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| Mr. Van practices hospitality skill |
Mr. Nguyễn Văn Vân (Mr. Nguyen) is a farmer at the age of late 50’s who has been living in Giao Xuan commune (Nam Dinh province) since he was born. Giao Xuan is a small lovely fishing village located in the buffer zone of Xuan Thuy National Park (XTNP). The park is home of many importance aquatic species and water birds, making a famous bird watching destination for bird lovers.
The XTNP requires lots of effort to conserve the environment and importance species. However, local people are living depend on its resource and has very low awareness on environment conservation. Since 2006, the Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development (MCD) started its support for Xuan Thuy NP on environment conservation. The story of Mr. Nguyen started from then.
Being a fisher man, Mr. Nguyen goes and spends his days in the sea. All aquatic species and birds become his close friends. He knows all about their living habit and talking about them is one of Nguyen’s favourite. He joint MCD conservation activities immediately when he knew that his knowledge about his friends can help protect them from hunting and fishing. Nguyen’s daily life has changed from then. Besides doing fisher work, he attends training, workshop and awareness raising activities with MCD staffs and partners.
Nguyen’s house is located inside a spread rice field, next to a small channel which is day by day running toward the sea. It is a traditional designed house with nearly 100 year olds. The old house getting older and older and his son and daughter just want Nguyen to replace it by a new and modern one. However, with all information, knowledge and skills that got from MCD’s activates, Nguyen wants his old house to be protected and introduced to visitors. He became an active member of the homestay group in the Community Based Ecotourism model which is supported by MCD’s projects.
From 2007 until now, Nguyen and his family received and served hundreds of volunteers, researchers, students and tourists over the world. Even thought with limited skills on hospitality, his always tries his best to learn and get more advice from any guests. He takes any opportunities to tell visitors as much as he could about his village, the park and species living in the park. One Australian volunteer after stayed with Nguyen’s family for 8 months doing his volunteer works had become Nguyen’s godchild.
Stopped hunting, reduced fishing to spend days take caring the garden, doing husbandry and provide homestay services for tourists are what Nguyen has become after 4 year joining MCD project’s core target group.
If you happen to come and stay in his house one night, that older man will attracte you with all his love for his village and the sea and the goodwill to learn and to improve.
Being a fisher man, Mr. Nguyen goes and spends his days in the sea. All aquatic species and birds become his close friends. He knows all about their living habit and talking about them is one of Nguyen’s favourite. He joint MCD conservation activities immediately when he knew that his knowledge about his friends can help protect them from hunting and fishing. Nguyen’s daily life has changed from then.