Today began with a trip to UEF and a lecture on Buddhism. Buddhism is one of the most popular religions of Vietnam as well as East and South Asia in general. The creator of Buddhism was a man named Buddha. He was a real historical figure who was born near the border of modern day India and Nepal. In his lifetime, he wondered ceaselessly why people were suffering. He left home while he was a young adult to follow Hinduism and fast. At 36 years old, he reached Nirvana and became Buddha. Buddhism is a materialism religion that addresses the idea of matter or mind. Buddhism teaches how to overcome dukkha, which means sorrow.

There are two different branches of Buddhism. In Vietnam, the Chinese version is more prevalent, but both are present. The key point of Buddhism is that suffering is endless, but it is possible to reach nirvana and feel no sorrow. Buddhism gives Buddha no credit for creating the world and believes in reincarnation. After our lecture, we visited the site of the self-immolation of a monk and a Buddhist pagoda. Inside the pagoda we had to remove our shoes and we lit incense.

After lunch at a local food court, we headed to VinaCapital for a site visit. First we heard about the VinaCapital Foundation and its work. The VinaCapital Foundation is a NGO that works to help poor children with health issues. They fund open heart surgery for children with congenital heart defects and provide hearing aids to deaf and hard of hearing children. They also fund a program that educates girls from ethnic minorities. The VinaCapital Foundation is a charity organization, but its main funder, VinaCapital is an investment firm. Vinacapital uses its profits to fund all of VinaCapital Foundations fixed expenses. As a result, the VinaCapital Foundation can assure that each additional donation goes directly to helping those in need.

Many companies and organizations donate to VinaCapital Foundation. The companies and government of Vietnam acknowledge that in order for Vietnam to thrive, the establishment of a middle class is necessary. Sick children are a source of poverty and helping these children achieve the health care they need helps the people of Vietnam and Vietnam as a country.