Belgian woman dedicated to improving livelihoods for AO/dioxin victims in Hoi An

The woman, who is nearly 80 years old, developed a connection with the Vietnamese land immediately when she set foot here years ago. Meeting with the local less fortunate group, she knew she had to do something to help them.

Returning home after the first trip to Vietnam, Geyskens presented her idea and received full support from the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium. As a result, a charity golf tournament, named "Vietnamese Ambassador’s Golf Cup" was officially organised in the summer of 2013. The funds raised from the annual event is personally brought to Vietnam by Geyskens and her husband and given to the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin in Hoi An (VAVA Hoi An). With the funding, the organisation has purchased breeding chickens, coops, and feed for donations to families of the victims, helping them develop poultry farming for more stable income and better care for their affected members.

In addition to the sporting event, Geyskens, chairperson of VAVA Hoi An’s Belgian chapter since its establishment in 2015, has also run bazaars to raise more funds.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Van Thao stressed that although the amount of collected money is not big, it demonstrates the humanitarian spirit and the heartfelt contribution of Geyskens and her husband to Vietnam. This is also one of the proofs of the friendship shared between the two nations.

Luc Gronson, head of the Hulencourt golf club, which sponsors the course for the annual tournament, expressed his admiration for Geyskens and affirmed that she has transferred her enthusiasm to members of the club.

Since its establishment, the Belgian branch has so far raised 49,730 EUR. Each year, Geyskens and her husband flew to Hoi An to witness firsthand outcomes that the organisation brought to the families of dioxin victims.

She wishes to have good health to continue with the golf tournament and do more useful things for Vietnam which she considers as her second hometown.

The US army sprayed some 80 million litres of toxic chemicals in Vietnam during the war, 61% of which was Agent Orange, containing 366kg of dioxin. As a result, more than 3 million ha of forested land was destroyed, while basic water and food sources for millions of people were contaminated.

Preliminary statistics showed that 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin. Tens of thousands of people died from exposure, while millions of others went on to suffer from cancer and other incurable diseases. Children and grandchildren of many victims have been affected with widespread birth deformities.