The trip is coming to a close. The first writing from just me. Can we be honest on this one? Of course right? It might not be my favorite type of trip. It is one I have made at this time of year. Since we are not visiting our programs or visiting kids i could say it is not my "favorite" trip time. But I must admit it is a memorable time especially for those we visit.
Tet, the lunar New Year is a time of celebration having maybe more meaning then any holiday celebrated in the western world. It is a time where all visit their families and friends. Our gibtk team has 9 paid days off this year and the labor laws say that companies and organizations pay an extra month salary at this time.
Tet is a time to visit our partners, govt., hospitals, police agencies, Vietnamese partners, friends and our homes. We look to close the past year and thank them for their partnership and friendship, they're cooperation. We also speak for the New Year, asking and committing to continued friendship and cooperation.
Honestly I don't think I can come up with words to fully explain the depth of what Tet means to the Vietnamese people. It carries a lot of weight for me as president of gibtk to come with a basket of "goodies' wishing a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.
Those who know me one of my easily identifiable (not so good) character traits is my lack of love of meetings (the look on my face in couple photos might show my feelings? LOL). One of my favorite book titles is "Death by meeting". Thankfully our visits are short so that makes room for a LOT of meetings in a day. but ones to our homes and friends I wish were longer.
One thing I will wish time and circumstance would have allowed was to stay longer and experience the TET store. In our earlier years I would come, we would be given a list of poor families. Who would bring their children in. I'd stand on a stage and give a TET bag of goodies to a "needy" child. Have a wonderful photo op. Then go home being the "hero". I remember seeing the mothers lined up in back of the rooms. Not looking all the celebration.
A few years back I read a book called "toxic charity" (I highly recommend it for those working with others). While reading it, it hit me, who has to be the hero, or maybe more importantly said who should be the hero?
The idea came to us to have the TET store. We invite the same "poor" families. We partner with local businesses, they loan us the "goodies" that so often are sought to fill TET gifts. Everything from candies and cookies to dresses and toys. A special events venue donates us their location for the day of.
We "sell" the items for .10 on the dollar. (We pay the local business that loan items to us full price.) There is limit how much each family can purchase. As they "check in" often our team learns some do not have enough to meet the max limit. At that point they are offered to come to our office, (a few doors away) and do some simple "work' to earn enough to meet the max allowed.
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| Young Men from Hals Home | |
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| Mr. Giao, been driving me for nearly 17 years now! a true friend and has the DNA of GIBTK! | |
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