Is Vietnam just Smarter? – Something Of A Frugal And Rare Tale ( little hack)

I remember the first time I heard about this ‘leftover’ bridge story, I was in awe. Is Vietnam smarter with this development thing? Their growth and development narrative is something of a frugal and rare tale – a little hack if you will.

To be honest, it felt like a fictitious tale – too incredible, it was incredulous? I am more accustomed to tales of inflated budgets and yet never enough funds to complete any infrastructural project on time, or at all.

[How I wish I was starting that statement with “the first time I visited Vietnam.” Maybe sometime soon. I have to visit Vietnam – and Phannette!]

What is this tale about Vietnam she is talking about? I will tell you but first, I say all this to say, it’s possible. ‘Development’ is possible.

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Is Vietnam smarter? Building bridges

Hanoi’s Chuong Duong 1.2km bridge built from 1983 to 1986 is a symbol of Vietnamese pride, intelligence and creativity. Not only because it was the first bridge designed and built by an all Vietnamese squad, but also because its materials were leftover from the construction of the Thang Long bridge – another bridge altogether!

I am not sure if you understand. They built a bridge I believe with some Soviet funding and had enough leftover material to build a whole entire other bridge.

In case you want to know

The purpose of the Chuong Duong bridge was to ease the traffic burden on the Long Bien Bridge, a much older French bridge to its side which was constructed between 1899 and 1902.

Initially named after the French Governor-General of Indochina in 1897, the Paul Doumer Bridge, now Long Bien Bridge, is a 2.3km infrastructural edifice that connects Hanoi, in the South, to Hai Phong, in the North.

Costing just over 6 million Francs, the 2,290-meter Long Bien bridge was built between 1899 and 1902 by the French and was the first steel bridge to cross the Red River. That means it was the first bridge that breached the separation between the North and the South, bringing two opposing worlds together. Very historic.

During the Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, the Long Bien bridge became a prime target of American bombers. It was hit no fewer than ten times, due to its strategic function. And yet, time and time again, the bridge has persisted – a shadow of its former self but still as much a symbol of Vietnam’s checkered history.

[I want to get something to eat or drink…]

The two bridges – Chuong Duong (CD) and Long Bien (LB) – are different, and yet the same.

Their Soviet (CD) and French (LB) background represent different historical periods of the country and yet their purpose remains one and the same: to connect the country. It is somewhat of a love triangle between these countries but a pragmatic one that evidently serves Vietnam the most. Note for future relationships? I digress… but it is a lesson.

The lesson from Vietnam

First of all, there are numerous lessons from Vietnam, this is just one.

A leaf out of Vietnam’s book for Africa is this: we must keep our options open. The current fragile geopolitical environment does – and will not – always play to our interest as passive participants.

We must be intentional about where we build partnerships and working relationships and not just leap into bed with one donor or another. Our foreign affairs strategy must be targeted, seeking advantages where they fit best.

[The sound of a bird chirping and the dogs barking]

Jordan Ryan, former head of UN Development Program in Vietnam and once Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Liberia once said:

‘Donors can look at the example that’s been provided by Asia…where a number of countries in Asia have really focused on the development agenda, the development needs of their country. They’ve articulated those needs and statements, plans, opportunities, and have insisted that donors align behind those plans.’

There’s wisdom in that, good wisdom. Vietnam basically developed its own clear agenda. An agenda that drove donor interaction, not the other way around.

And as the tale of the bridge demonstrates, they were pragmatic and frugal with the resources. They were smart smart.

The message

Today, a lot of countries face harsh realities. As a result, we need to get our priorities right and shamelessly advocate for them. That is, we must push for them, advocate for them, market them, and dare I add, do them.

You can finesse donors for good.

The above are my unfinished thoughts I wrote for a project that did not go to plan. Instead of allowing it to be a painful reminder of “unfinished business” in every sense of the word, I’m putting it out there as a piece. Albeit incomplete, I am giving it some finality here…

The interjections are intentional by the way. Those were the thoughts that popped up as I was re-reading and fixing typos. Instead of playing a game of whack-a-mole with my thoughts, I let them be, on the page – on my page. An artistic expression of sorts – that’s what I tell myself at least.