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Photo by Paul Fattig Nurse Jan Woods of Ashland helps a boy feel at ease during a checkup at the Village of Hope orphanage this month in Da Nang, Vietnam. In the background is assistant orphanage director Nguyen Ngoe Anh. The nurse: 'They are shy ... but there is hope in their eyes' By PAUL FATTIG DA NANG, Vietnam -- Across town from the outreach dental clinic where her husband was working, Jan Woods was totally immersed in children. She was busy giving physicals to the 160 students at the Village of Hope orphanage, a facility opened six years ago by the East Meets West Foundation. Relying on a stethoscope and her experience, the registered nurse was looking for telltale signs of heart problems, disease or just common childhood bugs. The children quietly lined up as they waited their turn to be examined. With the exception of a typical scratch here and a sore there, Woods, 53, found her young charges healthy. "These children are clean, bright-eyed," she said during a break. "They are shy and reserved. But there is hope in their eyes. "They have a structured environment here in which they know they are safe," she added. "Safety is primary to meeting a human being's needs in the ability to grow. These little kids came to this orphanage with the bottom having fallen out of their lives." The orphanage is a safety net for destitute children from rural villages in the region. Some have no parents. Others have been abandoned. Still others are from extremely poor families unable to care for their children. "It's very tough for some of the poorest families here to cope," she said. "Some chose flight instead of fight." That may mean abandoning a child they can not feed, hoping that providence provides a way for the child to survive. Providence comes in the form of social workers from the orphanage who screen each child before bringing them to the facility. "We assess their situation to make sure we are getting the most in need," said assistant orphanage director Nguyen Ngoe Anh, 49, a former officer with the now-defunct South Vietnamese Air Force. "With the poverty and the poor conditions of the children in the countryside, especially when they have no parents, we must have something like this to help them," he added. In the orphanage, their home from age 5 to 18, they are educated and learn various types of artwork, woodwork, sewing and embroidery to help sustain them later in life beyond the blue gate. They also raise pigs for food. During the visit, the Rogue Valley residents delivered a goodwill gift from Central Point Elementary School's second-grade class taught by Heather Crum. "I have a few tokens from your friends in America," Rogue Valley team leader Linda Moreau told the students as Anh translated. ``I want to give these gifts with love from America, from our hearts to yours." The Central Point youngsters had sent T-shirts with the school's name and school supplies. They also sent a video of themselves singing. The Oregon Department of Forestry sent paper Smokey Bear hats and Jackson County Fire District 3 sent toys. "The kids are so excited about learning about the kids in the orphanage," Crum explained back in Central Point. "`Character Matters' is the theme throughout our school district. That includes sharing and caring. We decided to do this as a class project. "They hear all the time that there are kids in other countries who don't have very much," she added. "This is a wonderful project that we want to do every year. We've adopted the Village of Hope." In exchange, the Vietnamese children presented a program of native music to the Rogue Valley visitors. Those reciprocal programs are important to young lives on both sides of the globe, Woods said. She is the first registered nurse ever to volunteer at the orphanage, although the facility does have a school nurse with limited education. "All kids need to have time to be kids," she said. "And it's tougher for them over here. "Many of these children here have lost parents through death or abandonment," she added. "They are hurting inside. But they feel safe and loved here. And safety is the first issue for any little child." She stopped talking for a moment to observe the children. "A lot of these children are very quiet, very serious," she said. "Back in the Rogue Valley, they are more carefree, more boisterous. "But these children are also very bright, very capable," she added. "They just have a different way of expressing themselves." Invariably, the children greeted their American visitors with a very clear "Hello," followed by a formal "Where are you from?" and "How old are you?" With that, their English was largely exhausted. But their body language -- their grins and giggles -- spoke volumes about their life at the orphanage. Before being led off with an orphan tugging at each hand, the former community health nurse paused. "This is a good place for children," she said. "This place offers a routine and safety. And it offers peace." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA