13th Apr

Today’s Plan … Visit to VBA Bac Ninh province

8:00@ Bus terminal

Today I visited to VBA in Bac Ninh province. Bac Ninh province is located next to Hanoi and it takes one hour from Hanoi. I have had a stomach ache from last night, so I was worried that I may feel sick in the express bus. But fortunately nothing happened.  

10:00@ VBA Bac Ninh province

I found the address I was told. But it was not VBA, but the city hall. I called the headmaster and he came to pick me up at the gate. Actually, VBA is in a room of the city hall. Compared to the other VBA provincial offices that I visited so far, VBA Bac Ninh was small and it doesn’t provide any vocational trainings. The principal is quite young, only 31 years-old and vice principal is my age. I was little nerves when I interview the principal because all staff were sitting around me and listening to our conversation.

I thought the situation of the children with visual impairment in Bac Ninh is quite tough. The principal said there’s no school receiving blind children in this province in all levels of education from primary to tertiary. He also said the children can go to Nguyen Dinh Chieu School in Hanoi if they want to study. But I know so many children apply for that school but the school cannot receive all of them. Moreover, the dorm fee is far from cheap especially for the family from rural provinces. Although the primary and secondary education is compulsory, children with visual impairment are excluded from it.

12:00@ lunch with staff

After the interview, the staff offered me to have lunch with them. We headed the local restaurant by motor bike. I still had a stomach ache but tried to eat a lot. Everybody except me was drinking beer despite the lunch time. Personally speaking, I really like this lifestyle.

13:00@ the office

We came back to the office and took a rest for a while. The vise principal presented me the traditional song of Bac Ninh province called ‘Quang Ho’. It was really nice.