Agent Orange

In the late 60's, U.S planes dropped a huge amount of a lethal chemical on millions of acres of Vietnamese jungle. The formula was designed to kill all living vegetation, in order to better expose the enemy on the ground. Twenty years later, after countless reports of marked increases in cancer, malformation of children, & general gene mutation - a woman from New Zealand investigated, & discovered that one compound of the chemical weapon, contained excessive amounts of Dioxin - a chemical that causes everything from premature cancer, neurosis, to downes syndrome, severe mental &/or physical retardation in at least 4 t0 5 generations that follow. It was named 'agent orange'. The Americans claimed they had no idea. 4 yrs ago, Bush pledged millions to help fund care for the victims......money got lost in the post.

Present day, & the fallout is thousands of very sick civilians/war vets, & even more deformed children. We have spent the last couple of days (& tomorrow til tuesday) working in 'The friendship village' - a school in Hanoi set up for these kids, by two war vets. - one U.S., the other VC (Vietcong). It was challenging to say the least to interact with these kids, but very quickly - the barriers of language & disability dissipate, & they become just like any other loveable, attention seeking kid.

 We have spent most of our time there, doing back-breaking 33 degrees c prison work in the communal vegetable garden,  & are beginning to learn an iota of Vietnamese. The most useful to me being ' No coriander please '...