Focus on Arts and Ecology

Hi Jon,

I know that things are really difficult at the moment, and the coronavirus is having a huge impact all around the world. I very much hope that you and your family are safe and in good health.

Today I'd like to share some updates about how things are going here in Vietnam. As someone who supports Blue Dragon's work, I thought you might be interested to know of these developments and a few upcoming events.

First of all, coronavirus has returned to Vietnam. After 3 months of zero community transmission, it's been something of a shock for the virus to return so suddenly. At the time I am writing, 8 people have died and the cities of Hoi An and Danang are in lockdown. There is hope that the virus won't become widespread in other places, and so far most of Blue Dragon's work is continuing without many new disruptions (apart from us all having to wear masks).

There is clearly an upswing in cases of trafficking and exploitation; our rescue team is getting calls around the clock, including cases of children being trafficked within Vietnam. What we're seeing so far tends to be groups of children or young adults lured away from quite remote areas, typically in ethnic minority communities, on the promise of employment.

With all of the jobs that have dried up in the wake of the pandemic, people really are desperate for any opportunity and because of this have become extremely vulnerable to trafficking. In one case, 6 girls aged under 16 were taken from Sapa and sold into prostitution outside Hanoi - so this is deeply worrying and we are doing all we can to push back against the traffickers. (All 6 girls are now safely home, and we are providing ongoing care and legal representation for them).

Blue Dragon's street outreach team is continuing to meet many more children than we have in the past. Recently we've been finding triple the number of children sleeping rough compared to more normal times. Although this might seem less of an urgent concern than rescuing girls and women from slavery, our experience is that if we don't get to the kids very quickly, they will soon be found and exploited by pimps or gangs. Knowing what is likely to happen without our intervention, we are spending more time on the streets, and covering a wider area around Hanoi, in the hope of meeting more children as soon as they arrive in the city.

The good news is that with our rescues of people in slavery, and our work with Hanoi's homeless youth, we're having some good success in reaching people quickly and working with police to ensure their abusers are held accountable. Earlier in the year we put out an emergency call for help, and the money that you donated at that time is still providing shelter, care, and medical treatment for the young people we are meeting. I am incredibly grateful for the support Blue Dragon has received.

There's just one photo I would like to share with you so that you get a sense of the impact your support has for the children. Just today, we reunited a 15-year-old girl with her mother after rescuing her from slavery. She was taken from southern Vietnam, sold to a man in China and held as his slave for 9 months - she's now back in her mother's arms. Amidst all the grim news we see and hear every day, please don't forget that there is still plenty of reason for hope and joy.

If you're interested in continuing to support Blue Dragon's work through these difficult days, there's lots you can do. The Blue Dragon website keeps a list of coming events, from concerts in Hanoi to the Ngaio Book Fair in New Zealand. Keep an eye on this page, as we update it regularly.

You might also be interested in the coming Marathon Walk - which you can also do as a half marathon. On September 13, people around the world will be walking for Blue Dragon, with all money raised going towards our work of getting disadvantaged young people into training and jobs. You can sign up here... and if you don't want to (or can't) join in the Walk, you can consider sponsoring one of the walkers - such as Blue Dragon's outreach leader Vi, who will be doing the Walk with some of the kids. I'll be walking too, either with Vi or on a treadmill - depending on the weather!

Jon, thanks for being a part of Blue Dragon. In this work we face some huge challenges, but as the years go by I am more and more convinced that we can stand up against trafficking and homelessness, and make real change for the children of this world - if we only work together.

And one last thing. This Thursday morning (Vietnam time) I'll be on a webinar with Darrell Wade, co-founder of Intrepid Travel. We'll be chatting about the Blue Dragon journey over the years, and how our organisations have made an impact for teens and young adults here in Vietnam. You can register to be on the webinar here.

Thanks again, and stay well. Although times are difficult now, I know we'll be seeing brighter days ahead.

Michael Brosowski
Founder & co-CEO
www.bluedragon.org