International Friends Join Hands to Ease Pain of Agent Orange in Vietnam
	Engaging People's Diplomacy in Supporting Agent Orange Victims

Giving love to Vietnam's less fortunate

We met Dick Hughes on an autumn day in Hanoi, during his fourth return to Vietnam in October 2024. Upon discussing his journey, Hughes reflected on his lifelong mission to help Vietnam’s street children, assist victims of Agent Orange, and his plan to continue these meaningful work.

American actor, university lecturer, and humanitarian Richard "Dick" Hughes in an interview with VietnamTimes magazine. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Hughes recalled how, as a young man, he was moved by anti-war protests and television broadcasts about the war in Vietnam. This sparked a desire “to do something for Vietnam.” In April 1968, he arrived in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) to see the reality behind the headlines. “I chose to come to Vietnam because I wanted to understand the war’s impact on the people,” Hughes said.

In Saigon, Hughes saw many “dust of life” street children (bụi đời). Most had lost track of their families, and if they were caught by the police, they were sent to prison or shelters. “That is when I decided to help these street children,” he said. Rather than returning to the US with his round-trip ticket, Hughes used the money to rent a small room on Pham Ngu Lao Street, turning it into a place where street children could rest safely at night.

Hughes spent his days persuading the children who shined shoes or sold newspapers to come and clean up, eat, and sleep at his makeshift shelter. Starting with only 11 children, his initiative quickly grew. Soon, he rented additional spaces in Ngo Tung Chau, Pham Hong Thai, Trinh Minh The, Hi Vong 5, and Hi Vong 6. Over his eight years in Vietnam, Hughes provided shelter for around 2,000 street children, with roughly 300 staying at any given time.

Dick Hughes always carries an album of photos of the street children he once cared for whenever he returns to Vietnam.

In the early days, due to limited funds, Hughes could only provide milk and bread to street children. He sent letters to appeal to various philanthropists in the US and received their contributions. In 1970, when foreign newspapers became aware of his support program for street youth, several social activists helped him establish the Shoeshine Boy Project in New York and facilitated the transfer of donations from American benefactors to Saigon.

Hughes sought to create a family atmosphere, with no strict rules. Those who wanted an education could go to school, while others could participate in vocational training or continue shining shoes if they chose. As his responsibilities grew, he shifted his focus to fundraising, while Vietnamese student volunteers took over daily caregiving. He believed that local people could better understand and support these children.

When Hughes left Vietnam in 1976, 15 months after the war ended, he handed management of the shelters over to local authorities. He was the last American to leave Vietnam that year. In a 1976 New York Times article entitled “Learning from the Vietnamese - and Giving,” Hughes spoke passionately of the Vietnamese people. “I owe the people of Vietnam so much. They have reordered my life by teaching me simplicity, brotherhood, how to touch, and a reason for carrying on - that it does count.”

Advocating for Victims of Agent Orange

Since 2001, Hughes has returned to Vietnam regularly, each time reconnecting with many of the children he once helped. In 2016, he adopted a new mission; assisting victims of Agent Orange. On each visit, he brings along an album of old photographs of the children he once supported - priceless mementos that inspire his current efforts.

Dick Hughes reunited with the “younger brothers” he once cared for when he returned to Vietnam in 2007.

On his latest trip in 2024, Hughes traveled across the country, visiting centers for Agent Orange victims in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Quang Tri, and Da Lat. He also mobilized funds from Vietnamese businesses to support the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA).

Hughes explained his focus on private funding, “The US has allocated funds for dioxin cleanup at Da Nang and Bien Hoa airbases, but very little has reached the victims. About 80% of funds go toward cleanup activities, with only 20% directed to the victims. I am appealing to the private sector to address this gap.”

Dick Hughes presents the dialogue titled "Follow Your Instincts: Agent Orange – Voices of Strength, Resilience, and Advocacy" at Fullbright University Vietnam.

On October 10, Hughes participated in a dialogue at Fulbright University Vietnam, titled "Follow Your Instincts: Agent Orange – Voices of Strength, Resilience, and Advocacy." He shared his journey supporting Vietnam’s street children and heard the stories of Agent Orange victims overcoming their challenges.

In Quang Tri, Hughes visited Project RENEW, an organization focused on environmental restoration and post-war recovery, particularly unexploded ordnance clearance. He discussed establishing a new initiative, Friends of Agent Orange Victims (FAOV), to increase community awareness and fundraising efforts for these victims.

Dick Hughes visited the RENEW organization to discuss a proposal to establish the Friends of Vietnam's Agent Orange Victims (FAOV) group, aimed at raising community awareness and promoting fundraising efforts for Agent Orange victims. (Photo: RENEW)

Upon his return to the US, Hughes plans to continue balancing his acting career with his fundraising efforts. “My motivation,” he said, “has always been to exchange the humanistic values between Vietnam and the US, to help rebuild both materially and emotionally after the war.”

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