Itinerary for Vietnam

Itinerary | Schedule:

I've been in full swing getting ready for Vietnam. The majority of fundraising has been accomplished (thank you for donating!!!), I had a couple vaccinations (ouch on that Typhoid shot!), my Visa has been obtained (and I know where my passport is), and I have been in the process of gathering items to take along (both the necessities and a few fun things to take along and maybe leave with the kids all while still trying to pack light!). I've borrowed a nice bag (thanks Josh), purchased heavy duty mosquito repellent (thank you REI) and have been getting all my other things in line. My to-do list is still seems a few hundred miles long but I'll have to get there soon. I leave Chicago in 11 days!!!! Luckily I can still pick up a few things, if I forgot, while I'm in LA for the 1.5 days. Overall things are going great. I do still have some sinus congestion which has plagued me off and on for the last month and a half. I'm hoping that gets fully better before travel. ....any suggestions on allergy relief before travel?

In all, I'll be ready! I'm still accepting all forms of support. Any travel advice, funding, prayers, positive thinking, travel items, etc. are greatly appreciated. It is Thanksgiving weekend and I am SO VERY THANKFUL for this opportunity and all those who have been helping along the way.

We were sent an updated itinerary via email so I'm posting it to give you all a more specific idea of what we will be doing and where we are going. I'm sure there will be a few changes as we go too.

Day 1, Friday Dec. 10: Vung Tau. Petro House hotel.

Arrive in HCM city on CZ 373 12:30P/2:10P.

After you claim your baggage and meet your guide at the exit of the terminal, you will take a bus and drive 2 and a half hours to Vung Tau. Stop on the way to buy some cold drink and snack.

Check in the hotel and rest.

Day 2, Saturday Dec. 11: Vung Tau. Petro House hotel.

Meet the staff and the kids of Vung Tau orphanage. Introduce and teach infant & pediatric massage to staff using materials which are provided by Liddle Kidz Foundation. The staff uses the materials during your visit and will keep them for later use afterwards. Begin working with infants and children volunteers and staff, provide hands-on massage and touch therapy. Volunteers can observe and mentor staff applying techniques with children.

Day 3, Sunday Dec. 12: HCM city. Bong Sen hotel

Volunteers work with infants, children and staff in the morning. Eat an early lunch at the beach before driving to HCM.

Check in the hotel and be on your own to walk around Dong Khoi street.

Day 4, Monday Dec. 13: Mekong Delta. Tam Tien home stay

After breakfast and check out the hotel, you will drive 2 and a half hours to Cai Be floating market. Take a boat trip to see the vivid life of farmers and fishermen on the water of the Mekong river. Stop the boat to see a handicraft village where candies, cookies and rice paper are made.

After eating lunch at the house of a bonsai gardener, you will meet the teacher and the children at a kindergarten. Introduce and teach infant & pediatric massage and touch therapy.

Day 5, Tuesday Dec. 14: Mekong Delta. Cuu Long hotel

Meet the staff and the children of Vinh Long orphanage.

Introduce and teach infant & therapist massage and touch therapy. The staff will be invited to learn the process via watching the volunteers working hands-on with the kids.

Day 6, Wednesday Dec. 15: Pleiku. Dien Hong hotel

Continue working with the kids at Vinh Long orphanage in the morning.

Drive 3 hours to HCM to take a late afternoon flight to Pleiku on VN 438K 18:35/19:50.

Check in the hotel and rest.

Day 7, Thursday Dec. 16: Pleiku. Overnight: House on stilts

Visit Pleiku market in the morning to see the montagnards selling and buying their home made merchandise.

Drive 2 hours in the afternoon to Decop village where you will walk to see the cemetery of the Ba Na ethnic minority group, the communal house and the life style of mountain people. In the evening you will enjoy a traditional gong music and dance performed by the teenagers of the village.

Stay overnight at the house on stilts.

Day 8, Friday Dec. 17: Da Nang. Bamboo Green Riverside hotel

Spend the day to explore the central highland city.

Take an evening flight to Da Nang on VN 344K 20:00/20:50.

Check in the hotel and rest.

Day 9, Saturday Dec. 18: Lang Co hotel

Check out the hotel and visit the Street Children Center, Family # 5 in the morning. Introduce and teach infant & therapist massage and touch therapy.

After lunch, drive to Phu Loc orphanage.

Introduce and teach infant & pediatric massage to staff using materials which are provided by Liddle Kidz Foundation. The staff uses the materials during your visit and will keep them for later use afterwards.

Begin working with infants and children volunteers and staff, provide hands-on massage and touch therapy.

Volunteers can observe and mentor staff applying techniques with children.

Day 10, Sunday Dec. 19: Ha Noi. Blossom hotel

Continue to work at the orphanage in the morning. Eat lunch with the children and the nuns before driving to Phu Bai airport to take an evening flight to Ha Noi. Check in the hotel and rest.

Day 11, Monday Dec. 20: Ha Noi. Blossom hotel

Spend the whole day to work with the children who are the victims of Agent Orange at the Friendship village.

Introduce and teach infant & therapist massage and touch therapy. The staff will be invited to learn the process via watching the volunteers working hands-on with the kids. The staff uses the materials during your visit and will keep them for later use afterwards. Enjoy a water puppet show in the evening.

Day 12, Tuesday Dec. 21: Ha Noi. Blossom hotel

A day trip to Ha Long bay. Drive three hours to the bay with a stop at Hong Ngoc where disabled children are taught a job to make their living and rehabilitate into the community.

Upon arriving at the quay, you take a junk to enjoy the landscape of the bay which is recognized by UN as the World Heritage.

After eating a seafood lunch you continue to explore the bay before driving back to Ha Noi.

Day 13, Wednesday Dec. 22: Departure.

Check out the hotel and drive to Noi Bai airport for the flight to HCM city on VN 215 09:00/11:00. After arriving in HCM city you claim your bags and go from the domestic terminal to the international terminal to take the connection flight to the US on CZ 374 3:10 P/7:00 P.

As the Vietnam trip to bring nurturing touch to children grows near we are still in need of donations. The following message is from Tina Allen, Founder of the Liddle Kidz Foundation! Even if you have donated, or not able at the time...Please read! There is a lot of information in the letter. Plus I love all support in other ways too!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I need your support to bring nurturing touch, massage and developmental movement to infants and children in Vietnam's orphanages (take 3 minutes read this email & then click to donate what you can - it all helps!) Thank you!

DONATE HERE: http://www.firstgiving.com/liddlekidz_vietnam

We had an amazing response to our request for overseas outreach volunteers and carefully selected 23 Liddle Kidz Volunteer Ambassadors from the over 700 submitted applications. You can meet our team o our newest international outreach website: www.LiddleKidz.org

Now, we are busy getting ready to bring nurturing touch and massage to the thousands of orphans we will see during our two weeks in Vietnam this December. In order to bring this valuable work to the infants, children and their caregivers I am writing to ask for your support. We need financial donations to make it possible for this outreach to take place. It is true that even the smallest donation will help. So, please don’t hesitate to donate any amount. All of these resources will be put to good use in bringing the children the care they so desperately need. Thank you for skipping that fancy cup of coffee (or many cups of coffee) and instead sending a hug to a child across the world!

DONATE HERE: http://www.firstgiving.com/liddlekidz_vietnam

Children in orphanages around the world may have food, clothing and shelter, but often they lack an essential ingredient for basic health and happiness—touch. Without it, children often feel discarded, forgotten and even untouchable, especially when their circumstances are complicated by being sick or having a disability.UNICEF statistics estimate there are 1,500,000 orphans aged 0–17 currently living in Vietnam. Children growing up in these circumstances are at great risk.

Orphans have many physical needs, and because these needs are the most immediate, they are the most urgent. Children have significant emotional needs as well. Experience has shown that orphanages find it a challenge to meet the emotional and developmental needs of children, including personalized care and attention.

The long-term effects of not receiving safe, healthy and nurturing touch can have a huge impact on a child’s stability for the future.Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Liddle Kidz Foundation is empowering children and their caregivers through the delivery of nurturing touch.

The Liddle Kidz Foundation (LKF) relies on the support of individuals, corporations and foundations to fund LKF’s initiatives, children’s services and education programs. We are extremely grateful to our many generous donors and sponsors. **********We need your help!

Please donate to help us cover much needed expenses for our upcoming Volunteer Outreach in Vietnam this DecemberWe thank our donors and are privileged to put their compassion into action.

DONATE HERE: http://www.firstgiving.com/liddlekidz_vietnam

In an effort to address the need for nurturing touch among children, Tina Allen formed the Liddle Kidz Foundation (LKF). The foundation’s mission includes setting up massage and nurturing touch programs in orphanages and children’s care settings across the globe. LKF’s goal is to provide infants and children with experiences of caring and nurturing touch that they often lack. In addition to working directly with the children, LKF volunteers teach staff and caregivers at these facilities ways to continue to provide supportive, comforting touch to the children in their care.

Don’t forget your donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law.

DONATE HERE: http://www.firstgiving.com/liddlekidz_vietnam

Thank you for your generosity

Durkins Fundraiser Outcome

It has been way to long since I've created a blog entry. Really this post should have been done a month ago, just after this fundraiser was held. But better later than never right :)

Oct 9th I held a fundraiser with great success! It ended up being a ton of fun for all who came and raised $554 towards my overall goal. I was hoping to make $500 and thought that was a lofty goal, so I'm very pleased with this. Here are a few images.....Don and Joe were all smiles

Check out a bit of the crowd

Silent auction items included Gift Certificates from Restaurant.com,
Thermos items from Lorraine, home baked goods, and a Tastefully Simple basket of goodies from consultant Beth Morris.
Don, Crystal and Jackie are checking them out!

I also made a big grocery bag full of puppy chow/muddy buddies and rice crispy treats
They went over very well in the bar with even the manager and servers buying a few.
Stef and Julia were awesome at sales.


Over all this was Tons of fun and I want to thank all the people who came to Durkins and the people working at Durkins who were taking care of us! I couldn't of done it with out my friends.
Next post coming soon....Vietnam is just around the corner and there is lots to do to get ready.