HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM * It takes 30 minutes from downtown by taxi through the motorbike-packed streets of this sprawling megacity to reach the Tieng Vong (Echo) Center. One eventually arrives at a Catholic church, walks to the rear, turns a corner, and there finds an opening to a parish center. Two rooms actually--one a waiting area where two dozen visibly ill men and women sit listlessly; the other, a patient care area with old filing cabinets along the wall, some desks, chairs, and on one side of the room, Nguyen Thi Vinh, a middle-aged, broad-faced woman with a direct manner and a remarkable capacity to live the corporal works of mercy.
Vinh said she keeps careful records. Each month she compiles a list of the 100 poorest people who come to the center for medicine. These are the ones, she says, who get what amounts to pocket change, small amounts of assistance by most measures--except when you have almost nothing. Then a little help makes a big difference.The group spent months, years, at first, seeking out the needy In time, the parish gave them space for the center and eventually, as attitudes in society began to change, people began to come to the center. On the average day, some two- to three-dozen people show up seeking assistance.On this morning Vinh is attending to another woman. Vinh listens, comforts, counsels and eventually hands over a few pills aimed at easing pain, perhaps extending life. Maybe it's also to show someone cares.* Would it be difficult to run a phone line and Internet access into this space?On one of the desks in the patient room is a ledger in which the staff keeps careful notes about each person they see, the medicines they take, the needs they have, and assistance offered. Every cent is detailed, in handwritten script.The numbers continue to rise, but the rate of increase is slowing, offering a glimmer, of hope that this perilous epidemic is not completely out of control. There is an ongoing HIV/AIDS government education program, but misunderstanding and prejudice are still rampant.Before you decide where in your home to set up your home office, carefully evaluate every room and ask yourself a few questions:* Is there ample lighting?This 16-inch table is ideal for an anteroom waiting area or even a small meeting space with clients or colleagues in your office. It is available in espresso on walnut veneer or warm cherry on cherry veneer to suit your existing office decor. And its four-foot long table gives you ample room to spread out your files or display magazines or knickknacks.Boss Lumbar Support Executive ChairIt costs about $5,000 monthly to run the center, Tuyet Mai said with a grant coming from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, donations from private benefactors, and assistance from the Ho Chi Minh archdiocese.This is grace on a shoestring.Here are some pieces that are guaranteed to spruce up your home workspace.Merlot Foyer Table with Drawer and ShelfTalisman 2-drawer Writing DeskMission Corner CabinetFive-drawer Storage Cabinet* Will distractions be kept to a minimum?Vinh and the rest of the staff work entirely without pay.* Will you actually work in this area?Ask yourself some important questionsYou may not be the millionaire CEO of a Fortune 500 company. But the work you do is important to your well-being, and you need to be at your best if you want to get things done. This can-do attitude starts with a home office that reflects your personality and work ethic. And you can�t accomplish that with a card table and a folding chair!Utilize every nook and cranny of your office with this cleverly-constructed solid wood desk. It comes with a lower shelf for books or files and a drawer for office supplies. The elegant black finish will add a nice touch to any office d�cor.
[Thomas C. Fox is NCR editor. His e-mail address is tfox@ncronline.org.]
Author: Thomas C. Fox
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