficient, the limited life within its walls is a bit more depressing. The kids leave the orphanage 6 days a week to attend public school and are otherwise stuck at the orphanage, which limits their interaction with the rest of outside world. I was surprised to see a mixed population of children, senior citizens, and mentally challenged adults all wandering the compound mostly unsupervised. They are provided the most basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing with little else to spare. Typical bedrooms had a bunk with a bamboo mat and maybe a small dresser or table. The sights and smells of the nursery are unforgettable as about 10 babies were left amongst the flies and limited support from adults. These images made myself question the importance of a computer when so many other things in their lives could use improvement.
After a formal visit with the orphanage director, we quickly set up and began teaching our first class. I was at a disadvantage not being able to understand Vietnamese, but body language and emotion is pretty universal and the kids quickly showed their excitement for learning and technology which made me realize that this is their lifeline to a better life. This education and technology will truly make a difference and open their world to new opportunities that they would otherwise not even know about. Teaching the kids is one of the best parts of the project, but our more important objective was to train the teachers and stabilize the Intel-powered Classmate PCs so that the work could continue long after we had left. After three days at the orphanage we left feeling good about the training we offered the students, the teachers, and the stability of the Intel-powered Classmate PCs.
The next objective of our project was to kick off something that has been in the works for two years – The Hanoi Computer Training Center. Our first group was from the nearby Ha Dong orphanage. Orphan Impact continued to show their resolve as excuses and obstacles were placed in their path. For example:
- The training conflicts with the children’s school schedule. Answer – we’ll do it after school from 5-8PM.
- 5-8PM conflicts with their dinner. Answer – we’ll have dinner prepared and waiting.
- We don’t have gas or a driver for our bus. Answer – we’ll hire a bus and driver to pick up and deliver the children.
In the end the children arrived with smiles at the new training center. After a quick and tasty meal, twenty children were on twenty new Intel-powered Classmate PCs and the first training in the new center had successfully begun. This carried on for four nights with kids ranging from 8-18 years old. The lessons focused on the basics of a computer, then emphasized networking outside their world via Skype as well as where to turn for information via simple searches on Google. When time allowed, we offered additional lessons on Open Office and taught them word processing and creating presentations. Seeking out information is a critical part of the curriculum. As most children elsewhere can turn to a parent to ask common questions, these children have no such luxury. They can now turn to the internet. They can now begin to connect, network, and learn exponentially beyond the level they would have in their public schools. A positive indicator of our success came at the end of the four days of training when the teacher from the orphanage called to declare that she and the kids could hardly wait until April 12th when they will return and settle in to a 6-month schedule of English and Computer Training. According to Tad Kincaid, a call like this almost never happens.
I have been fortunate to have been involved in some great projects at Intel over the last ten years, but this has been the most meaningful to me personally. I am honestly quite amazed with the products Intel makes and the things we accomplish. But Intel’s commitment to education and technology through the Education Corp is something I am truly proud of as an employee. I was fortunate for this opportunity to see what our products and technology can enable to improve others’ lives. I have no doubt that these children’s chances for college and a brighter future have increased dramatically as a result of our efforts and the continued effort from Orphan Impact. A sincere thanks to Intel, Orphan Impact, and our team for the opportunity of a lifetime. (Written by Greg Christensen).
