Tet! Lunar New Year, recently I heard a friend compare it to Christmas and New Year's rolled into one. I would have to add Thanksgiving, 4th of July and birthday's too. In fact for many years Tet was when "everyone" celebrated their birthday and all would be 1 year older.
Indeed Tet is a very special time. A time for families to come together. And not unlike our culture for them to go into debt. For years GIBTK would compile a list of "poor families". With the best of intentions we would assemble the "needy" family's children and give them Tet gifts.
Thinking back I can see the mothers lined up in the back of the room. Their kids with smiles receiving gifts from the "American Organization". Honestly I don't remember seeing any fathers...
One day while reading a book called "toxic charity" a question came to mind. Was there a better way? Sure the "poor" kids got gifts, GIBTK got recognition, and usually I got a photo of me and some cute kids. But I had to ask who the hero in this is? And the harder question, who should be the hero?
What lesson were we teaching kids and moms? That a foreigner will take care of them? And the Dads? Well I have to think if it was me I'd feel worse because one more time I was unable to provide for my family. We at GIBTK came to the conclusion something had to change! Let's work to build the family and make the parents the Heroes.
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| Parents shopping for they're family! |
Our present solution is a "Tet Store". A place GIBTK team partners together with local businesses. We get product at great prices and then reduce it even more. We gather the same "needy kids and their families. Only now we charge 10% of what the actual costs should be. And if the family does not have that to spend we have some simple "labor" for them to earn the money to buy gifts for their children!!!
Finally we are seeing dads coming with smiles on their faces. Being proud that they can "provide for their families. Kids look to parents and see that is their parents who are buying the gifts and not getting handouts. So now who's the hero in their kid's eyes? The parents!!!!
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Young men from Hals Home playing rock, paper scissors to see who gets to stay inside with the families and who gets to work outside. Inside was by far the preferred job!!!
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Over the next few days please read from our gibtk team and the last day from actual attendees. I know for me it brought tears of joy So much so I had to reach for box of Kleenex! It has brought on more time, recognition that clearly it is so much more then GIBTK! That we get to serve a God of Hope. We get to be Hope peddlers!!!
Please don't miss reading the notes from the team. Todays is from Tam our SE Asia director; (She was one of these kids not too many years ago)
We do Tet shop for the poor every year but I feel so special about this year. Maybe I fall in love with the vision of building up family value of families and self-esteem of parents. This is a new concept to people in the rural areas but it has been received well. The more I buy in the vision, the more I deadly want to have this Tet shop. To wealthy families, maybe they don't care much about what they get for children during Tet because they have good stuff all year long. But to impoverished families, Tet is a special time when parents try to provide some "special food" to their children. Many families fall into trap of debt because of this reason. Having Tet shop is a way helping reduce this burden on them.
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| Father calling home to tell of the gifts he can buy!!! |
It has been four years we started this Tet shop but I still felt excited about this one. My heart was fulfilled with big smiles on kids and parents' face. 100 families showed up to buy stuff. This year, we made it a real place where people can have a lot of choices for their families. All of them were so happy when they could get things they like for their families and children. How cute to see little children following their children to Tet shop to choose what they like! The moment I saw a little girl found things she loves melt my heart.
A father was so excited with how much stuff he saw at this Tet shop. He shared his excitement on phone with his family in the countryside.
Or a father had a big smile after he found a dress for his daughter.
And then one of moms sat down on the floor looking back at things she picked. She said that this was the first time she could be able to buy toys for my children. Without this Tet shop, that would never happen. Those moments were worth our hard working.
And I was very impressed with a very special little girl. She followed her father to this Tet shop and she found candies she loves. She said this was her first time shopping and she loved it. I am sure this kind of Tet shop will leave a very special memory in her forever.
I love seeing parents taking their children to this Tet shop. They gave their children opportunity to choose what they like most. Children will see the value their parents bring them through this. Words can not say enough how much value this program has brought to parents and family.
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| The GIBTK family ready to serve!!! So darn PROUD of these guys!_ |
My special thank is to my whole team, boys from Hal's Home and girls from Lighthouse for their dedicated heart. When we assigned tasks, no one want to be a security outside J. They want to serve inside and want to join people's happiness. It is great to see our kids serving people in such an amazing way. (They had to join a game to decide which one had to be outside to watch families' motorbikes).
Sincerely Tam Thi Tong
