Vietnam has many traditional trade villages, where traditional work practices have been maintained for generations by family groups. Each of these villages specialises in a particular type of practice.
Bat Trang is a pottery-making village just outside of Hanoi on the bank of the Hong River. Our group travelled there on a local bus and our first stop was one of the local houses where guests are invited to try their hand at the pottery wheel.
Turns out that it's much harder than it looks! But with some help from the expert potters who ran the shop we all managed to make something decent, which was left to dry while we explored the markets.
The array of ceramic items on display ther was mind blowing. From small beads to thread onto necklaces, to vases bigger than us, you kind everything you could imagine and more.
I was particularly drawn to the weird and wonderful mythical figures and historical heroes.
In the afternoon we returned to the workshop to paint and glaze our creations. I was pretty happy with my first attempt at bowl making!
When we got back to Hanoi we got to meet up with one of the staff from Hagar International, an international NGO that works with women and girls who have been victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. They work in Cambodia, Afghanistan and Vietnam. In Vietnam they work closely with the Women's Union, a state organisation.
It's believed that over 400,000 Vietnamese women and children have been trafficked. Hagar gives women safe accommodation, helps them recover from the trauma of their experiences, and helps them reintegrate into their communities. They also offer educational assistance and help them achieve economic independence.
While we heard some very sad stories, it was also very inspiring I hear what they achieve on limited resources. It's obvious that lack of funding is the biggest problem for many NGOs working in Vietnam.
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