Providing children the chance to succeed

Each day, thousands of children roam the streets of Vietnam, unsure of where their next meal will come from.

The Challenge

Thousands of street children lack support and protection

In 1989, the US lifted travel restrictions to Vietnam after more than a decade of sanctions. This decision meant that, for the first time since the end of the Vietnam War, Vietnamese Americans could freely return to the homeland they had left. Many of VNHELP’s founders were among that first cohort of Vietnamese Americans to return, and they personally witnessed the poverty and desolation still prevalent throughout much of the country. They decided they had to do something to help ease the suffering.

The Solution

Education, support, and a reason to believe

For a child who has lived life on the streets or felt the isolation of orphanhood, simply providing food and shelter is often not enough to help them regain a footing in life. These children and adolescents need to be assured of their self-worth. The opportunities they were so deprived of early in their lives need to be restored. Our goal at VNHELP is to not only give these children the chance to succeed through education and livelihood support, but also a reason to believe. That’s where our Sponsor A Child program figures in.

Sponsor a Child

Together with our local partners, the Dieu Gac Orphanage & Thien An Institute, we strive to create a warm and welcoming environment where street children and orphans can find comfort and flourish mentally and physically. The guardians at our partner institutions provide emotional and educational support, in addition to caring for the children’s living needs, while our compassionate donors provide the financial support that makes these children’s livelihood possible.

Our Impact

VNHELP donors sponsor around 200 street children and orphans each year.

Trung Nguyen, a donor, shares a bit of his story traveling to Vietnam and meeting the little girl he sponsors, Bich Tran, for the first time.

As soon as Bich Tran came out, I gave her a big hug and the tears just began pouring out of my eyes unconsciously. It was like the reunion of a father and child seeing each other for the first time after years of separation. Frankly, I was a little embarrassed: here I was, this grown man who couldn’t stop his tears from streaming out. I stepped aside, wiped my tears, took a deep breath and once again scooped Bich Tran up in my arms. She is only six years old, so she there is still much she doesn’t understand in this world…she is innocent like all other children with a fresh and sweet face. Compared to the pictures of her I had received 6 months prior from VNHELP, it seemed like she had been raised well by hearts of boundless compassion thanks to the caretakers here. I was extremely happy to meet her…

I want to thank VNHELP for giving me an opportunity to do what I’ve long wanted to do: help orphans and street children find homes so they don’t have to wander the streets, wondering where their next meals will come from. Being able to sponsor a child has made me a happy person. Each and every one of us can extend a hand, no matter how small, to help less fortunate children escape poverty, and make our Vietnam motherland a much better place.

(Translated by VNHelp staff)