Student team to provide medical help in Vietnam

This summer, a group of University of Wisconsin–Madison students will help provide medical care and supplies to a country that is still struggling to recover nearly 40 years after the end of a war.

The Vietnam Health Project hosts an annual trip during the summer to deliver medical supplies and care to those living in Hai An, a small rural village in the province of Quang Tri. Members of the organization will assist a physician and a dentist at a local clinic and host a series of workshops to teach children English and basic dental care.

“We all have one mission, and it seems impossible at first to create an actual project,” says Christina Tran, a sophomore studying pre-pharmacy. “To see everyone just come together, pool their resources, their talents and desire to help a greater, larger community in a global sense is something that I find very rewarding.”

While project participants will travel throughout Vietnam prior to beginning their volunteer work, club members will spend June 30 to July 11 running the workshops and assisting the doctors. The organization is raising money to purchase and collect medical supplies, toothpaste, dental floss and toothbrushes.

For the past two years, Daniel Banh, a junior majoring in medical microbiology and immunology, has helped with fundraising and attended the annual trips. A year ago, Banh helped build a brick house from scratch for a family affected by Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant used during the war.

“It was a simple house, but it was a big difference for the family,” Banh says.

Last year and this year, the organization has worked with DOVE Fund, which provides aid to Vietnam. The collaboration is the longest in the history of the organization, which was founded in 2005 and has received funding from the Morgridge Center through Wisconsin Idea grants.

The experience last year gave Pauline Ngo, a sophomore studying pre-nursing, the chance to assist a doctor and provide instruction on health to a larger community.

“It was nice to get both sides, the medical and the teaching aspects, which was really nice for me,” Ngo says. “And since I’m pre-nursing, it was nice to be able to sit in and help translate and also get an experience for what I would expect later in life.”

Last year’s trip was Tu-Anh Le’s first trip abroad. A sophomore majoring in pre-nursing, Le says it was difficult getting used to a country that had a different culture, but that the people she met and worked with were nice and hospitable.

“It was certainly difficult getting used to being away from home” Le says. “It was also a little of a struggle to adapt to the culture and customs at first, but I wouldn’t trade the eye-opening experience for anything else.”

Members often raise funds at Wisconsin men’s hockey games, where the group runs a concession stand selling Babcock Hall ice cream. The organization also sells T-shirts and frequently holds spring-roll and cake-pops fundraisers. The money goes toward purchasing medical supplies and dental care products for the clinic.

The members come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse interests and reasons for joining the club. Coming from Brookfield, Wis., Le says she became involved after attending the Student Organization Fair.

“I wanted to keep in touch with my roots and the Vietnam Health Project seemed like a nice way for me to do so and give back to my community” Le says.

Tien Tran, a sophomore studying math and pre-medicine, says she joined the organization shortly after coming to Madison to help navigate a large campus.

“I loved it, like every second of this organization because the people are really nice and easy to work with,” Tien Tran says. “And we have the same goal – to make a difference.”

The project welcomes students from all backgrounds and all majors to attend their meetings and become involved with the organization. Members also hope to begin planning service projects in the Madison area.

Interested in joining the organization? You can meet up with them at their next monthly meeting or email vhpuwmadison@gmail.com.

If you’re interested in donating to the project, you can find out more by clicking here.