Hello from Kate and Phil in Mallacoota VIC, Australia
Mekong Organics: English for Rural Kids
Project: Mekong Organics – English for Rural Kids in Vietnam
Hello from Kate and Phil in Mallacoota. Kien asked us if we would like to do a weekly Zoom session with students from Vung Liem-Vinh Long Province, to help with their English conversation. After ten sessions so far, very skilfully facilitated by Khang, we can hardly wait for our precious one hour a week with these beautiful young people. Our students range in age from 13 to 18 years old, with some possessing good conversation skills and others just starting out. All of them were very shy to start with, but we now feel we’re getting to know each other, so that we can share some jokes, particularly about kangaroos (who hang out in the main street here and mow our grass).
The students have immense courage and skills to tackle such a cultural and linguistic divide. Phil and I do not know the Vietnamese language and culture, and have a lot to learn. Small cultural differences are evident, for example, when we ask for the names of their pets, and they look puzzled – the pets are working farm animals and not the pampered pooches of our culture. We are growing our food here in Mallacoota, so we have common ground to discuss food and what our daily meals consist of. Everything seems to come with rice noodles in Vietnam, and bread (homemade) for us. We are fascinated by our differences and our similarities. It would be excellent if the students could visit us here and connect with their peer group at the Secondary College. One hour a week goes too quickly! We want to host visits from the eldest students first, as they are heading for tertiary studies and their English conversation skills require a lot of work. Because the students are bright, a few weeks of intensive language in Australia would set them up very well for working back home.
Vietnam looks beautiful, and students are content with their families, work, school, nameless pets, and sporting activities. Our local Mallacoota young people also enjoy their sports, mainly soccer, surfing, and skateboarding, as well as boating and fishing, which our Vietnamese students would also enjoy, along with the intensive language opportunities. Meeting with the students has opened up a whole world of possibilities for us. We have always questioned our cultural practices, and find it hard to explain what Australia is about, just as it is hard for us to understand life on the Mekong Delta. But we’re all up for the learning! Thank you, Kien, for helping us make this connection with “our” young people, and looking forward to more time and mentoring opportunities with them.
The programme is very rewarding for older Australians who can enjoy learning about Vietnamese people & culture from the comfort of their computer chair. The rewards are that you make connections & friendships with some beautiful people- all for a no-cost hour per week! Phil & I value our Vietnamese friends: they have become family, and bring us great joy. When the world is full of anger & hate, our connection with Vietnam brings us hope for a better world, learning from a culture that has endured much hardship and found a peaceful way.
