There are moments in life that leave a permanent imprint on your heart. My recent humanitarian mission to Vietnam with my husband and son was one of those moments. My family traveled to Đà Nẵng, Vietnam, to visit Làng Hy Vọng (Village of Hope), an orphanage founded through the nonprofit efforts of Le Ly Hayslip and the Global Village Foundation. What we experienced there was both humbling and deeply inspiring.
The purpose of our trip was simple: to bring love, comfort, and joy to children who have already endured far more hardship than most of us could ever imagine. We arrived carrying supplies, toys, gifts, and meals for the children. But in truth, the children gave us far more than we could ever give them.
At Village of Hope, we spent time reading with the children, laughing with them, playing games, and simply being present. Their resilience, inquisitiveness, and eagerness for connection were extraordinary. Despite their difficult circumstances, many greeted us with smiles, curiosity, and warmth that touched our hearts immediately. One of the highlights of the visit was treating the children to a special dinner from Kentucky Fried Chicken. After several of the children received dental checkups, Quill Hawk Publishing hosted a meal for 110 children and staff members. The excitement and joy in the room were unforgettable. For many of these children, moments like these are rare treats.
What struck me most was learning that the orphanage’s food budget is less than $1 per child per day. Less than one dollar! That reality stayed with me long after we left. How often do we go about our day, spending $8 on a latte?
Our humanitarian efforts also extended beyond the orphanage. We visited the oncology unit at Bệnh Viện Ung Bướu Đà Nẵng, a local government hospital, where we distributed gifts to cancer patients. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw there. The suffering was overwhelming. There were hospital beds lining the hallways. Rooms designed for far fewer patients each held six to eight beds. We learned that approximately 250 cancer patients were being treated there within a hospital system with a total of roughly 750 beds. Families crowded around loved ones, many exhausted emotionally, physically, and financially.
I could not hold back the tears. Many of the patients suffered from the lingering effects of the war, particularly the pesticides and chemicals that rained down into the villages in the 1960s and 1970s. As a mother, a writer, and a human being, witnessing that level of pain and vulnerability was devastating. Yet even there, amid the heartbreak, we encountered extraordinary courage, gratitude, and humanity. These experiences reminded me that compassion matters. Presence matters. Small acts of kindness matter. For a brief moment, the patients were seen and honored, not forgotten and pitied. And they reminded me how much organizations like Global Village Foundation truly matter.
Their work helps provide building maintenance and renovations, dental care, educational programs, nutritional support, humanitarian outreach, essential daily care for vulnerable children and families, and so much more!
If you are able, please consider making a donation to support their mission. Even a small contribution can help provide meals, supplies, and hope for children and families facing unimaginable challenges.
Sometimes we travel across the world, thinking we are going to change lives, only to realize our own lives are the ones forever changed. Vietnam reminded me that love and joy still exist amid hardship. It lives in the smile of a child, in the generosity of strangers, in the quiet dignity of families fighting impossible battles, and in the people who continue showing up to help, day after day.
Celebrating 40 Years of Service Through The Bamboo Can Bend but Not Break
One of the most inspiring moments during our journey was attending the launch and celebration of The Bamboo Can Bend but Not Break: Celebrating 40 Years of Service, written by Le Ly Hayslip and co-authored by Susan Lanich.
More than just a memoir or retrospective, the book is a powerful testament to resilience, reconciliation, humanitarian service, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. It chronicles four decades of compassionate work by the Global Village Foundation, documenting the countless lives it has touched through medical outreach, educational support, orphan care, community development, and peacebuilding efforts across Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
The title itself reflects Le Ly’s extraordinary journey. Like bamboo, she has bent through unimaginable hardship, surviving war, displacement, trauma, and adversity. Yet she has never broken. Instead, she transformed pain into purpose and devoted her life to helping others heal.
The reception surrounding the book has been deeply moving. Readers, humanitarian supporters, veterans, educators, and members of the Vietnamese diaspora have embraced the book not only for its historical and emotional significance but also for its message of forgiveness, healing, and hope. Events surrounding the release have drawn audiences eager to hear Le Ly speak about her life’s mission and the importance of continuing humanitarian work in underserved communities.
What makes this book especially meaningful is that every purchase directly benefits the mission of the Global Village Foundation. Proceeds go toward humanitarian initiatives, including orphan support, medical care, educational programs, food assistance, infrastructure improvements, and outreach to marginalized and underserved communities throughout Southeast Asia. When you purchase The Bamboo Can Bend but Not Break, you are not simply buying a book… you are helping provide meals to children, medical care to families in crisis, educational opportunities to underserved students, and hope to communities that desperately need it.
After witnessing firsthand the work being done at Village of Hope and the oncology hospital in Đà Nẵng, I can personally say these efforts matter. The needs are real. The suffering is real. But so is the impact of compassion in action.
Le Ly Hayslip’s legacy is not only found in the pages of her books but also in the thousands of lives changed over decades of service, reconciliation, and humanitarian aid. Her story reminds us that even after profound suffering, it is still possible to build bridges, restore dignity, and create hope for future generations.
To support the ongoing work of the Global Village Foundation, consider purchasing The Bamboo Can Bend but Not Break: Celebrating 40 Years of Service or making a direct donation to help continue their life-changing mission.
Amy M. Le resides in Oklahoma. She is a Vietnam War survivor and a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) warrior. She founded Quill Hawk Publishing (QHP), a woman-owned, Asian American hybrid publishing company dedicated to amplifying diverse voices one story at a time. Amy grew up in the tech industry in Seattle before transitioning into a career as a writer, publisher, and speaker. She is the award-winning author of several books, including The Snow Trilogy (Snow in Vietnam, Snow in Seattle, and Snow’s Kitchen). Amy co-founded The Heart Community Collection, a resource for the CHD community, and serves as board emeritus for the Vietnamese Boat People (VBP) nonprofit organization. Women with Vision International profiled Amy as one of sixteen entrepreneurs in the book Asian Women Trailblazers Who Boss Up. The Asian Hustle Network, comprising over 250K AAPI entrepreneurs worldwide, awarded Amy a spot in the Top Fifty Unsung Heroes, and Elevate Women in STEM profiled Amy on their Wall of Inspiration. Amy hosts the Quixotic Heights Podcast, where dreams take flight and guests share their inspiring stories of perseverance.
