Around 3 years ago, we first sparked the idea of finding the ways back home for ourselves. Although home was unclear to us, we knew that was something we had to do. Following our strong calling, we set off on our paths, to confront with our very own selves, our fears and our struggles. Now here you might start wondering about us and who we are… Well, we are two hopeful young Vietnamese people, namely – Liêm Nguyễn and Trinh Lê.
We first met each other in the summer of 2015 through a SEALNet (Southeast Asian Leadership Network) project about supporting the LGBT youths who made a living on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Our journey together carried on to the 2016 project taking place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as we worked towards empowering the underprivileged children whose access to education was limited. Throughout these journeys, we’ve encountered many beautiful experiences, wonderful people and intriguing lessons.
On a day trip around the city of Phnom Penh, our group visited the genocide museum which once was a prison camp under the reign of Pol Pot regime. At the end of the trip, some of us cried, some felt overwhelmed and many were empowered to witness the atrocities of war at its worst, displayed in front of us. We felt as if something hit home, as we could see ourselves and our own history through the lens of others. We sensed the needs for healing, though we did not know exactly what we were looking for. Each of us then went for healing ourselves, our personal struggles, to eventually realise the pathway home and the need for healing together as a country.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
The Vietnam War ended more than 44 years ago – that almost totaled up to half a century. The inevitable flow of time might have taken our motherland to many new different places, past beyond the old images of war and guerrilla battles. But our sufferings remain, with traits of the country’s division still lingering, very vividly inside each one of us – the children of Vietnam. So we decided to take on a new journey, in which we have been preparing for the past two years, in hope of re-connecting Vietnam and bringing about healing for the voices of sufferings which have long been forgotten in history.
We hope that by the end of this journey, alongside with us, you will understand a bit better about the many-faceted picture of the Vietnam War and what ‘Vietnam’ entails for you, as a country, an identity or perhaps a home. We hope that your heart will be a bit more healed and that we will feel a bit more connected, not just with ourselves but each other, as brothers and sisters.
We are not the people behind this whole big idea about Connecting Vietnam. We are merely just one of them – the many people who carry this reconciliation dream. We feel very grateful and privileged to have an opportunity to take on this journey, and to be able to learn from many of our inspiration who have led us thus far. And we shall courageously depart on this journey, knowing that we are never alone.