The Hue Children's Shelter

Anna Oakes

     We came back from our most recent trip to Da Nang, Hoi An, and Hue little more than a week ago. One of the most notable events of the trip, for me, was the day we spent volunteering at the Hue Children’s Shelter. Little actual work was done; instead, we spent hours playing soccer, beading bracelets, blowing up balloons, and playing hand games with the kids. When we first arrived at the school, both our group and theirs seemed to keep a wary distance from each other—within an hour, though, even the older kids had joined us. I walked around for what felt like hours giving a little girl a piggyback. We went around to all the berry bushes in the yard, and she picked the highest, ripest ones that no one else had been able to, which we then shared. Of course once the other children saw this, they all ran up to me and clamored for piggybacks as well—if I acted at all reluctant, they’d start trying to actually climb up me to the desired height, and refuse to let go for several minutes. Most of us also played a passionate group hand game that even the younger ones, who had no idea how to play, got involved in.

     While waiting for our barbecue dinner to be set up, I somehow ended up watching a boy play Tetris on an antiquated gaming device from the 90s. Every time I tried to move away to see if my help was needed elsewhere, he would pull my arm, eyes still glued to the screen, and demand that I keep watching. To keep things interesting, he would shout “yes!” whenever anything remotely exciting happened on screen. I thought I might as well contribute, so I would reply “good job!” and “rất tốt!” After an American dinner of hotdogs and grilled chicken, we sadly said our goodbyes and got back on our bus.
   For me, this was the first time I’d really felt a strong sense of connection and friendship with the various groups of students we’ve met so far. I’ve talked to several people at the university here, and had fun talking to other university students in the South during other activities. However, the day that we spent entertaining and getting to know the kids brought us much closer to them—we were there primarily for them, and not for our own gratification even though we all ended up having a lot of fun. I think it’s unlikely that I’ll see them again—however, thanks to memories abetted by photos and Facebook, I won’t forget them either. I hope I’ll be able to return for a summer during college as a volunteer at the school.