Long’s story reached us through a woman whose son we were already helping; a random conversation on no particular day, almost incidentally. “I wonder if you can do something for my neighbour,” she said. “Their son, Long, is quite naughty so they have locked him up in...

Since the terrible fire at Notre Dame, the online world has been alive with debate. Who should pay for the repairs? Is it right that several billionaires have so quickly agreed to fund the restoration, when there are countless other crises and disasters which also...

Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar international industry, with estimates that it generates up to $32 billion a year. Fighting against it requires substantial resources, time – and money. Among the many organisations which are devoted to ending human...

There’s an awful lot of bad news about. It’s hard to know where to start. In a world that’s too familiar with mass shootings and terrorist attacks, the horrific events in Christchurch stand out because New Zealand seemed such an unlikely place for this kind of thing...

Last week, Blue Dragon held one of those events that NGOs sometimes do – the launch of a new program. Meetings and workshops drive me crazy. They rarely feel productive, and I sometimes wonder if the whole purpose of conferences is just to make people feel like...

This afternoon, my high school English teacher, Shirley McCoombe, passed away after a battle with cancer. It has been many years since I saw her, and yet her passing leaves me at a loss. She was one of the great influences on my life, and I have no doubt that without...

People sometimes think that leading a charity like Blue Dragon is a glamorous job. We’re out rescuing people from slavery, staring down pimps, taking on gangs that recruit kids. And yes, some days it’s like that. Of course, in reality our work rarely feels glamorous....

Hanoi is a grey place at this time of year, with fog and pollution hanging low over the city. But standing out from the drabness: swarms of blue, purple and yellow hair. Every year, right before Tet (Lunar New Year), the Blue Dragon kids dye their hair as a way of...

The first time he tricked a woman and sold her to a brothel, Mr Nam earned about $50. He had thought it would be  more, and was promised that next time he would be much happier. The buyers were right.  In between his on-again / off-again job as a xe om (motorbike...