Minh Son is an exclusively agricultural commune in Trieu Son district, 25 km West of Thanh Hoa city, in North Vietnam. Every grain, every cup of harvested rice exacts a heavy toll of sweat and tears from its farmers. Today, rural areas face a labor shortage problem. Young people no longer care about agriculture because the work is too hard and the income barely affords them the rice to eat for the day; they have moved to urban areas to obtain manual labor jobs for a living. The village is now a shadow of its former self, with just a few old farmers still enthusiastic about the fields, together with women and children. They still use traditional methods of farming with manual labors. The farmers’ most fervent wish is to possess a motorized tiller, planter and reaper to reduce their hardships, and to attract a younger workforce to return to their hometown to start a sustainable career.

Having become aware of that wish, and with an eye toward community building and the modernization of its agriculture, on April 15, 2022, VNHelp delivered a Kubota Combine Harvester (DC70 Plus) to farmers in Minh Son commune. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Chanh & Ling Ling Cao Minh for sponsoring this machine.

VNHelp Nguyễn Trường Tộ Scholarship Awards

On Jan 07, 2022, for the 20th consecutive year, VNHelp granted 161 scholarships to Hue University students from 11 colleges in Thừa Thiên Huế, each worth $US200. The recipients were from families with difficult circumstances who had achieved outstanding academic results. If these students maintain good grades each year, they will continue to receive the scholarship annually until graduation. This year the scholarship distribution event took on an added significance in the midst of a complex Covid-19 pandemic. Small group gathering, social distancing and mask wearing were observed at the event.

While scholarship recipients in Thừa Thiên Huế gathered in small groups, students at other locations received their grants via electronic fund transfer (EFT) to their personal bank account:

– 271 students from 6 Saigon universities, each received $250-$300 grant via EFT

– 120 students from 2 Can Tho colleges, each received $200 grant via EFT

– 75 students in Ha Noi ($250/grant) and 30 students in Ca Mau ($200/grant) will receive their grant soon, hopefully before Tết (Lunar New Year)

In August 2018, VNHelp started a project to help Stiêng farmers – a minority group in Vietnam. We raised $13,500 USD (VNHelp 90%, local partners 10%), then gave cows, calves, paddy seeds, farming technique training to 28 households in Phước Cát 2, Cát Tiên, Lâm Đồng Province.

In March 2019, we came back to evaluate the project’s impact and ROI. New calves have been born (3 calves, 3-month-old now) and farming productivity has been increased between 70% and 100% (6000 kg/acre and 6200 kg/acre). The best part is about those farmers’ willing to sell new-born calves at half price to neighbors, carrying on the help-me-help-others spirit. They also request no further help from VNHelp regarding cattling & farming. Yes, we gave fish and taught them how to fish as well!

With a generous grant from the Rotary Club of San Jose, in October 2018 VNHelp purchased and installed 10 water treatment systems at 10 elementary schools in Nam Dinh Province targeting areas where water is contaminated and unsafe to drink.  The clean water provided by the systems benefits 5,150 students, nearly 200 teachers and school staff during school days as it is safe to drink and free of water-borne diseases, and will help to improve overall health in the communities. Additionally, this project will reduce the financial burden for low-income parents who have to buy bottled water for their children every day, as well as the amount of discarded bottle wastes.

It takes 10 minutes to drive from Piedmont Hills High School on White Road to VNHelp office on Calaveras Blvd. Jerry Yang–a Piedmont Hills graduate–co-founded Yahoo in 1994 with David Filo; VNHelp was incorporated in 1991.

In 2012, Yahoo Employee Foundation (YEF)–a charitable foundation 100% funded by Yahoo employees—wrote the very first check of $6,000 to VNHelp.

In 2014, Thu Do (Executive Director of VNHelp) and Xuan Duong (VNHelp volunteer, Yahoo employee) each had only 2 minutes to tell the charity boards at Yahoo what VNHelp could do if receiving a YEF grant. After a session of Q/A and employee-based votes, Yahoo issued a check of $50,000. Since then we–VNHELPers –continued to gain YEF’s confidence, proving that we conducted effectively and made impactful use of their funding.

With the purpose of helping the poor in Vietnam overcome hardship and become financially independent, in the past ten years VNHelp has been partnering with the Center for Women and Community Development (CWCD) in Vinh Phuc Province to lend money to women for starting a new business or scaling existing ones. The program has succeeded greatly with 100% capital returned. These women not only earn extra income but also improve their role in the family as well as in the society. In 2015, VNHelp ran a pilot program for a new initiative – Lending money to farmers to plant Gấc trees – based on the following potential benefits:

– Jobs will be created and local economy can be improved with an inexpensive capital investment. Farmers can maximize the use of their land to grow Gấc trees such as the front yard and the narrow areas around their house.

– Gấc fruits are high in vitamin and nutrition, and they have great export potential. Gấc trees continue to yield fruits in the span of 10 to 20 years.

The initial investment involves buying seedlings, building the supporting trellis, and setting up the sprinkle and drainage system. From the second year on, the plants are mature so they yield more fruits and the cost will reduce significantly to mainly the cost of fertilizers and labor.

After the successful trial program in 2015, we officially launched the program in 2016 with 52 selected farmer households in 3 villages: Dao Tu, Hop Hoa, and Duy Phien of Tam Duong District, Vinh Phuc Province. We provided training in soil preparation, planting, building trellis, and setting up sprinkler and dripping irrigation systems, etc. We also organized field trips to a large scale Gấc plantation in Bac Giang so the participants can learn directly from experienced farmers. VNHelp provided 1,000 seedlings and technical support to the participants. We also contributed 30% of the investment capital and lent the rest (70%) to the farmers.

Each Gấc crop takes around a year. Seedlings are planted in February or March and will yield fruits in October or November. After fruits are harvested, branches are trimmed and pruned. The roots are cared for and trees will grow again in the next crop season. In 2016, the farmers had a very good harvest and easily sold Gấc fruits in the local markets. Therefore, they were elated and very motivated; they wished to expand their farm to larger scale in order to generate more income. As for the future of this program, VNHelp will continue to assist the participating farmers as well as to recruit more farmers to the program. We hope with our financial and technical assistance the farmers will be able to produce a variety of Gấc products for export such as dried Gac fruit, Gac powder, Gac oil, and frozen Gac, which have high market value. VNHelp has a plan to connect the farmers to buying vendors.

As the program is entering its second year, we wish to thank the Center for Encouragement and Self Reliance (CESR) for co-funding the program in 2016. We earnestly call upon our donors and friends to provide financial support for this Gac program to increase its impact on the local economy and the lives of the hard-working farmers.

Dự Án Trồng Gấc

Với chủ trương giúp người nghèo tại Việt Nam vượt khó và có thể tự lập về kinh tế, trong 10 năm qua VNHelp đã cùng hợp tác với Trung tâm Vì Phụ nữ  và Phát triển Cộng đồng (CWCD) thực hiện chương trình cho phụ nữ nông thôn vay vốn làm ăn tại tỉnh Vĩnh Phúc. Chương trình đã rất thành công, 100% vốn cho vay luôn được thu hồi đầy đủ.  Các phụ nữ không những có thêm nguồn thu nhập cho gia đình mà vai trò người phụ nữ cũng được nâng cao trong gia đình và xã hội. Chúng tôi bắt đầu xây dựng ý tưởng về dự án trồng Gấc từ năm 2015, bắt nguồn từ những lợi ích thiết thực sau đây:

– Tạo việc làm, phát triển kinh tế cho các hộ gia đình nghèo tại nông thôn.  Các hộ có thể sử dụng được tối đa đất vườn để trồng Gấc như những khoảng sân trống trước nhà hoặc những dải đất hẹp xung quanh nhà, vừa cho thu hoạch quả vừa làm bóng mát quanh nhà.

– Quả Gấc mang tính dược liệu quý, chứa nhiều dinh dưỡng cho sức khỏe con người do đó nó có giá trị kinh tế cao và có thị trường xuất khẩu rộng.

– Một gốc Gấc có thể cho ra quả từ 10 đến 20 năm.  Chỉ mất chi phí đầu tư ban đầu cho việc mua cây giống, làm giàn và lắp đặt hệ thống tưới nước. Từ năm thứ 2 trở đi cây sẽ cho năng suất quả cao hơn, nhưng với chi phí lại thấp hơn nhiều, chủ yếu  là chi phí về phân bón và công chăm sóc.

Sau dự án thử nghiệm 2015, dự án trồng Gấc được chính thức thực hiện vào năm 2016 với 52 hộ nông dân được chọn từ 3 xã Đạo Tú, Hợp Hòa, Duy Phiên, huyện Tam Dương, tỉnh Vĩnh Phúc. Các thành viên tham gia được dự các buổi tập huấn và đi tham quan công trường trồng gấc quy mô tại Bắc Giang để nhìn thấy tận mắt và học hỏi trực tiếp. VNHelp đã tài trợ 1.000 cây giống tốt, hỗ trợ và tư vấn các thành viên từ các khâu làm giàn, tưới nước, phân bón, chăm sóc phòng tránh sâu bệnh, cho đến khâu cuối là hỗ trợ kết nối thành viên với thị trường tiêu thụ sản phẩm. VNHelp hỗ trợ 30% vốn dựng giàn và cho vay 70%.

Quá trình trồng gấc trên dưới 1 năm. Cây giống được trồng trong khoảng tháng 2, 3 và ra quả khoảng  tháng 10, 11. Sau khi hái quả, nhánh cây được chặt tỉa, gốc được tiếp tục chăm sóc và sẽ lại ra hoa kết trái trong mùa sau. Trong mùa vụ 2016, các thành viên đã hái gấc đem bán ngay tại địa phương. Với số lượng gấc trong đợt vụ đầu tiên này, việc tiêu thụ gấc tươi  ngay tại địa phương rất dễ dàng. Do đó các hộ nông dân rất phấn khởi và ao ước được mở rộng đất canh tác trong đợt trồng gấc 2017 với hy vọng dự án sẽ quy mô hơn, mùa vụ sẽ lớn hơn để có đủ Gấc chế biến ra các sản phẩm Gấc có giá trị xuất khẩu cao vào các thị trường tại Châu Âu, Mỹ, Nhật, Hàn Quốc, v.v. Các sản phẩm gồm thịt màng gấc sấy khô, bột gấc sấy khô, dầu gấc, bột gấc tươi đông lạnh, v.v.

Với triển vọng tốt đẹp của dự án, VNHelp sẽ tiếp tục tài trợ dự án để nhân rộng mô hình trồng Gấc đến nhiều hộ gia đình và tăng số lượng cây Gấc cho mỗi gia đình.  Chúng tôi trân trọng cám ơn Quỹ Center for Encouragement and Self-Reliance (CESR) đã đồng tài trợ dự án trồng Gấc năm 2016. VNHelp tha thiết kêu gọi các mạnh thường quân và thân hưũ hỗ trợ tài chính để phát triển dự án trồng Gấc 2017 và các năm kế tiếp.

On January 13, 2017, VNHELP staff visited Chan Ly Health Clinic in Ha Nam Province. This clinic received medical equipment from VNHelp in 2013. The equipment was purchased by a grant from the Rotary Club of San Jose which included a ultrasound machine, a blood testing machine, a urine testing machine, desktop computers, and a printer, etc. All equipment has been used effectively to serve patients and is in good condition. In this recent trip, VNHelp also donated a new autoclave sterilizer, which is much needed. VNHelp often conducts visit to places where we provided help in the past to evaluate the long term results of our projects. Check out the photo of the visit here.

For several years now VNHelp has had a Microfinance Program which provides loans for poor individuals in Vietnam to fund good investment plans to help them generate income. One of those is the Cochinchine Gourd Plant cultivation program (Trồng Gấc) in Hiệp Hoà, Đạo Tú and Duy Phiên communes, Vĩnh Phúc province. Gấc is considered a “super food” and it has high economic value. The Gấc fruit is typically served at ceremonial or festive occasions such as Tết (New Year) and weddings. It is commonly prepared as Xôi Gấc, in which the seeds and their covering are cooked in sticky rice, giving the dish its distinctive color and flavor. The fruit is also sold in the form of a dietary supplement beverage because it is believed to be beneficial to human health and helps prevent various diseases. At this time of the year, young Gấc seed plants are growing into little trees and starting to fill their support scaffolds. They will be ready for harvesting by December and January. Along with providing Gấc plants for farmers to cultivate, VNHELP also introduces Gấc growth models, builds and supports irrigation systems, supplies planting equipment, and provides training for staff and local people about growing Gấc. All of this is to ensure the economic efficiency of the program. Here are a few images illustrating this worthy initiative; stay tuned for further updates.

VNHELP’s Executive Director, Thu Do, attended the opening ceremony of the water filtration plant in Ha Vinh Village, Ha Trung District, Thanh Hoa Province on Friday, Feb 26, 2016. Thu also visited many beneficiary’s homes to see people enjoyed the crystal clear water right at their home. The entire water system includes wells, many function tanks, water tower, machine room, main pipeline network, and mini-pipelines that connect more than a thousand families to clean water.
This project was made possible with the combined grants from Yahoo, Vibrant Village Foundation and Mrs. Mai Dolch.

           Many villagers attending the ceremony                                          Clean water to every household

            Recognition of the water plant’s sponsors                           Thu Do (blue shirt) cutting the ribbon                             

In 2015, five orphanages continued to receive support from VNHelp. These orphanages cared for 422 children. VNHelp was able to connect sponsors in the US to 282 of these children. Besides providing the fund for food and education, we also funded regular English and computer classes at the orphanages.

                       Computer classes for orphans                               Children from Dieu Giac Orphanage

                      Children from Thien An Orphanage                                 Children from Tu Hanh Orphanage

A restaurant sponsored by VNHELP was opened at the Kien Giang Vocational College in 03/2014 to serve students from low-income family. The restaurant opens 5 days a week. Each day it serves 300 meals and students pay only 2,000 VND (about 10 cents) for a meal. See photos here.

On June 8, the VNHELP Board of Directors held a special gathering to acknowledge the contribution of a few individuals who have consistently supported our Vietnam programs in the last five years: Mai Dolch, Van-Hanh Nguyen, Golden Pacific Investments LLC, Hop Duc Bui, and the Hitz Foundation. We especially paid tribute to Ms. Mai Dolch for her contributions to our causes since 2007.  Her generosity has changed many thousands of lives in Vietnam.  Nine schools were built for 1,400 students; three health clinics were funded to serve 50,000 patients annually; safe drinking water systems were installed for 37 schools with 10,000 students; and cataract surgeries were performed on 1,000 low-income patients to name a few projects that were made possible by Ms. Dolch.  Mai Dolch shared her thoughts on her philanthropy and what keeps her giving. Her speech is excerpted below.  We hope her message will inspire you as well.

Read More “Why I Give“

There’s never been a dull moment since we arrived in Vietnam. Tiring, very. But dull, never.

The day after our trip to Nam Dinh, we headed towards Vinh Phuc province to visit participants of the microfinance program. Microfinance is excellent in theory: give small amounts of capital to female entrepreneurs, equip them with the power to make their own economic decisions, elevate the status of women in society, and watch the local economy grow. But only after visiting the program participants in the flesh can you truly come to understand how meaningful the program is on the borrowers’ lives.

First of all, it’s not just a program that passively gives out money. It helps the women build credit history and provides them with a host of other learning opportunities. On the day that we visited Vinh Phuc, there was actually a legal clinic being held on women’s property rights. Ms. Giang, an attorney who is dedicated to women’s rights, informed the women of changes in the laws and what it meant for their ability to hold and inherit property. The room was filled with women listening assiduously to Ms. Giang speak.

The surprising thing for us was that even after Ms. Giang told them about their rights, some of the women still weren’t convinced of the new laws’ utility. It just goes to show that Vietnam is still very much a patriarchal society, especially in rural and agriculture-based communities. We have a feeling, though, that once the women are able to see the new laws in practice, they will begin to excercise their rights more assertively.

After the morning’s legal session, we began visiting some of the borrowers’ in the microfinance program. Below is Ms. Dieu, who always has a smile in her eyes and giggles after every other sentence. She’s participated in the microfinance program for multiple cycles now, as she is steadily able to borrower larger amounts after building her credit history. She explained to us that participating in the program has improved her living standards and her outlook on life. When she told us that she’d sent her husband to do the day’s cooking so she could greet guests and attend the morning’s legal clinic, we knew right then that major improvements in women’s status had come to this rural commune. Just a few years, a woman to sending her husband into the kitchen would have been unheard of.

Here’s some raw footage of Ms. Dieu speaking to us! It’s unedited, so there are no subtitles for now, but we will get them up soon!

After visiting a few more microfinance participants, we stopped by a roadside restaurant for a family-style lunch. That means no shoes, lots of greens, and sitting on your derriere around a low-rise table. The food was fresh and delicious!

Feeling replenished, we once again began another round of visits to more women in the microfinance program. Ms. Yen below is a radiant 33 year old whose good spirit was infectious.

Ms. Yen explained to us that when she first got married, her husband and her had nothing. Not even a bed to sleep on! But now, she uses her microfinance loans to run a successful small business selling goods at open markets. Asked if she would want to scale up her business, Ms. Yen responded with an enthusiastic YES! Asked what her greatest worries were for her business, Ms. Yen replied that she thought she might not have enough inventory to sell. Hearing that, we immediately wanted to invest in this lovely lady’s enterprise.

There were many women that we visited that day, and these are just snippets of their stories. Eventually, we’ll sit down and share their stories in greater details with you. Please stay tuned!

What made the deepest impression for us throughout the day was the sense of unbounded optimism many of the women in the microfinance program have. All the loan recipients we spoke to today wished to continue with the program and borrow at larger amounts, and they were all fully confident of their ability to pay back larger amounts in a timely manner. We quickly came to realize that these women are all savvy risk takers–the very kind of people who are the backbone of progress. It was humbling getting to speak with them and getting to know the new ideas they are putting into motion. We’re looking forward to expanding the program to reach new borrowers and following-up with the women we met today.

We are so grateful to our local partners, the Center for Women and Community Development and the Center for Sustainable Development Studies, for joining us throughout the day and helping us realize this microfinance project!

VNHELP recently completed the construction of Lam Dong Elementary, and the school held its opening ceremony in March. Students migrated from their old school to the new one. The day was captured in photos. View the slideshow below to see the evolution of a school–Lam Dong from start to finish!

Read More “Evolution of a School: Lam Dong Elementary Opens in Minh Rong!“

Cung chúc tân xuân! Happy New Year from VNHELP! The Lunar New Year officially kicks off on February 10 this Year of the Water Snake. We hope your preparations for this joyous holiday are going swimmingly. 😉

For new celebrants of the Lunar New Year, there are quite a few traditions and customs you may be curious about. In between monitoring projects and reading poverty assessments, we’ve managed to scrounge together a list of 10 things to know about Tet for you. Enjoy!

Read More “10 Things to Know About Tet“

Many of our volunteers and supporters often ask us what role the board of directors plays in the organization. It’s a difficult question to answer because their role can be so encompassing and diverse. In its simplest form, the board of directors sets the tone and strategic vision of the organization, helping ensure that the organization stays on mission and finds new ways to more successfully achieve that mission. But more often than not, board members are much more than people who convene every now and then to answer the big questions of what do we do? who are we here to help and what can we do to help?. Board members get involved in fundraising, they help identify strategic partnerships, and they determine what program areas to expand to, among many other things.

With board members wearing so many hats–from fundraiser to event planner to consultant–it can’t be emphasized enough that having dedicated and compassionate board members is vital to an organization. Especially considering how nonprofit board members receive no compensation from the organization, finding the right board member sometimes feels like finding a needle in a haystack.

Read More “Welcome New Board Member, Dominic Montagu!“

The weekly news roundup is back! In the first full week of the new year, we’ve already got a lot of interesting things to catch you up on. Check out some of our selected readings below!

Read More “Weekly News Roundup: First Week of January 2013“

Back in May, VNHELP wrote about the start of a new school construction project in Son La province. Construction actually began in March, and six months later, in September, the school was completed! The timing was perfect–just when the fall school season was about to go in session. The school is now a place where young primary-school aged children are learning writing, maths, and other important creative and critical thinking skills. We’re looking forward to seeing how the school’s presence will brighten up these children’s futures!

Read More “Project Update: School in Son La Completed!“

As the new president of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim has been asking, “What will it take?”

That is, what will it take to end poverty when 1.3 billion people are living on less than $1.25/day. As Dr. Kim notes in this new video released by the World Bank, that’s 1 our of every 5 people in this world barely scraping by.

Vietnam fares slightly better with 17% percent of the population (a little under 1 in every 5 people) living at $1.25/day, according to the latest World Bank figures available. But when you inch that number up to $2/day, the proportion of the population living in poverty is nearly half at 43%.

So we’re just as curious as Dr. Kim. What do you think it takes to end poverty? Will it be in collective action and people combining resources for a common good? Will it be private sector growth and new job openings? Is it a world where everyone is an entrepreneur? How does the environment fit into the equation? Is it a combination of everything?

Watch Dr. Kim’s video below after the jump.

Read More “What Will It Take to End Poverty?“

Check out this new infographic from the UN”s World Food Programme which explains how high food prices are affecting the global poor.

Note how some families must spend up to 70% of their income to meet nutritional needs, with the proportion raising up to 85% during times of inflating prices. This means that just 15% of income can be allocated to education, health, and other essential needs. Trade-offs are inevitable.

In Vietnam, food, prices, and hunger are complicated issues. Although many of us would like to think of Vietnam as a country abundant in cheap, delicious foods, the Global Hunger Index actually categorizes Vietnam as having “serious”  hunger problems. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), which produces the Global Hunger Index, an average of 31% of Vietnamese were undernourished between 1990 – 1992. But just as Vietnam has been able to drastically reduce its poverty rates, it’s also been able to reduce the proportion of the population undernourished. Between 1995 – 1997, the average dropped to 22%, then 17% between 2000 – 2002, and 11% between 2005 – 2007.

Inflating food prices can also a carry an array of effects on Vietnam’s poor. THE IFPRI noted that increasing prices between 2006 – 2008 could have actually reduced poverty in Vietnam by 8% because the increase food prices benefited many rice farmers, who constitute Vietnam’s rural poor. On the flip side, a recent post on CNBC.com noted that China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam are the three Asian economies most vulnerable to soaring food prices. This, according to economists at Nomura, a financial management consultant firm, is because food prices make up a large portion of Asian countries’ Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure that weighs the average price of basic  goods for a consumer.

Tai Hui, a head economist at the Regional Research for Asia with Standard Chartered, explained to CNBC that China, Hong Kong, Vietnam are particularly vulnerable to food inflation because their CPI baskets are highly correlated with global prices as measured by the CBR/Reuters Food Index, which have been increasing in the past three months: “Hui said for every one percentage point increase in the CRB Food Index, inflation in Vietnam, and China and Hong Kong goes up 13.7 basis points, 6.3 basis points and 4.9 basis points, respectively.”

For now, though, hunger in these three economies has not hit crisis levels. We’re hoping it remains that way–and gets better.

In addition to the excitement of the Olympics, a lot of things are happening in Vietnam and in the world of international development as well. Check out some of this week’s highlights below.

Read More “The Weekly Round Up, First Week of August“

Here’s the second installment of our international development and Vietnam weekly news roundup. This week, we’ve combed through the internet to bring you articles on English teachers in Vietnam, civil conflicts, obesity, macroeconomics and foreign policy. Please check them out below.

Read More “The Weekly News Roundup, First Week of July“

Want to light up a cigarette in public? Not so fast, say lawmakers in Vietnam.

Yesterday, it was confirmed that Vietnam has passed a law banning smoking in all public places. The law also prohibits tobacco advertising and bans the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18. The law is set to go into effect in May 2013.

High tobacco use is certainly an issue in Vietnam and throughout most of Asia. According to the World Health Organization, 40,000 people die of tobacco-related causes in Vietnam each year. The figure is expected to rise. One in three boys ages 15 – 24 smokes. The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), an anti-smoking group, estimates that there are 15.3 million smokers in Vietnam, and nearly half of all adult males smoke.

The question now is, will this new law have any impact? A similar decree was passed in 2010, banning smoking in public, raising taxes on tobacco and restricting cigarette sales. But the decree was seen to have little effect, as public smoking and cigarette sales remain casual sights in Vietnam.

Rather than pure legislative action, regulation coupled with a greater public health awareness campaign might be the path to go.

Source: AFP

Four months ago, a group of 30 Vietnamese youth arrived at the doors of the A Dong vocational school in Saigon (HCMC), hungry for an education and a shot at a stable livelihood. None of these youth really knew each other. Some were from right in the city, passing through A Dong’s school gates for the very first time; others came from distant villages. All were looking forward to a change in their lives, and all formed the first cohort of VNHELP’s new pilot vocational project, which aims to train disadvantaged youth to become skilled motorbike mechanics.

Read More “Project Update: It’s a Wrap! Cycle 1 of Vocational Training Comes to an End“

It’s getting a little easier to be a woman in Vietnam, at least when it comes to matters of maternal health.

Read More “For Mothers in Vietnam, Things Are Getting Better“

VNHELP is proud to announce that we’ve been selected as a $5000 “quick-grant” recipient by the Yahoo Employee Foundation. $5000 is the maximum awarded for quick grants. The Yahoo! grant will go towards funding our clean water projects in Vietnam.  With so many of Vietnam’s rural poor still obtaining water from unsanitary sources, ensuring that all citizens can access clean water for their consumption and living needs will be a challenge for Vietnam’s future development. So thank you Yahoo! and Yahoo! employees, for enabling VNHELP to connect poor households with the water they need to live healthy, productive lives. Rest assured that someone’s life will change for the better as a result of your generosity.