One woman’s quest for humanity
If you think you are too small to make a difference, try to sleep in a room with a mosquito.
Someone who brings this to mind is Christina Noble, whose extraordinary determination, commitment and bravery has made a huge difference to the lives of thousands of Vietnam’s street children.
She will be sharing her extraordinary journey, as the Kinsale Peace Project’s guest speaker on Apr 26.
She has survived a life that would have destroyed many, and has turned the horrors of her early beginnings into a triumphant celebration of life as it could and should be lived.
Christina was born in Dublin in the mid-1940s in a family of 12 children who were, in her words, “the poorest of the poor”.
Her father, a one-time bare-knuckle fighter, was a chronic alcoholic. Christina’s mother died when she was 10, and her father turned his back on his children.
She lived on the streets with her siblings for some time, until the children were picked up and sent to various agencies by the authorities.
When she was 16, Christina was handed a five pound note by the authorities, told that her siblings were all dead, and was sent on her way.
She sought out her father, who took her money, supposedly to buy them bus tickets out of Dublin so that they could make a new start. That was the last she ever saw of him.
For a while, Christina lived in the Phoenix Park, sleeping in a hole that she dug for herself with her bare hands, then she went to England to join her brother.
Even a subsequent disastrous marriage to a violent and abusive man could do nothing to dampen Christina’s indefatigable sense of justice and deep-rooted humanity.
She had three children, was occasionally suicidal, and was hospitalised several times after violent beatings by her husband.
Since Padraig told me about Christina’s forthcoming visit, I was looking forward to the opportunity to talk with this inspirational woman about her Foundation’s work.
* Christina, for those who haven’t had the pleasure of reading your autobiography, Bridge Across My Sorrows, how did you make the quantum leap from a disastrous marriage and running a chipper to Ho Chi Minh City?
>>It probably didn’t make a lot of sense. I was running a fish and chip shop, three kids, and married to a violent man — heaving 56lb bags of potatoes every day. And I’d had a dream, during the time of the Vietnam war. In my dream I saw children running, screaming, this smoke-filled sky, and the children were calling out to me for help. I told a few people I’d had this strange dream, that I believed I was going to work in Vietnam one day. And they’d say, “Yeah, and I’m going to Timbuktoo”.
* You travelled to Vietnam in 1989 and began fundraising right away, didn’t you? Did you have any idea of just what you were going to do?
>>
I didn’t of course, not in a million years. Me? I mean, what the hell would I know about stuff like that? I had no idea. I just want to help the kids, you know?
* What were your first impressions of Vietnam?
>>From the very first moment I came to Vietnam, I loved the people of the country, and I continue to do so. My foundation’s come a long way since we had enough money to renovate our first dilapidated building. We’ve implemented over 100 life saving and sustainable programmes in Vietnam, and since 1997, many similar programmes in Mongolia. We’ve helped thousands of street children, and their families in that time and given people back their basic human rights.
* It must take a massive amount of money to run these programs. Do you get any help from the governments?
>> No, we don’t get funds, although we are grateful and appreciative for the fact that we get permission and approval to work in the country from governments.
We have to raise over $500,000 a year just to keep the foundation afloat. There are fundraising offices in over 14 countries. And I’m delighted to say that we’ve just opened a new centre in New York.
* What are your plans while you are in Ireland, apart from your visit to Kinsale?
>>“You know, I’ve always been very fond of Cork and Cork people. Donal and Marie Callanan from Innishannon are two Cork people who volunteered with us last year. and they were both incredible, unforgettable. We all miss them very much. We’ve had great support from Cork, so I’m hoping that I can arrange some more talks around the place, while I’m here. And if there’s a sponsor out there, I would really like to organise a ball, where we could have some fun, colour, music, dancing, singing. I’d give a few tunes as well. And I’m sure Christy Moore would support us. He’s been great over the years. So if there’s any company out there who’d like to get involved, then please get in touch.
* So the work goes on. And I believe that a film based on Bridge Across My Sorrows is due to start shooting in September. Who’s going to play you, I wonder?
>>“I don’t have any details yet, but it will all help spread the word about the foundation, and that’s what matters. We’ve seen many of our children grow up from little kids to confident young adults with college degrees and great jobs, and that is what it is always all about for me. It’s every human being’s responsibility to help others in need, no matter how small the gesture. And I will make sure that the children continue to have their dreams.”
