Chuot and Chau

The story of Chuot & Chau

I've tried to cut down on its length, but I have to tell this story because it's very important to me and important to others that I know. It's difficult to help children in VN - some adults use them as an avenue to make money, and many children are not cared for.

I first met Chuot (Mouse) in the middle of one of the busiest intersections in Saigon in 2003 near the Rex Hotel. I was crossing the street just to see if I could do it, there is always so much traffic. She came up to me in the middle of the intersection and tried to sell me gum. I picked her up, worrying about her safety and carried her back to the sidewalk. She was six years old at the time and about 30 pounds. I told her to stay out of the street and bought a pack of gum from her. At that time I didn't realize she would try to sell me gum every time I was near the hotel.

Her mother and sister also worked in front of the Rex Hotel. Chau (Pearl), her sister, sold roses and their mother sold tobacco and peanuts and many other things. Their mom would stay put and the girls would go up and down the street trying to sell to everyone, especially Westerners. My friends and I stayed at the Rex Hotel for five days and during that time we got to know the girls and usually bought whatever they had to sell. Every time we would walk out of the hotel they were at our side instantly. Most of the time this is very annoying, but they were so cute, we didn't mind.

When I returned home to California the girls were some of the people that I thought of often. I just loved them. They were part of the reason I wanted to plan another trip back to Vietnam again.

When I returned to Vietnam the following year one of the first things I did was to go to the Rex Hotel to look for the girls, only to find out their mother had died. She was 35 years young at the time and the girls were left with their mother's boyfriend in district 7. I was told that they did not go to school, but instead sold lotto tickets on the street to help pay for basic necessities. This is very common in VN - the people are poor. I asked someone to find them for me and we went to visit them. We hung out with them at a small food stand near their house and then went to where they lived and met the people they live with. When I left their house, I gave them a small amount of money, I really couldn't give them more because I felt it would just be taken away by the man they live with. I left VN feeling very sad about the situation.

Throughout the next year, I would ask my friends in VN to check in on Chuot and Chau and give them a little money. Which they did. They also love the girls and are concerned about their future.

In searching the web preparing for my next trip, I happened upon the website of Henry Bechtold. A strange thing happened. He had a picture of Chau on his website and was concerned about her well being. I emailed him and he and I have become friends since then and we have decided to try and help the girls. He emailed me with a boarding school that he was familiar with - the 15 May School. We contacted this school by email telling them of our plight to get the girls an education. They said it would cost $30 US a month to sponsor a child for school, boarding and medical needs. This sounded great to me so I emailed 15 May School that we (Henry & I) would like to sponsor the girls. Henry sent me the the enrollment application which I filled out and faxed to them. Henry faxed his as well.

The 15 May School emailed me back and said that since the girls didn't have government sponsorship, it would cost $80 US a month for each girl, which is a lot of money in VN. I became uncomfortable with this, so I did not respond to this email. After a few weeks, just as I expected, I received an email from them that said they had discussed it and decided they could take the girls for the original price of $30/month (what a surprise), but they would need birth certificates and that would cost $400 US - that's big money in Vietnam. Also, Mr. Lam uses these girls for a source of income and does not want to let them go. He wants them on the streets selling lotto tickets. I fear if I can't help them they will soon be selling more than lotto tickets.

I did some research and found another school, The Sunshine school, run by the Christina Noble Children's Foundation (CNCF). I sent them an email, they responded and asked me to come to the foundation in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss it with a social worker. It was then that I decided to return to Vietnam again and try to help the girls out.

When I arrived in Saigon for the third time (August 2005) I began to try to help Chau and Chuot get into a boarding school where they can get an education. I went to the 15 May school the next day. My friends in Saigon said the school was not in a good neighborhood and that the CNCF was a better place for the girls. Still, I had to follow through with my original plans at the 15 May, and Henry had already sent them money and gave me more to take to them. The 15 May School was being renovated so the school was not in session. It looked a bit run down but still I could see they had some happy children living there. I talked with the people there briefly. They were volunteers. They gave me a tour of the facilities and asked me to come back in a few days to discuss the matter more. This gave me time to go to the CNCF and see that school. My friends insisted that it would be a better place for the girls.

When I got to CNCF, I found the school and the people to be very appealing. I went to the shelter and found it was very nice facility, with happy kids. I felt I had found the perfect place. The woman I talked with at CNCF and the rest of the staff at the shelter were very helpful. I was excited.

The next few days I spent taking social workers to where the girls lived. They talked with Chau and Chuot and with Mr. Lam as well. They also spoke with the local police about Mr. Lam, and interviewed other people who have known the girls, their deceased mother and Mr. Lam who cannot afford to send Chau and Chuot to school. Even the social worker told me he could not believe they were 10 and 13 years old because they were so small and thin. CNCF said it would take a few days and more interviews before they could render a decision, so I left and went to Hoi An Town for a few days.

When I returned from Hoi An Town I went back to CNCF with the girls, planning on dropping them off. It was then that I was informed by CNCF that since Chau loves Mr. Lam and did not want to go to school away from home, their decision was to leave them with him. Chau would sell lotto tickets on the street and Chuot would stay at home (We all know that won't happen). I was surprised that they would come to this decision. I just could not believe it...that they could think the girls' life was OK in their present situation. With no education their future chances are limited.

The people at CNCF said they would get them birth certificates and I could pay for them to go to a local school where they live. This is certainly better than nothing, so I emailed CNCF when I got home and asked if Mr. Lam had gotten the birth certificates and I still have not heard back from them.

My mission was to get Chau and Chuot into a school and help them with an education so they would have a chance for a better life. I found that for some reason I was unable to get them into either school. Because I had known these girls and their mother, I felt I needed to make the effort. Now, I don't know what to do. If anyone has any information, suggestions or questions, I would be happy to hear from you. Please email me.

UPDATE, January 2006
My wife, Debbie, and I returned to Vietnam for two weeks on December 27th, 2005. While we were there we went to District 7 and found the girls on the street where they hang out. They looked very frail and unkempt. Mr. Lam wanted money from us if we wanted to take them for the day. Our interpreter told him no and fortunately, he let us take them anyway. We went to lunch, we went shopping for clothes and had a great time all day.
We were also informed that the People's Committee had gotten them birth certificates and they are planning on starting school in September 2006. We're hoping this is true, but it is such a long time away, we hope for the best in the mean time.
The Christina Nobel Children's Foundation did contact us and let us know they are still trying to help the girls. We thank them for that.

UPDATE 30, March 2006
As of right now, I have not had any new information from CNCF about the girls. Henry has just returned from Viet Nam and spent some time with them, but there was no talk about school, which is my main concern.

I have had people email me and ask me how they can help, and should they donate to the charities in Vietnam. At this time I cannot vouch for the accountability of any organization there. When I feel comfortable with one (and I'm looking), I will post it on this site.

UPDATE
New news. I have found an organization that I feel comfortable with now. They are accountable for all the money they raise, they don't use any money on themselves, and use their own money for travel and expenses. They are good people. The Friends of Vinh Son Please visit their website www.friendsofvso.org and see what they're about.

UPDATE March 2007
Good news! Chau and Chuot have started school! It's a Catholic school where they live during the week and go back to Mr. Lam's house on the weekends. The Mai Am Ann Linh School in District 7 has about 50 students, but only 4 actually live there, including Chau and Chuot. They look great, and healthy and happy. I met two Catholic Sisters that run the school. One was very nice, the other one was the disciplinarian (a bit of a nurse Ratchet). A good combination for the girls since they haven't had a mother or father since they were very young and have been on the street selling lotto tickets for Mr. Lam. This is the best we could hope for at this time… While I was there we bought them new bicycles with donations from my friends at home.
When I returned two weeks later before I left for home, the sister who was in charge called me into her office. She told me she had taken the bicycles away from the girls and in the future I cannot give the girls anything. I could give her money and she would decide how to spend it. She gave me her business card, which I handed back to her. I left dejected. Another similar situation as some of the other schools and orphanages I've been to. If and when I go back to VN I'll go back to the school, look through the fence to see if they are still there and that they are all right. I have to fight the urge to just give up.

UPDATE January 2008
Ok, I'm back feeling better about things. I just recently went back to the school to see the girls, I took a different attitude with me this time. I was also happy to see a different principal this time, a Catholic nun and a very nice and caring woman. The girls live there with her and she says they are doing good, they look great and for the first time called me by my name and conversed with me. They may even write me a letter (I hope so). They are 13 and 15 and are in the 2nd grade (it's a start). They also had their bicycles that I thought were gone. Chuot is learning how to sew and Chau is learning how to cook so things are really looking up for them. What you have to realize is the government there doesn't do much, if anything, to help kids in their situation, so to have these nuns doing what they do really seems like God's work, and I'm not a religious person.
So anyway, I did donate to the school and I'm trying to find a way to help them more, so we'll see what happens in the future...