Hello again from Ho Chi Minh City! I left off on my last blog, unfortunately for you, just before heading to ladies’ night. It was a blast getting to bond with these super talented women. We went to an awesome French place called L’Usine (look it up if you ever go to HCMC)! I always find it interesting to see the influences in different cities. I can’t say that I hate the abundance of pastries and baguettes in Vietnam.
We also got our nails done (for super cheap) and were those loud Americans who take over a space and destroy the peace with laughter. A bottle of champagne was magically left in my room, which made nails that much more fun.
On a more sobering note, another standout experience in Ho Chi Minh City was visiting a local orphanage. We had reviewed a case study in class on a US-based organization called Spoon, which teaches orphanages how to properly feed kids. It sounds incredulous, but many orphanages around the world feed children while they are laying down instead of sitting up. They wind up choking or not being able to swallow the food, and suffer malnutrition as a result. Spoon was started by two moms from Minneapolis and Portland, and they’ve done an amazing job of measurably reducing malnutrition in orphanages.
Spoon has recently ventured into Vietnam, starting with a pilot at the country’s leading orphanage in the care they provide. I had never been to an orphanage before and neither had most of my classmates, so it was sure to be an impactful experience. When we arrived, nobody at the orphanage spoke English and our translator was taking care of a sick classmate. By nothing short of a miracle, we found two Mormon kids walking down the street who stepped in and spent the afternoon translating for us. (It was somewhat ironic that we were a Catholic university requesting their help, but let’s pretend I didn’t say that). They were so friendly and incredibly generous.
As for the orphanage. Honestly, I was truly impressed at the level of care and love that the kids were receiving. I was expecting the worst and the caregivers at the orphanage far surpassed it. What most surprised me was how many of the abandoned children in Vietnam are disabled. 80% of Vietnamese orphans have a physical or mental handicap, and that was true at this orphanage. “Disabled” and “orphan” are nearly synonymous in Vietnam. Most of the children are brought to the orphanage from local children’s hospitals, where they are tragically abandoned at birth. That part I found to be really, really sad. The kids themselves were so happy, friendly and just kids. They were really fun to spend the afternoon with. I am fortunate that I have always gotten to spend time with loved ones who are also disabled, so I could immediately see past it and hanging out with these kids for the afternoon was simply an enormous blessing. When I find myself with loads of free time after graduating this May, I’m thinking about what I can do to help kids like them.
That morning, we met with the head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLISA) in Vietnam, who is typically unaccessible to most. His department is partnering with Spoon to improve the quality of care in Vietnamese orphanages. They’re starting with a pilot in seven orphanages. I asked how he would measure success of the pilot, assuming they would need to determine whether to take it country-wide. He said there was an evaluation form and they would have a “feeling”. I see that we run into the same issues in the US. Long story but we’re running a pilot at work right now without clear metrics and it drives me my boss crazy. Maybe we should tell leadership that we’ll have “a feeling” 😉
This morning, we visited a business that is the leading e-commerce shipping provider of Vietnam, with 60% of market share. E-commerce is booming in Vietnam, just like many countries around the world, but get this – most people still use cash. At the same time, this company and others are using AI, blockchain and very sophisticated technology to power their online platforms. I asked how they’re going to convert consumers from cash (very antiquated) to spring ahead into the 21st/22nd century. No good answer was given, IMO, and I really think it could be a challenge unless Vietnam will just keep leapfrogging ahead. I also asked if they’re privately held, and it turns out that Alibaba recently acquired them. Cue many “ohhhh”s in the room. I betting they’ll be fine, with Alibaba behind them. We got to see how sorting is done in an automated logistics center, very much like an Amazon distribution facility, which was super interesting to see.
We also visited Monsanto/Bayer in Ho Chi Minh City today, and I think they’re in need of a major business model transformation. Their seeds and other proprietary products are going off-patent and will soon be commodity products. They’re moving to “digital farming” solutions, which will help farmers make data-driven decisions to support their farming. However, they stated that there is a major risk of Google or another big tech company providing a similar platform, and Google would do it at no charge and potentially better than Monsanto could. Monsanto also needs to start selling their digital platforms to farmers, without stepping on the toes of their standard customers who are the wholesalers and retailers. From personal experience, it is quite difficult to make yourself a software company when you’ve always been a manufacturing company. Not to mention shift your focus to an entirely new customer that you’ve never interacted with before. Good luck to Monsanto (though others may not be as good-willing).
OMG. I almost forgot to tell you about our massage experience. A group of us went to a highly rated massage place and got their famous shiatsu massage. I had no idea what a shiatsu massage was until I was doing it. Two of my gal pals and I were in a room for the massage, and it was hilarious to hear the gutteral noises that came out of each of us after some great back-cracking and moments of “good pain”. These 90-pound masseuses could really pack a punch, let me tell you. The real fun started when my masseuse told me to sit up. She sat behind me, grabbed my arms and pulled them behind my back. Next thing I know, her feet were on my back and I was hoisted up into the air. I have no idea how it happened. All I know is that I was in the air floating above my masseuse. A classmate accurately described it as acupuncture, acrobatics, yoga, and maybe a little bit of relaxation. And SO fun.
Onto Bangkok tonight! As much as I really enjoyed Ho Chi Minh City, I really love Bangkok. Mainly for the food. I cannot wait!!!! Thanks for traveling with me.
Love,
Melissa
Very informative blog article. Much thanks again. Fantastic. Alyse Abbie Ferree