Saturday, June 05, 2010

Paper days

In my last blog entry, I wrote that Blue Dragon staff were in central Vietnam helping families to register their existence with the government.

They're done now - with a total of 90 individuals and families now having paperwork!

These 'papers' include birth certificates, marriage certificates, and household registration books - all essential for anyone to have a job, go to school, or have access to health care.

Our staff even managed to fit in some training for local government officials so that they can keep doing this in future without any further help from us.

Of all the people who were helped, one particular story stands out.

Blue Dragon staff met one elderly woman - nobody has any idea of her age - but she's a grandmother, so presumably she's in her 60s or 70s. She has lived her entire life on a boat; not once has she lived on land.

Because she never had any paper work - her birth was never registered - she's never been to school. Her own children also could not have paperwork; nor could their children. So in a single day, three generations of one family has suddenly acquired legal recognition, and all that that entails.

Definitely worthwhile!

Some pics below of families registering with government officials....