Finally Found Teacher Muriel Knox

BRITISH VOLUNTEERS in PFAC

 BRITISH VOLUNTEER SERVICES OVERSEAS (BVSO)

The BVSO sent volunteers from the United Kingdom to teach English and culture to the Vietnamese Refugees in VRC Palawan before they resettled in their country of destination.   

This Page is lovingly dedicated to them. 

Thank you, Marian Lynch, Muriel Knox, Adrian Seviour, Ruth Myers, Merle, Tony Mahon, Lesley, Bob Holland and Jane Anderson for your dedicated service to the Vietnamese Refugees in Palawan, Philippines.

 

Muriel and the VRC Boyscouts 1981

Ruth Myers taught at HTC-PFAC in 1988 to 1989

 Muriel Knox (in brown) and Marian Lynch (in peach) 1981

 Muriel Knox 1981

 Muriel (her house in the background) 1981

 Adrian Seviour (the third one from the left squatting)

 Tony Mahon CADP Volunteer English Teacher

Muriel (Photo courtesy of Lan Dalat)

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU, MISS MURIEL KNOX

MISS MURIEL KNOX, UNFORGETTABLE!

August 2, 2014

Hello,
 

My Name is Tien Vo. I was eight years old when I was in the refugee camp in Palawan in the 1982. I am 41 now. I discovered the blog PFAC Palawan yesterday and I saw you were also looking for my former teacher Miss Muriel Knox. I'm also looking for her from France.
 

If you or your friends have any information about her, I would be very happy if you tell me whether she's all right.

Thanks a lot. Regards!

Tien Vo

From France

August 2, 2014

Hello Tien Vo!

Our beloved Muriel Knox lives in England and is all right.  Her brother emailed us last year to say that Muriel doesn't seem to be enthusiastic about reconnecting with anyone from her past and we respect her choices and well deserved privacy.  We and the many Vietnamese former refugees truly miss her and hope that she continues to be well and one day open her heart again to us once more.  We love Muriel and are forever grateful to her for her profound contributions to the VRC, HTC, and the Vietnamese refugees that their hearts she touched.  

Thank you very much for your beautiful letter and we hope you're well too.  This letter will be posted on our PFAC Palawan Blog with accompanying pictures.  Please connect with us on Facebook- PFAC Palawan.  

By the way, your name seems familiar.  Were you also in Andrew Taylor's class? 

Thanks.

PFAC Palawan Admin

 

  
Muriel Knox with Marian Lynch and Sister Tomasa Rivera, O.P. (VRC Palawan 1981) 

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SISTER TOMASA RIVERA, O.P.

SISTER TOMASA RIVERA, O.P.

HTC-PFAC School for Children Executive Director

1979-1986 and 1990-1995

A SLICE OF THE HTC-PFAC SCHOOL BEGINNING



The night was balmy at the Holy Trinity College. The students were quietly sitting in their accounting class. Everyone's attention was caught by the sudden entrance of Sister Tomasa Rivera, O.P. She was carrying a box that contained some pens, pencils, rulers, slightly used notebooks and sheets of writing paper, which had been donated by college students from other classes. She greeted everyone "Good evening!" with a timid smile on her face. "Are those chocolates and candies for us, Sister?" one of the students jokingly said. Sister Tomasa threw the students a humble smile. Then she took a deep breath and announced that the Holy Trinity College (HTC) was doing some volunteer teaching to the Vietnamese refugees in the camp and that she was there to ask the students if they could spare some of their pens, pencils, and sheets of paper for the less fortunate people in the refugee camp. 

Quite a few students donated their pencils and extra pens not because they didn't need them anymore but because the majority of them gave theirs away without hesitation. Moments later, Sister Tomasa asked if any one would be willing to work as volunteer English teachers in the camp. One student raised his hand.  The following week, Sister Tomasa headed to The Vietnamese Refugees Center with three volunteer students/teachers and started teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to the Vietnamese refugees ages four to fifteen.

The VRC School for Children was established in the refugee camp and the rest is history.  For the record, Sister Tomasa worked as the school for children head from 1979 to 1986 and then replaced by Sister Bernadette Izon, O.P. (1986 to 1990).  In the early 1990, Sister Tomasa re-instated.  HTC-PFAC remained in operation until it folded in 1995.

888

MISS MURIEL KNOX, Where are you?

Our Ever Dearest Muriel,

It's been a long time since you left the VRC but your memory is still very fresh in our minds and in our hearts.  Your service to the Vietnamese refugees was exceptional.  You treated us with love, respect, compassion and a lot of patience.  You are one in a million.  You gave up your precious times in order to contribute to the world. 

 

You left Scotland and headed to Palawan to make a difference in the Vietnamese refugees' lives.  When you left, you didn't expect anything in return.  All you had was pure love for the Vietnamese people.  We want to see you again. 

We want to thank you for all the sacrifices that you did for our people.  Miss Muriel Knox, please contact us.  We miss you.  Please.........

VRC School for Children
impeccable37@yahoo.com

 
RESPONSES/UPDATE ON MURIEL KNOX'S WHEREABOUTS
(June 16, 2013)

June 5, 2013

Hello Andrew,

I came across your blog http://pfacasylum.blogspot.com today while searching for my old English teacher Muriel Knox in Palawan, Philippines.  I was 10 years old when I arrived with my father and brother in this refugee camp in April 1980.

Muriel Knox and Leslie Lynch from London were my English teachers in the camp.  The Vietnamese translator was Co Linh.  If you must know, Linh was the niece of Nguyen Van Khon, the first to officially author the Vietnamese-English dictionary.

I still have some photographs of them in the classroom if you want to see them.

At any rate, Muriel and my father who just passed away in 2008 got along well.  Muriel even came to San Jose, California to visit us a few years after we landed here.  Muriel told my father that she is originally from Scotland.  I heard about 20 years ago that Muriel was driving a taxi in London.

If you are interested, I do know of a Scottish friend here in San Francisco who often goes back home for visits that can probably help us both in locating Muriel.  I still remember her as a kind and compassionate human being just like my father.  It is hard for me not to get emotional when I think about these nice teachers who came from half way around the world to help us refugees.

Leslie Doan

_____________________________________________________

Jun 5, 2013

Leslie,

Thank you very much for your email.  Yes, I would like to be reunited with Muriel.  She was a very good friend and a former co-teacher in the camp.  The other teacher you were talking about is Marian Lynch not Lesley.  Lesley taught with CADP not our school.  I have Marian's phone number and address.  She now lives in Washington DC and is married to a Vietnamese named Diep.  I live in Canada.  Are you in California?  We'll talk more.

Andrew

_____________________________________________________

June 5, 2013

Andy, 

Thanks for getting back with me. 

Yes, I've lived in San Jose, CA since we arrived from Palawan in 1981.  I visited Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal about 10 years ago.  I still remember Canada as peaceful and green.  You must have a sizeable Vietnamese community there?

Oh, if I remember correctly, Marian Lynch did marry the man named Diep from the refugee camp.  Is that right? So, doesn't Marian have any idea where Muriel is?  If you like to talk more, I am usually around on the weekend.

Leslie Doan_____________________________________________

Jun 5, 2013

Leslie,

Marian has also lost Muriel's contact information.  She and I are in contact frequently.  Yes, she is married to Diep and they have two children.  I was there during your time. 

I will call you when I can.  I have families in Orange County and we spend Christmas in California every year.  Take care.

Andy 
______________________________________________________

  

June 12, 2013

Andy, 

I did a little digging and tracked down Muriel Knox's brother.  I finally got a reply from him about her this week which I feel obligated to share with you and perhaps Marian.  From her brother Garth's email below, it seems to me that Muriel does not want to re-visit her past.  So, given that, I think I will leave her alone for now.

Whatever Muriel's reasons are, I still think of her as a compassionate and wonderful individual for what she did to help the refugees.  Needless to say, the same goes for you for all the work you did to help us refugees.

Just so you know, I am putting together a book about my personal voyage to America and the Vietnamese boat refugees in general.  It is not for personal gain, fame or profit but simply an effort to remind the future generations of Vietnamese children and adults not to forget the exodus and experiences of what people like myself and family have gone thru.  In my opinion, it is a very different kind of story telling in terms of immigration narratives.

Let's talk whenever you find the time !

Leslie Doan

_____________________________________________________

June 12, 2013

Dear Leslie,

Yes, I'm Muriel's brother. I forwarded your message to her, and I leave it up to her to reply to you. But Muriel has changed a lot, and I think she doesn't specially want to keep contact with what she calls her former self, so don't be too surprised if she doesn't get in touch with you. She has had requests like this before, and didn't follow them up, so don't take it personally, I think she wants to look forwards and not backwards.

Best wishes,

Garth

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PFAC Palawan Volunteers Part One

IMAGES OF PFAC PALAWAN

The Volunteers

My best friend- Le Tan Do

(HTC-PFAC Enterpreter and Science Teacher, IOM Volunteer) 

Andrew Taylor

(HTC-PFAC School Vounteer, 1980 - 1992)

 Sandra Makosinski (ARMDEV Volunteer Teacher)

 Nida Ermita (ARMDEV Volunteer Teacher)
 

Father Kenneth Jacques, OSB

(PFAC Palawan Catholic Church Parish Priest 1983 to 1985)

 

HTC-PFAC Teachers and Administrators

Rubi, Josie, Gloria, Mona, Connie, Angelie, Sister Tomasa, Salvy,

Tina, Jean, Rose, Andrew, Dr, Lagrada, Adrian, and Sammy

 

Father Robert Crawford (PFAC Palawan Parish Priest 1988 to 1993)

 

Angelie Toral

Kindergarten Teacher VRC School for Children

(PFAC Palawan 1983 to 1985)

 

Sammy, Maritess, Bessie, Virgie, and Andrew

HTC-PFAC School for Children Teachers

 

Lany, Anne, Mila (CADP Volunteers, PFAC Palawan)

 

Ms. Muriel Knox (VRC School for Children English Teacher 1982 to 1984)

Benny Ong (HTC-PFAC Teacher), Sister Lizzie (PFAC Obstetrician),

Sister Bernadette Hizon, OP (HTC-PFAC School Director)

VRC School for Children Volunteers- Angelie Toral,

Muriel Knox, Andrew Taylor, and Purification Gabo

 

Do Duc Hieu and the IOM Volunteers

 

Dr. Luis Medrano (Rotary International Dentist)

IOM Volunteers and Cira Medrano

 

Estella Gayapa (HTC-PFAC Office Administrator)

 

Rose, Sammy, Bessie, Sheila, Andrew,

Angelie, and Benny (HTC-PFAC Volunteers)

 

Dwight Russell and the VRC Usherettes

Dwight Russell

 



Muriel Knox with Lan Dalat's Family

 

Father Robert Crawford

 

Sister Pascale (CADP Volunteer)

 

United Nations High Commission for Refugees logo

 

Nils Halvorsen -UNHCR Field Officer PFAC Palawan (1984 to 1987)

Sister Bernadette, Dr. Luis and wife Cira, and Mona San Luis

Sister Bernadette Hizon, OP, HTC-PFAC Head 1987 to 1991