From Sai Gon, two members of the Fund came to Long My to pay for the beds, traveling by bus. They had ordered them a few weeks before. From there they hired a motorcycle and went to Vi Thanh town (Thanh Chau in my memoir). The village's council had sent a sampan to meet them in Vi Thanh. They were welcomed by the excited village's residents, who had planned a feast to celebrate the occasion. A few men had gone fishing for shrimps and fish. Some housewives had contributed chickens, ducks and eggs. Teenage boys climbed up coconut trees and picked out bunches of young coconuts. My parents had contributed dozens of mangoes, papayas, and pineapples from their own garden. One elderly lady had made a large quantity of tofu, from which the women prepared various dishes.
The iron beds were delivered in Vi Thanh by a large van. The rest of the journey to the village was by sampan. The principal of the school and all the teachers had also organized a separate feast to thank the Children Fund. The two members of the Fund said they had already attended the lunch feast and eaten too much. However, they were talked into staying. The two men didn't want to upset the school's hosts and hostesses by refusing the hospitality - the village's way of showing gratitude.
During the two feasts, the residents kept saying that it was the first time in their life that they heard the word "charity".
The beds arriving:
Before:
After:
After:
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