It took me a fair bit of time to sit down and look back to these images. Life got in the way or I tried to keep myself busy away from those, I can’t really tell. What I know is that I wanted to dedicate the time that these images deserve to process and edit them but then I realise that beauty is everywhere and is at its peak in the most raw form.

Last year, in November, my wife and I, along with a few of her friends and colleagues, went to VietNam to visit Maison Chance and to provide free dental care for the kids.

My wife, being a dentist, took time off and organised the trip with a dental classmate of hers to travel to VietNam. We were accompanied by two dental assistants to help out for the trip and the treatments.

For my part, I didn’t want to miss the chance to contribute to whatever I could and provide logistic support but also to document the journey that I was sure would be amazing.

The first thing I was hit with when arriving a the Maison Chance is the joy of the kids. There was laugh everywhere.

These so called unfortunate kids showed me so much joy and simplicity that I, time of a second, realised that life, without superfluous, can be simple and yet fulfilled.

Kids being kids, they were very happy to pose for me. Looking back at this image, I can understand more than ever the saying of one image can tell a thousand words.

[box] I went to VietNam thinking that I would teach and give but then I received and learned so much in a short period of time and mostly from some wonderful kids.[/box]

Overall, within a week, the team provided dental care for some 200 kids at the Maison Chance. We didn’t have all the tools we’d have if we were providing dental treatment and care in Australia, or somewhere else, but the team did a fantastic jobs and I can say that a lot of (dental) pain has been relieved for the kids. We’ll be back.

You can help make a difference by visiting the Maison Chance website: Maison Chance – Giving Hope to the Less Fortunate and Disabled

Or simply visit their FaceBook Page to keep in touch with what’s happening where life is less fortunate: https://www.facebook.com/MaisonChance

Beautiful innocence.

Les Enfants de Maison Chance. Vietnam. Photo by Thierry NGUYEN CUU

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