Part 2: The District of Vietnam

Brother Visitor Maurice Triều (1987 - 1993)

Brother Visitor Francois Ánh (1993 - 2003)

The District Chapter of 1987 chose Brother Maurice Triều as Visitor of the District and set a term of Brother Visitor for four years.

According to the regulations of the current government in term of "Administration over Religions", Brother Lucien has to apply his "resignation" to the government and transferred to the new Brother Visitor who has to submit, himself, his curriculum to the government.

The second term of Brother Maurice as Visitor would be up to 1995, but in 1993, he died after more than 6 months on bed for illness. Brother Auxiliary Visitor Francois was in charge of the District as Visitor until 1995, then elected as Visitor for two terms, until 2003.

I. La Salle Vocations

Right after the 1975 events, some Junior Novices along with some Postulants from Mont La Salle, Nha Trang, continued their will to becoming La Salle Brothers  by frequent contacts with the Brothers of the community of Taberd. About 20 Juniors "returned" to the Junior House of Thuduc - clandestinely of course, for the system of "Family Booklet" was very strict: local policeman in charge of about 50 families in a sector used to "visit" any house at any time.

Since the events happened to La Salle Mossard community in Thuduc where all residents were put in jail - young boys 12 and 13 years of age included, the control over all other religious communities has been more strictly close. Thus recruitment for vocations was totally impossible.

In the nineties, the iron curtain is more or less lifted up. The government is kind of "open an eye, close another one" on the so-called more freedom of life for poor Vietnamese people, many young gentle men and ladies started coming to different Monasteries or Seminaries or Junior Houses searching for their own "vocations". It is an important turning-point in the history of religious life in Vietnam. Although it has been interrupted for nearly two decades, the Congregations or Seminaries or Junior Houses tried to harmonize and adapt a "new religious life-style" for two different levels of cultures and educations and senses of religious life between two different generations.

The community of Taberd is open and welcomes some Aspirants or Postulants. The Novitiate in Tan Cang is officially open. The Institution of Theology is open at Mai Thon for "New Brother Scholastics".

II. Apostolate Mission

1. Catechists

Although deprived off the Education Mission right in regular schools which were confiscated - rather forced to voluntarily offered to communist regime after 1975 events, the Brothers of the Christian Schools tried to cooperate with the diocesan priests of different parishes, in continuing their mission:
- as catechists within the churches,
- as Eucharistic Ministers,
- as monitors of any kind of youth activities
- as administrators of the Theology&Catechism Institution" for Nuns and Brothers and young priests, even for lay young ladies and gentlemen, training them to become catechists and disciples of Jesus Christ in spirit of the Council Vatican II.
- etc.

2. Social Workers

Before the '75 events, along with their main Education Mission in regular schools, the Brothers of the Christian Schools used to reaching out poor young people by leading their students to social works on eventual happenings, e.g. come to assist and help psychologically and materially the victims of flood, or Christmas Tree for poor children in isolated areas and orphans in many diverse orphanages, or "Spring Trees" to comforting and thanking soldiers in the front lines, etc...

Below is the report to the local government about what the District of Saigon has been able to "contribute" to the social works of its members for the year 2000 for the governmental Department of Religion.
Some examples of such contribution for the year 2000:
- scholarship to poor schoolboys and/or girls, number of beneficiaries: 28 - amount: 16,650,000 $VND
- scholarship to poor university students, number of beneficiaries: 02 - amount: 3,300,000 $VND
- scholarship to poor vocational students, number of beneficiaries: 1,153 - amount: 75,000,000 $VND
- 10 "Classes of Love", number of Instructors: 5, of students: 240 -  amount: 50,000,000 $VND
- others, e.g. assistance/help poor people by eventual disasters such as flood, typhons, accidents, etc... - total amount: 129,418,000 $VND

3. Education Mission

Faithful to Saint De La Salle, their Founder's teachings, "the education mission is always necessary anywhere and anytime," the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Vietnam tried to search any means - "which are legal at this time but could become suddenly illegal another time," to do their best in reaching out with young people, especially and by priority poor children in isolated area and meeting at best their mission.

Following are some realizable works they have done under such a severe controlling government on education, particularly administered by religious congregations

A. Vocational Center at Duc Minh

B. Post Detoxification Center

I- DESCRIPTION

Detailed description of the project

Drug addiction has become a global problem and has caused greate havoc among young people.

Viet-Nam government statistics for 2000 assert that in HCM City, there are 17,239 addicts, and among them, youth under 18 make up more than 9%. Moreover their increasing number and young age are sad realities and cause for concern.

During the past 11 years, the Lasallian Christian Brothers of Viet-Nam have operated the DUC MINH Vocational Center and have been successful in providing gratuitous learning and job skills to over 700 poor, wandering street children and handicapped youth.

Now, the Brothers wish to share their educational experience and extend their social contribution to the area of drug addiction, by establishing a Post-detoxification Center for the benefit of the indigent addicts .

The purpose and Objectives of the Project

The purpose of the Project is to serve poor youth by providing education and job skills.

The Project has 3 objectives :

Psychological counseling: To help the addicts to be at peace with their mind, foster self-confidence and trust others persons and society.

General education: To help the boys discover their values and actualize the potential of their personality through learning in secondary classes.

Vocational training: To assist the youth in learning job skills, which will provide an affective replacement for the appeal of drugs, a means to earn and will reintegrate their social environment.

Designation

Taân Cang Post-Detoxification Foundation

Location

Toâ 3 – Tân Cang Hamlet – Phước Tân Village – Long Thành District

Mailing address

Brother Grégoire Nguyễn văn Tân
In charge of the TCPDC
146/42B Võ thi Sáu – Q.3
Saigon - Vietnam
Phone : (08 8) 8 251 896
Fax   : (08 8) 8 251 896

Supervisor / Chairman: Brother John Tran Van Ba

Project coordinator : Brother Grégoire Nguyễn văn Tân

Formation Program

General education : normal class-hours for those who have not fulfilled secondary school courses. We expect that the students will pass the High School examination

Vocational training : students former addicts will choose from 3 departments = motorcycles repair, carpentry carving and computers.

Other departments may be available in the future, depending on funds.

Staff Personnel
- Director : 01
- Sub-director : 01
- Instructors : 05
- Teachers : 03
- Vocational instructors : 06
- Medical personnel : 02 (01 physician, 01 nurse)
- Watchmen : 03
- Servers : 03
- Numbers of students : 50

Admission requirement

Young male addicts under 30 years old, non affected by HIV/AIDS,
who voluntarily agree to participate for 12 to 24 months for the post-detoxicafition program.

II- Project Details

SUM UP

Project 1: Student’s building	15,000
Project 2: Staff building	5,335
Project 3: Medical care building	2,667
Project 4: Living room	15,000
Project 5: Dining room hall	20,000
Project 6: Laundry ward	3,334
Project 7: Bath room	3,334
Project 8: Home for the Staff	8,000
Project 9: 4 workshops	14,970
Project 10: Cardboard Box Factory	10,000
Project 11: Motorcycle Repairing Class-room	740
Project 12 : Motor Cycle Repairing workshop	7,021
Project 13 : Equipment for Computer Class-room	5,930
Project 14 : Equipment for Computer workshop	9,258
Project 15 : Carpenter class tools	180
Project 16 : Carpentry class machinery	1,403
Project 17 : Carpentry specialized equipment	1,738
Project 18 : Annual cost	6,800
Project 19 : Equipment for Box Factory	3,300
Grand Total [estimated]	132,010

C. Vocational Center Tràm Chim (computer, sewing, motor-bicycle, etc...)

D. Scholarship for Poor Students

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