Three days to go and I'm really starting to get excited now! I finished up work yesterday to give myself some time to rest and relax (and finish all the last minute packing!) and it was so nice of to my colleagues and friends to wish me well for a wonderful trip!

So we got the final travel arrangements from Vietnam yesterday, and it's a jam packed schedule! The evalutation team is made up of 4 groups of about 3-4 people. I am in a group with an interpreter named Ms Tran and a WV Vietnam staff member named Mr Le, plus any sponsorship staff from the National Office in Hanoi.

Sun 8 July: Depart Melbourne @ 10:35, arrive Ho Chi Minh City @ 16:25. Have a little rest at the airport before boarding another flight @ 19:00 for Da Nang. Arrive in Da Nang @ 20:10.

Mon 9 July: Travel in the morning by car to Dong Ha, where we will spend a couple of hours with WV Vietnam staff who will provide an overview of what the project has done, their approach, achievements, challenges, followed by discussion and questions. In the afternoon, we will be going through the evaluation - the approach, itinerary and questions we will be asking community members

Tues-Thurs 10-12 July: Travel by car to the first area where the project is working - Huong Hoa (previously known as Khe Sanh - yep I'm thinking of you Uncle Syd!). We spend three days here meeting with/interviewing project staff, disabled people's organisations, teachers, health workers, people with disabilities and their familes and other people in the community and community leaders. Each interview will take about 1.5 hours and each group will look to do about 2 interviews a day.

So, about the interviews: We have questions to ask, but it's more a conversation than an actual interview. We need to help those we are speaking with to feel at ease and comfortable to tell us not only the great things the project has achieved, but also what more can be done. I'm sure that my broken Vietnamese will help break the ice!

After every interview (or at night if we don't get time in the day), we need to type up a transcript of our interview (verbatim) and then have a nightly debrief to start picking out the themes from what we have been hearing. Lucky for me, we are able to record the interview (with permission of course), so although we must take notes in the interview, I will still be able to record it and listen again later.

The questions we are asking are not just about the project, it's about their stories, their lives. Questions such as: i) tell me something about your life, your family, your situation? ii) tell us about the situation of disabled people in this community? iii) what are the challenges living in this community? iv) what is good about living in this community

Fri 13 July: Travel by car from Huong Hoa to the next project area Phuoc Son. Not sure how long this trip will take but I'm guessing it's a few hours.

Sat/Sun 14-15 July: Spend two days here doing more interviews. In the afternoon of Sun 15th, we travel to the third project area Nong Son

Mon 16 July: This is a day off for my colleagues, Thurza and Julie. For me, I will be spending some time with the Sponsorship Relations staff from World Vision Vietnam. The travel itinerary says "Leah will work with SR staff from the hotel or she will take motorbike to the ADP office (20km)" - OMG! Motorbike! OK, the husband is panicking given I can't even stay upright on a push bike, but I'm told I'm not driving a motorbike, just a passenger (which is probably worse, really), but hey, I'm not going to work from the hotel. BRING ON THE MOTORBIKE RIDE!!!

Tues/Wed 17-18 July: Travel by car to the centre of the program area and travel out to far communes by motorbike. Yay, more motorbikes! Continue interviewing various groups and collecting information. In the afternoon of the 18th, we travel by car back to Da Nang

Thurs 19 July: The whole evaluation team come together to go over all the findings and start to look at the themes and analysing the results

Fri 20 July: Today will involve a presentation of findings and recommendations. In the afternoon, Julie, Thurza and myself will travel to Hoi An for a night of rest/relaxation/shopping/exploring and my first day off without interviews or travel.

Sat 21 July: Return to Da Nang to catch a plane at 18:00 to take us to Ho Chi Minh City, then another plane at 21:00 home to Melbourne.

So that's it folks... that's the details of the trip. I'm so glad I took an extra day to get myself prepared, not only ensuring I have everything I need, but also to mentally prepare myself for the work ahead and for what I will see.

The great news is that I'm told there is internet access (to varying degrees) in the hotels (not that I know what hotels I'm staying at yet!), so I'll be able to continue my blog while I'm away.

Wish me luck!