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Loving the Unloved in Vietnam

God help you if you’re a person with disabilities in Vietnam, never mind if you have leprosy.

With little or no social programs to support you and - especially in the case of leprosy - a major social stigma to overcome, you’re pretty much on your own.

But thanks to people like retired dairy farmer Tony Vanderwal of Abbotsford, BC, God is helping to build a future for those who thought they had none.

Tony Just Returned From his 13^th Trip to Vietnam
During past trips, he has done everything from helping farmers adopt sustainable agricultural practices to creating a graphic design school for the handicapped. But Tony’s main purpose in going this time was to assess the condition of leprosy patients in Vietnam. According to Tony, there are 3,000 lepers in that country, virtually all of them segregated into special hospitals. Although leprosy can be cured, Tony says former lepers still find themselves socially isolated because the disease often leaves them disfigured. “When they’re cured and you send them back home, the family doesn’t want them,” he says. As a result, many lepers end up back on the street or in hospital. Suicide and mental problems are also rampant among former lepers.

Help is on the Way
Working closely with the Global Aid Network (GAiN), Tony hopes to help lepers overcome their disease and re-integrate back into society. “It’s not a five-minute fix,” says Tony, “But we’ll see what we can do about it.” Tony is currently meeting with GAiN to decide upon a plan of action and will likely return to Vietnam to begin working with lepers in early 2004.

Helping lepers gain a better life wasn’t the only reason for Tony’s trip. For the past year, Tony, GAiN, the Abbotsford Rotary Club, and the Lever Corporation have coordinated and supported a school in Ho Chi Min City for people with physical disabilities. Up until now, the school only taught graphic design. But on this trip, Tony purchased and installed five sewing machines and two embroidering machines, thus expanding the courses the school can offer and the number of people it can equip to lead independent, productive lives.

A Real Success
The students aren’t the only ones in this school who have physical disabilities, so do the teachers. Needless to say, Tony is extremely thankful to have played a significant role in this transformation. “To me, it’s a real success story,” he says.

If you feel compassion for these people and would like to get involved in helping them, or would like to donate funds to help them, contact Global Aid Network by  clicking here.

Related Reading:
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Discover the Spirit-Filled life
Need advice? Ask us.

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Kevin Miller is a freelance writer, editor and educator from Abbotsford, BC, Canada. Over the past several years, he has written, co-written and contributed to 26 books, both fiction and non-fiction. He has also written dozens of articles for web sites, magazines and newspapers, including Faith Today, BC Christian News and Maranatha News.