Hanoi, Northern Vietnam

Hanoi is rapidly advancing in liberal thought, while maintaining strong roots in communism.  The city streets and back alley ways ring strong of symbolism of communist reigns.  The people are very welcoming to foreigners and gracefully accept the commerce.  

Today we met Chuck Searcy, an Athens Georgian southerner and Vietnam vet, who has been living in Hanoi for the past 15 years ago.  His foundation is working towards helping victims who have accidentally stumbled on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW).  The victims are innocent civilians who stumble upon land mines or missle buried under the ground and denonate.  He is working with Explosive Ordinance Destruction (EOD) teams who seek these ERWs out and destroy them using advanced technology metal detectors.  Chuck and his colleagues pursue funds and means to obtain prosthetics for these individuals.  He and his foundation have created a micro credit system for victims and their families to maintain an income.  The foundation helps them get mushroom seeds and rubber plant sawdust (used as soil).  This allows the families/victims to grow mushrooms from their homes and sell them in local markets.  This also allows their children to return to school; who may have been working to support the family.  Chuck is an inspiring man with great energy to do good for the people of Vietnam.  We look forward to meeting some of these families first hand in the central part of the country within the coming week.