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international and community development in Vietnam

Typhoon Haiyan Relief Efforts in Vietnam

December 27th, 2013

Although Vietnam escaped Typhoon Haiyan relatively unscathed compared to the destruction that tragically wrought the Philippines, there were still many people in central Vietnam whose lives and livelihood were devastated by the event.

VNHELP initially wasn’t sure if we had the resources to help the typhoon victims in Vietnam, but thankfully, with support from the Compassionate Service Society, the Quy Nhon Charitable Association, and individual donors, we pooled together enough funds to go in and make a true difference.

We’ve been helping typhoon victims with food and financial assistance, and we’ve been checking in to see if we can play a role in recovery efforts. It’s humbling to see the light of hope return to people’s eyes as they realize help is there for them. We’ll update this post as more info about the relief efforts comes in from Vietnam, but for now, check out some of the pictures below!

Relief 1

People waited patiently for assistance.

Relief 2

They were kind and helped us keep track of what was being distributed.

Relief 3

Relief 4

Many of the people we helped were elderly; they would have had a very hard time getting back on their feet otherwise.

Relief 5

Great to see a smile on this gentleman’s face again.

Relief 6

Relief 7

Relief 9

Relief 10

Relief 8

Thanks to the wonderful volunteers and project coordinators who were there to take care of the distribution logistics!

 

What is Giving Tuesday?

November 25th, 2013

givingtuesday

You’ve probably heard of Black Friday and it’s digital cousin Cyber Monday, but have you heard of Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday first began in 2012. It was started by 92Y, a community center and nonprofit organization in New York City. The folks at 92Y observed that in the U.S., there’s a day to celebrate thanksgiving and two whole days to indulge in shopping, but no day to celebrate generosity. Why? Generosity has been a backbone of culture and society, but rarely does it receive the limelight. So Giving Tuesday aims to change that by dedicating a day to giving. It’s a day to encourage one another to give to charity and think about how we can best put our dollars to use helping others in need. Giving Tuesday always falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. This year, it is December 3rd, 2013.

At VNHELP, we hope you’ll give to your favorite charities, both ones doing work locally and globally. We hope you’ll consider making a donation to VNHELP as part of your Giving Tuesday plans too. We sincerely appreciate it.

Happy holidays all!

Thank you Mùa Thu Cho Em Concert Sponsors!

October 25th, 2013

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

MTCE19_harmony

Now that the 2013 Mùa Thu Cho Em concert series has officially wrapped up, we’d like to send a big thank you to the sponsors who were part of making the concerts possible. Please check out their information after the jump!

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Vocational Training Cycle 3 Wraps Up

October 22nd, 2013

Congratulations to the 30 youths who took part in our third motorbike vocational training cycle! The 30 youths underwent 390 hours of practical training and 150 hours of theoretical training as part of an intensive mechanics training course. All 30 students made it through the course and many of them have already secured employment with their new-found skills. Big props to these youths for their patience and hard work. We’re wishing them a bright future while keeping up with the fourth cohort of students who began their training on September 15th! See more pictures after the jump!

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A New School in An Phu

October 21st, 2013

On Oct.1, the new An Phu Primary School officially opened its doors to students and community members after construction was completed in September. The new school has five classrooms for students from grades 1 to 5, a staff room, lavatories (which, unfortunately, are still lacking in manyVietnamese schools), and new furnishings.

An Phu is located north of Saigon, close to Vietnam’s border with Cambodia. Many of the students are ethnically Cambodian, which makes them ethnic minorities in Vietnam. Our hope is that this new school will play a part in closing the education gap between Vietnam’s ethnic minorities and the majority Viet Kinh population. We want these children to be able to pursue early education, helping them succeed later in life.

A big thanks goes out to the Nepheli Foundation for their generosity in supporting this project. Check out some of the photos below:

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