Day 12: Ky Quang Thanh Loc Orphanage and M.E.M.O. 7G Banquet

As day 12 of our journey arrived, it would be our last full day in Vietnam. Today, we visited the second orphanage, Ky Quang Center in Thanh Loc, in the first half of the day and then had M.E.M.O. 7G banquet in the second half.

Leaving the hotel at 8am, we arrived at the Ky Quang Center in Thanh Loc, District 12 of Saigon. This was the second orphanage that we helped with their monetary upkeep. We also donated toothbrushes and toothpaste to the children. What set this orphanage apart from the first Catholic orphanage that we visited on the second day was that this was a Buddhist orphanage. It is a center that hosts and feeds over 220 children with disabilities and disadvantaged conditions.  

The entrance to the Ky Quang Center in Thanh Loc.

As a part of the center, there was a Buddhist temple recently constructed.

Officers Ben (UCI) and Natalie donate toothbrushes and toothpaste to the orphanage.

Upon meeting us, the orphans greeted us with smiles and hugs. 

Even the smallest thing as a toothbrush could put a big smile on their faces.

Dr. Timothy Bui hands a toothbrush to one of the orphans.

Ben (UCLA) meets with one of the caretakers at the orphanage.

Even with their differences, the 7G goers were mindful and treated everyone equally with respect. We visited each room, and in some of the rooms, most children had some form of brain or genetic defect like Down syndrome. In some cases, Dr. Belville explained that some of these conditions could have been controlled if detected earlier and treated properly. Unfortunately, due to the conditions in Vietnam, such detections and treatments seem like a luxury instead of a necessity. Compared to the United States, the deficiency of medical care in Vietnam leaves some of these children at their current condition. Even so, these children were still treated with love and care by the caretakers of the center. Even though we were there for just a day, we also treated each child equally with love and care.

One of the many children who had a brain defect since birth.

The caretakers of the center make sure to treat each child with love and care.

Natalie and her little buddy.

Mai Anh, Ngan, Lindy, Trang, and Vy play with the children as best as they could under the caretakers' instructions.

Nick and Minh run around with the children.

Johnson with his little buddy.

Amy and her little buddy. Using balloons given by Phoebe, we were able to play with the children. No fancy toys needed.

Alex gives a piggy back ride to one of the children at the orphanage. Nothing but smiles.

So much going on in one photo. Actually, too much fun going on in one photo.

Dean and his little buddy.

Katy and her two little buddies. The child's face tells it all.

Even though I did not have a chance to personally interact with these children due to my language barrier, I was still mindful that these children did not choose to have these conditions. They were born with these disabilities; however, that does not mean that they should not be treated just as equal. This orphanage experience helped everyone open their eyes to the world around, being more aware of differences in people's lives. Such experiences humble us to remember why we are on this mission trip, why we are a part of this organization, and why we must make the best of any situation. These children give us hope and purpose to all of our actions, reminding us why we do what we do.

For more information about the orphanage, please visit: http://www.charity-kyquang.org/

As it was time to depart ways, we said "see you later" to the children at the orphanage and went to go get lunch near the hotel. The rest of the day would be getting ready for banquet.

Julian, Ben, and Alex getting ready for banquet.

The men of 7G.

The ladies of 7G.

David and Ben (UCI) match with their red ties and grey dress shirts.

Phoebe, Clara, and Katy smile, as they are about ready to board the boat.

The M.E.M.O. 7G banquet was held on a boat, where we dined and sailed along the shores of Saigon. This allowed us to view the city in a whole new light during the night. With all of the buildings, the scenery was breath-taking.

The view of Saigon from the boat.

The view from the front of the boat.

During the course of the banquet, we first took photos with the scenary of the Saigon. In celebration of all of our hard work this trip, we then had a eight-course meal as well as various performances and awards. Such performances included Dr. Phung's amazing flute performance. In addition, team Hulk won GEMO for having the most points. Most teams were tied, but the tie breaker was a one-point difference of one piece of trash picked up by Alex. Congratulations to team Hulk! The rest of the evening followed by gifts for the doctors on the trip as well as well as recognition of Co Kim's hard work in planning the trip itself. Thank you for everything that you have done for us, Co Kim! M.E.M.O. would not be possible without you here to help us plan and carry out our mission! In addition, we recognized the officers of the trip and celebrated Natalie Belville's birthday early, as she would be turning 16 years old. The night ended with a group photo in front of the boat.

The ladies of 7G on the boat.

Phoebe, Trang, Katy, and Ngan are all smiles.

With the men of 7G, Clara, Katy, Christina, and Lindy pose for the camera.

Nancy and Kelly!

Minh and Mai Anh!

Jason and Clara! Don't they make a cute couple?

Jessica and Tiffany!

Johnson and David!

The 7G dental team!

The 7G medical team!

Team Ironman!

Team Hawkeye!

Jessica, Ben (UCLA), Catherine, Alex, Julian, and Christina enjoy the fine dining on the boat.

Mai Anh, Ben (UCI), Phoebe, Katy, Nick, Lindy, Tiffany, and Johnson wait for their meals to be served.

Naomi, Nancy, Anh Vi, Ngan, Natalie, and Vy smile for the camera.

Katrina, Dean, Trang, Spencer, and Jason are ready for the festivities of the evening.

Dr. Phung playing his flute. Encore! Encore! Encore!

Dr. Belville!

Dr. Timothy Bui!

Dr. Phung!

The doctors of 7G with Ngan, Vy, and Natalie!

Co Kim with the officers of 7G! Thank you for everything, Co Kim!

Happy early birthday, Natalie!

The 7G team in front of the boat!

The night ended with a lovely evening on the boat. With the last night in Vietnam, the 7G goers got ready to head back to the states. Next stop: home.

Written by Johnson. All photos were taken by David.