Faucet story

Recently, I have a chance to D Hospital, I feel quite displeased ... just because of the faucet. While waiting to get into the clinic, because it "needs" I should have gone in the toilets of the hospital. There's an "assignment" in different toilets. The toilets that we pay for are clean but the other s are very dirty and scary.

But I am not displease of the hygiene, the fact that the water run overflow because no one is locked. It’s very wasteful to let the water filled tanks and then down into the floor in toilets.

My family has been in several miserable times because of lack of water so when I saw the running water I went hastily locked it. But at the end of the working time I still saw a running water in toilets. The precious water flowing in a wasting way just because someone has "forgotten" to lock it.

Indeed, it is unlocked on purpose because it belong to the “state”. The psychological of using the “state” has become an extremely bad habit of many people. It’s very blameful!

Using water and electricity without thinking, ignoring the running water day and night in toilets, turning on fan and air conditioner in lunch time, using furniture in the office without caring. When will we get new things if we care for them?!

If all of these things happen at home, he will opposes strongly. Because that money come from himself. That’s the  difference!

There is a gap when comparing “private” and “state”. It’s not my business! Is it a small thing? I wonder how many unlocked faucets everyday in Vietnam...?

By SaiGonTimes

Translated by Khanh Linh

Self-awareness

On the Yahoo correspondence column, there is a question as follow: “What is the self-awareness and its benefit in life? And the best answer (voted by readers) as follow:

“yeah SELF-AWARENESS: IS A PERSON WHO HAS SEFL-AWARENESS INDIVIDUALLY, UNDERSTAND THE WAY OF NOT DISTURBING TO OTHERS. Normally, a SELF-AWARED person usually has the self-respect. For example: In a party, in a cooling charmber with full of attenders with beautiful dress, there was a smoking son, he took a pack of cigarettes (but thinking back)and he asked  evreybody for a permission to go out (In fact, going out for smoking). And we think that is a self-awared person.

Yes, yes if in the whole of society, everybody has self-awareness, the sorrowfulness is rarely occurred. Police, court have no thing to do. If everybody has self-awareness, the quarrel, violence will not occurre...So, the society is more and more civilized. See you”

I also identify with aboved answer, but would like to share some examples on self-awareness or unself-awareness below:

1/ A staff having ability but has no self-awareness to promote his/her ability on working, and thinking that my income is just regulated that I just did it at once.

2/ A person participating in traffic and self-awaring to stop in front of traffic line when the red light turns on without the traffic-cop in traffic-circle.

3/ Having no self-awareness on business time if there is no remind or criticism at office.

4/ Having no self-awareness on cleaning up workingplace (because thinking that somebody will do onduty late)

5/ Having no self-awareness on upgarding knowledge, collecting information for work.

6/ Having no awareness on respecting others, playing game or doing private business on the business time and returning home so early without reporting to the manager as well as taking note on the board.

7/ Having no self-awareness on working to compensate for the time of late working or vacation.

8/ Having no self-awareness on writing to daily working diary regularly.

9/ Having no self-awareness on completing the duties (for example withdrawing the long-time debt in locality)

10/ Having no self-awareness on reporting the incompeleted work for the Management Board.

11/ Having no self-awareness on thinking about receiving benefit from organization but paying much attention to the things that organization has not met the demand for oneself.

12/ Having no self-awareness on self-criticism and criticism (may cause the internal contracdiction because criticize in wrong place, timely)

SELF-AWARENESS: IS A PERSON WHO HAS SEFL-AWARENESS INDIVIDUALLY, UNDERSTAND THE WAY OF NOT DISTURBING TO OTHERS. It is a significant denfinition. I hope the readers will understand thought by this writing.

Translated by Phan Van Hai

FEELING FROM AN ACCEPTED PICTURE OF HEALTHY CITIES PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

The picture entitled “ Fishing along the river” has been accepted by Alliance for Healthy Cities photography contest in Gangnam-Seoul, Korea. The Vietnamese photographer winner is the only person participating in the contest and second participant of ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations) after Malaysia take this prize, Mr. Truong Huu Quoc Huy, staff of The Fund for Encouragement of Self- Reliance.

The background of this picture is the river gate of the Central region, a gentle river which flows into the generous and peaceful East sea. That is what a Vietnam national river . Right in the middle of the picture is a scared flag, a beloved traditional conical hat of laborious fisher with dug-out canoe, and aslo there is a verdure of quiet village and Truong son mountain shap looming in the distance . All is symbol for Vietnamese nation and an adored land of Vietnamese.

Not far from the river gate, there is an island expected to return the motherland – Vietnam as a children has seperated from large family.

The light of the photo shows the morning time, the fishermen are preparing for the first fish-catching of the day. It’s so quiet and peaceful! Oh, Vietnam’s sea! Vietnam homeland; many generation have sacrified for the peace today.

Rest in peace, please!.., the hard-working fishermen are still being watched by many coastal  security antenna systems, our hearts, our souls, and the photographer who captured this photo at the very Vietnam moment. The white ducks swim behind the fishermen make the stress for the romance and strength but very simply of the artistic photo. Vietnam’s sovereignty is shown as such many simple images.

Trương Huu Quoc Huy and the group of CESR

PS: This photo was taken at Cua Dai, Hoi An

Following in the steps of Japanese

Japanese children have been educated to exert themselves to overcome all difficulties of success. In the photo, a boy was being in barefoot on fire at Mr. Katao festival in Japan.

Japanese Ambassador Sakaba has recently concluded a term of two years and seven months of working in Vietnam. At the farewell party organized by the Japanese in Hanoi, when being asked "How do you think about the country and the people of Vietnam?” Ambassador Sakaba has honestly answered, "I want Vietnamese Youth to pay attention to hygiene cleaner, to have better disciplinary and compliance as well.”

Factly, Vietnam and Japan have also got some similarities in geography, culture, lifestyle ... In terms of area, Japan and Vietnam have been equivalent but in terms of population, Japan has nearly been half as much again Vietnam. Also on natural conditions, Vietnam has been is relatively more favorable than the Japan.

Japan used to be defeated in World War II, but from the ashes of the ruins, only after 20 years, they had risen to become the second largest economic powerful country of the world (after U.S.). In 2009, Japan's GDP had reached 5,000 billion U.S. dollars (473,000 billion yen), per capita income had been of about U.S. $ 40,000 per year.

Meanwhile, Vietnam had ended the war against the United States more than 35 years, but we have only just been out of the least-developed countries group so far, with about 1000 dollars per capita income in 2009. What had been made this big difference?

Everyone has heard a lot about the “legendary Japan" from several decades ago, but in my opinion, the main reason of making the magic is their national pride. After the Second World War up to now, the Japanese - both officials and civilians - were grinding to work, no one had expressed subjectiveness or satisfaction with the great achieved success.

At school, the Japanese had educated their children (the gist): Japan, very poor, natural resources can be hardly anything, you must try to do well later to take care yourselves, family and to contribute to national construction. They had never "self-deluded” with "Our country is a forest, gold, silver sea ...." Because once we have been comfortable with the thought "massive gold, silver” that many people will develop the psychology that they will never be hunger, just slowly enjoy! Perhaps that is one of reasons why Vietnam had been backward in comparison with some other Asian nations which had got similar starting point like us such as Japan, Singapore, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand ...

Ambassador Sakaba’s advice had been contained character which had formerly been the strength of the Japanese and the "weak" of the majority of Vietnam. We have often defied the discipline, less obeyed the general regulations such as traffic rules, prestige, arbitrary habit, disorderliness, lack of awareness of conserving general sanitation, or following the immediate benefit that they will be great obstacles in the march forward of Vietnam.

Thanks for the honest advice of Japanese Ambassador Sakaba. If we know how to listen, how to be modest, how to learn and we don’t consider ourselves as number one, certainly, we will quickly shorten the gap with developed countries. "Outdoor is heaven", the teachings of the ancients will never old.

By SaiGonTimes

Translated by Thuy Hang

THE NEARLY 100 YEARS OLD FATHER’S TIRERNESS

No one does think that the 100 years old father is the mainstay of two nearly 40 years old children?  Mr. Le Quang, Bao has been a permanent resident at Bao La hamlet, Quang Phu commune, Quang Dien district, Thua Thien Hue. He was 99 years old but he had still raised two nearly 40 years handicapped children who are the victims of Agent Orange.

Through working community, I was known Mr Quang and his family’s plight by our program's collaborator. Then one morning, the collaborator had guided me directly to visit his family. Seeing his breakfast on the table was just a few bowls of porridge and a cup of fish sauce, I felt sorry to ask: “Sir, how many bowls can you eat?”  He tried to raise his voice to answer: “two bowls, and a bowl for my child”. Who cooked? My daughters did, but she did not cook well done yet, I couldn’t walk alone in the house so I couldn’t do any thing as well.

We had talked each other for a while, and then he had eaten two bowls of porridge. Although it was just rice soup, but he still felt very delicious, very happy even though his daughter didn’t cook well done. Above all, he gave his child a great love.

Through discussions with Mr Quang family, relatives, neighbors and Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyen - Quang Phu commune leaders, we were informed that he had lost his wife two years ago, he had only 2 children, a son and a daughter. They have currently been nearly 40 years old and they couldn’t do anything. They even couldn’t cooking or doing normal daily activities, Both of them was Agent Orange’s victims, day by day their life has been relying on  the nearly 100 years old father that he should have been cosseted by his children. What a really unfortunate incarnation!

His family’s misfortune and tiredness hadn’t stopped there. His daughter who are currently 35 years old, she has suddenly been pregnant (didn’t know the father) and the baby was born without reed, and it has presently been adopted because his family couldn’t have enough ability to raise up. Next, she had been pregnant again, but Mr. Quang had discovered in time and had informed to the leaders of the commune. Understanding with his family’s plight, commune’s leaders and neighbors had decided to advise her to have an abortion. It is the fact that Mr. Quang was writhing on last days of his life but he has to live, to take the bit between his teeth in silent of giving the mainstay for two 40 years old handicapped children.

Ho Son.

Translated by Thuy Hang

BICYCLING TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSION IN HUE CITY

Environment has become a burning issue, particularly he global environmental pollution in the recent years, in which daily carbon discharge is the main cause that pollutes environment seriously, especially the big volume of carbon emissions from motorcycles. So, how to reduce daily carbon discharge from this transportation source? There are many various ways to deal with. Nevertheless, we think that it is better for primary students aged 8 to 11 years to go to school by bicycles on their own instead of the fact that their parents have to pick them up by motorcycles. Today, almost of parents pick their children up by motorcycles in Hue city. The daily carbon emission from motorcycles accounts for approximately 30 percent of total motorcycles on the road. This causes air contamination for the city. We think that the best way to solve this problem is that parents should buy bicycles for their children in order that they can go to school by themselves. If doing like this, we hope to limit the release of carbon and make air quality fresher and healthier.

I have been known that some developed countries like South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong…currently expect to carbon reduction on their own countries through launching the strategy of bicycling, which aims at raising the people’s awareness on environment protection. Meanwhile, poor families living in Hue city and in rural areas have no condition to buy a bicycle for their children to go to school. As a result, we have called for the interest of these developed countries in assisting our least developed ones with funding projects. Through that, we can launch the strategy of encouraging children to go to school by bicycle. For instance, the implementation of old bicycles collection to help poor kids living in Hue city and the neighboring areas. This activity will contribute to reducing carbon emission from motor vehicles and control environmental pollution. In addition, this practical issue urges our expectation of carbon reduction in our country in particular and throughout the world in general.

Ho Son 

CHILE’S IMAGE

Beginning this article when the rescue cage “Phoenix” at Chile mine had been bringing the 32 ^th miner to the ground, there had presently been 1 people trapped more than 69 days at 600m depth

The rescue will be successfully finished in only few minutes, the global mass media is going to have much profound analysis. I hereby would like to write out some instant thoughts.

The Chile’s image in my mind is the dictatorial Pinoche, very talented players of famous European clubs, and the best wine used for the international guests at APEC 2006 in Hanoi, Vietnam

However, The Chile’s image in my mind has currently been much profound:

- A country has been standing up very quickly after the terrible earthquake,
- A country with the president, and government officials has been greatly close to people, watched over to pick each miner up after 69 days being trapped underground
- Such sturdy, solid miners even though they had been isolating from the outside world, sometimes they had almost lost contact with ground,

- The 33 miner faces had been trained and skilled very professional with many workaday personalities like hard-working classes wherever,
- As the magnanimity, mettlesome peoples when when anyone had also volunteered for “landing" ultimately,
- The limitless happiness of the mother, wife, children, lovers, colleagues, people who had been expecting the heroes from the ground up,
- The exhaustive preparation to welcome the miners who being trapped underground,

- The urgency in finding the most urgent rescue methods (right drilling and design of cavity "capsule" taking miners up to shorten the time of search and  rescue more than 40 days, it had been shortened a half in comparison with originally estimated rescue time 48 hours)
- A great event has been compared with the man had successfully landed on the moon 40 years ago,
- As the country has made humanity sympathetic and be closer,
- A cheerful image of Chile when they had overthrowed the dictatorial Pinoche government to a new, friendly and approachable Chile.

If you need to choose one word to describe the entire work of rescuing 33 miners who had been trapped in 69 days, we can only use one word "Great"
Maybe this time, there are so many people like my feelings, whenever the people has been cared honestly and non- formalistic, the sympathy will be multiplied many times, the mankind’s peace has been built one part from this incident.

“To ensure peace for the people, such is the essence of humanity and justice”

At 8 o’clock on October 14^th, 2010

Phan Van Hai

Translate by Thuy Hang

VISITING THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER FOR DISABLED CHILDREN IN DA NANG CITY

On 6^th October 2010, I had guided group of Plus-1 (One) net-Japanese NGO to visit the vocational training center for disabled children at Ngu Hanh Son - Da Nang city. The center had formerly been Peace Village established in 1992 by Ms. Phung Thi Le Ly, the East Meets West Foundation’s member. In 1999, it had been transferred to Danang city Red Cross to manage after project was completed. From 2004 to present, it has become the vocational training school for disabled children in Da Nang city and Quang Nam province. Total numbers of employees are 10 peoples, vocational training and cultural teaching for 50 disabled children, from 7 to 30 years divided into classes: Embroidery, beaded garments, printing and making incense’s sticks...

Since its establishment, there have been 50 trainees who graduated at Center and they have currently been working in many private companies in Da Nang city and Quang Nam province. In addition, there have been 30 trainees - after leaving center, they didn’t go to work in private companies but they could help do their house work and make money at areas of Quang Nam province and Da Nang city. At present, Center has entirely self-sponsored 100% expenditure of all activities. Center’s regulations of income have been divided as followed: the turnover after deducting production costs, the remainder was called profits, trainees have directly made products to enjoy 30% of profit, the teacher instructed them to directly receive 10% of profit, and the remainder will be paid in Center’s fund to cover all activities.

Their products have been sold through following channels:

(a) The network of international volunteers (GVN);

(b) Women's Democratic Union of Japan;

(c) Da Nang students Association;

(d) Visitors.

Whenever customers have visited and purchased products, they are really happy. The value of their labor was fully acknowledged, they had been living very meaningful - self raised and contributed to society.

If you have conditions, please take some time to visit and encourage children at the Center which is very near the tourist spot of the famous Marble Mountains in Danang city. We also wish Plus-1 (One) net organization to co-ordinate with CESR to organize volunteer activities not only in Danang, but also in Hue, and we had directly exchanged to Ms. Yasuko Nishiyama, director of this organization

Welcome and look forward working together with Plus-1 (One) net organization in Hue

On the occasion in celebration of Thang Long’s 1000 years -flying dragon city

Phan Van Hai

SELF-EDUCATED – REAL EDUCATION

We all do know the importance of education, the importance of knowledge; however, when society is more and more changeable, mankind’s knowledge has been incessantly increased as present; an educational certification can’t make sure that you have got ability and specialty to meet the work’s demand. Self-educated and lifetime education will ensure that you will not be backward in comparison with society, organization and work.

Our project group has been established by the agreement between Hue city People’s Committee and Vietnamese oversea family to provide seed capital to poor people of self-reliance. The CESR’s staffs haven’t originally had the major of credit yet so we have to self-educated to fully widen and improve the knowledge, specialty as well of meeting the work’s demand to well accomplish all task.

Currently, our micro-credit project has effectively operated with more than 15,000 clients for the purpose of doing small business towards self-reliance. In the process of international integration, it is required that CESR have to establish a website (English and Vietnamese) to convey information, to make sure that information will be updated daily in our blog of Vietnamese and English as well; CESR’s staffs have been encouraged to write short reports after finishing the work at community and the feelings of recorded case studies at local community where we are undertaking. Internal newsletters have also been built on the current workforce with 2 times per month as a monthly newspaper of CESR, this is a effectively communication channel between CESR and local government as well as help CESR ‘s staff finalize group activities every 2 weeks and make  the general plan of next period.

In 2008, CESR had received an award of UN-HABITAT even though in 2006, we received the recommended award of this organization, and recently, CESR have just awarded the International Photographic of AFHC (Alliance for Healthy Cities) on September, 2010.

To achieve above results, the CESR’s staff have tried to self-educated and improve skills to meet the work’s demands on following aspects:

- Network management software;
- Webmaster;
- English translator and interpreter;
- Seeking out and implementing small projects for funding relating to clean water, sanitation and environment;
- Exploring art photography;
- Human resource management and coordination of work;
- Supervising of small-scale construction works.
Self-educated and lifetime education is the duty of every people, in CESR, this obligations have been thoroughly grasped and by the way, we are kindly to record some results of the self-educated raising the standard as above.

Phan Van Hai

Translated by Thuy Hang

Working time waste – a widespread phenomenon of society or individual matter?

After visiting Xom Giong Preschool and Vinh Ninh Elemenatry school ( day-boarder), I am paid much attention to the intensity working of its preceptresses. I wrote to acknowledge my feelings and admiration for them and by this way, I would like to express my concern to the present situation of Center for Encouragment and Self-Reliance and question of how to improve it.

 The working time of each preceptress of day-boarder school is prequently from 6:15 am to 17:15 pm. Business time is 11 hours, only 30 minutes of noon break is given to them but it seems to be not integral because their pupils usually awake or don’t take a siesta, or disturb its classmates...

  The working time of preceptresses at day-boarder elementary school is from 6:45 am to 17:00 pm. Business time is 10 hours, and there are 30 minutes of noon break. The duties of nursemaids and elementary school teachers is fairly stressful because their pupils are the 2 – 11 year old children, they have no self-control in action and need keeping a keen eye on them.  

 The working time of CESR Staffs is 8 hours per day (in accordance with govenmental working time principle). Normally, business time is from 7:00am to 11:00 am and business time in afternoon is from 13:00 pm to 17:00 pm. However, the present situation of the fact that its staff go to work late and return home early is very popular. Based on the daily record of staff assiduousness, many staffs go to work at 8:30 am, 14:30 pm, or by monitoring, some staffs return home over 10 am and about 04 pm. Therefore, the general business time of these staffs is only 5 hours and how many hour of an exact business time of them for a good result is groundless to account. If accounting the returning home early and going to work late, the business time of   these aforcementioned staffs is so less.

  Tempropary accounting the business time of aboved 02 types of working as follow:

(a) Preschool preceptress:                      22 days * 11 = 242 hours

(b) Elementary school preceptress:         22 days * 10 = 220 hours

(c) Some staffs of CESR:                       22 days * 05 = 110 hours.      

  Presently, total average monthly income of CESR Staffs is 2 millions VND, of elementary school teachers is 4 millions VND (with 20 year seniority), of press school teachers is 1.2 millions VND (for the private schools).

  The supposition is that if not mentioning the qualification, ability, occupation..., based on the working time and salary of CESR Staff (2 millions), the salary of Private preschool preceptresses must be 4.4 millions VND. (Therefore, the preschool preceptress contributed to the charity activities at 3.2 millions VND/month for society). According to the aboved account, the income of 01 hour - working time of CESR staffs and Preschool preceptresses are equal.)

The fact that this is not an symmetrical comparison, it has not pointed out completely the essence of a mentioned issue (for example, according to the manager’s outlook, CESR Staff’s working time is paid 2 millions VND per month, on paper, its staffs have recieved 3.2 millions VND, because its working time is only 05 hours – in stead of 08 hours in accordance with principle.). However, It is just a way of looking at “ensuring the working time in principle”. The justice of society will be occurred by the multi outlook of individualities and the determination of chance at all. And on the point of view of management, it is neccessary to have many solutions to maintain this justice.

Phan Van Hai

RAIN AND POVERTY

Going by boat on

Ben Nghe street

Den Bridge

Truong Tien Bridge

Hue Televison ‘s antenna

Road to Sia Town

Vo Thi Sau street

 

      Quang Phuoc’s primary school

 

Got stuck in the water

Fun to get back Hue city

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed relevant agencies in ministry, national, central, provincial, district and commune levels to conduct a general survey on poor housholds nationwide to exactly identify completed poor villages and communes and to serve the country’s social security policies period  2011 and 2015. According to new povery standard, families with the per capita income  less than 400,000 vnd (4,800,000vnd per year) and 500,000vnd (around 6,000,000 vnd per year) for rural and urban areas are considered to be poor. Households have the monthly income from 401,000 to 520,000 vnd for rural and from 501,000 to 650,000 vnd for urban areas falling into near-poverty zone. General surveys on all of poor housholds are implemented on national scale. However, damages caused by rain and natural disasters don’t differentiate between rural and urban.  The heavy rain on Octorber 3 on Sunday seriously flooded the central and neighboring areas of Thua Thien Hue province.

PVH Group