Just Massage: Empowerment, Opportunity, Dignity

Just Massage is the longest-term and most involved project of Action for the City. Instead of trying to explain everything, let me just post an article that I wrote for a women's magazine in Hanoi:

"A young woman kneels in a gently-lit room and pours oil into her hands. After making sure it is warm, she spreads it onto the back that is resting before her and begins to work the oil in, up the spine and over the shoulder blades. The only sound in the room is meditative music and soft breathing. The woman is centered and mindful of her movements but at the same time beams from the inside out.

"This is Nguyễn Thị Hè and she is proud of her work at Just Massage. 'When I do this job,' she says, 'I can give pleasure and relaxation to the clients, to the other people—this is my happiness. Other people’s happiness means my happiness. When clients feel stressed and troubled, they come here and I can help them release the tensions.'

"Hè was born in 1986 in Gia Lam district, Hanoi. As a visually-impaired youth, however, she had few opportunities for employment and little chance for a fair wage. Along with four other visually-impaired youth, she has found a home at Just Massage. She explains, 'At first my family also didn’t like the idea of massage, but after I expressed my feelings and opinions about my job, they understood and changed their opinion. Now they feel very happy because I finally found a stable and well-paid job.'

"Just Massage began as a collaborative effort between Action for the City (a local non-profit organization) and Maryknoll (an American Catholic mission organization in Vietnam). A professional massage therapist from the USA worked for months with the youth, teaching them Shiatsu and Swedish Therapeutic massage, human anatomy, hygiene, English, and business and marketing skills. This will eventually enable the youth to run their own business without external help. In order to deeply understand the ritual of massage, the therapists also spend time meditating and learning to focus. Just Massage opened in December 2007 and has been steadily attracting more clients.

"In a city where being visually-impaired is a serious handicap, Just Massage is a kind of haven for both therapists and clients. When asked what her favorite aspect of massage is, Hè responded, 'The most interesting thing when I do massage for the clients is that I can help them relieve tensions and help them become happier. After finishing the massage, I usually ask them, "How do you feel?" And often they say, "Very good," and I feel happy. I feel the most important thing is to concentrate hard on doing massage for the client to help them relax a lot.'"

This is Just Massage. This is a place of empowerment, opportunity, and dignity. What is my specific role here? I write articles such as the one above, design flyers, update the website, take photos for promotional use (or recruit others with better cameras to take photos--thanks Brent), teach English (back in the Fall), offer my body for massage practice (so sacrificial, I know), and work together on marketing strategies. Now that our funder has pulled out, we are working hard to break even and be self-sufficient. It's exciting for me to write an article, have it published in a popular in-flight magazine, then hear of people coming to Just Massage from the airport. Hey, this real-world stuff is pretty great! :) If you're ever in Hanoi, you know where to come for a Just Massage...