Children Coming Back!

Great news! With the generosity of a donor, dedicated staff, and an excellent contractor, the repairs to the Hoa Mai Orphanage have been completed in record time and the children are able to return.

Many poor families still face challenges ahead as they struggle to rebuild their homes now in rubble or without a roof.

Thank you to everyone who made a difference by donating funds for relief packages and reconstruction. We at COV and the families and children left stranded by Typhoon Ketsana are truly grateful for your assistance!

Photos of Typhoon Ketsana Relief Effort

Hoa Mai Orphanage damage. The wind ripped off the roof of many of the buildings. The damage was so severe the children were evacuated and can no longer live there until repairs are made.

Blanket distribution.

Typhoon Relief Update

Going to the southern part of Quangnam Province, staff delivered Typhoon Ketsana relief packages to the people of Tam Giang and Tam Hai island wards. As part of this effort, children received school supplies to replace books, notebooks, and pencils that were washed away and/or water damaged.

$25 Provides Emergency Food & Blanket for Two Families

At this time, our staff are spending all of their energy distributing relief packages to people without food or shelter. A single relief package cost about $13.00 per family and includes rice, noodles, oil, canned fish, and blankets and mosquito nets when families have minimal shelter.

A gift of $25 will provide immediate relief for two families. Donations can be made via our website at http://www.childrenofvietnam.org

Typhoon Ketsana is only the start of troubles for poor children and families. While the storm has passed (killing at least 163 people), the government is estimating 150,000 people are now displaced with damaged or completely destroyed homes. Many in this region are farmers who depend on the food they grow to feed the family. Now without a safe home and ruined crops, hunger is a stark reality. Without proper shelter and sanitation, disease is probable.

Thanks for caring!

Message from Rod Brooks, CEO, Stop Hunger Now

After the Typhoon Ketsana ripped off the roof of our food warehouse, all of our food was at risk of spoiling. Staff acted quickly to salvage the thousands of meals generously donated by Stop Hunger Now. This food product is a highly fortified dehydrated tofu and vegetable mix designated for distribution to eleven institutions providing shelter for poor children and their families, orphans, street children, and old people’s homes within Danang City and Quangnam Province. Salvaging this fortified food was critical as the typhoon has negatively impacted many facilities, homes and crops. Stop Hunger Now is a major partner and contributor to our Nutrition Initiative, and in response to our successful salvaging efforts, Rod Brooks, Stop Hunger Now, CEO, sent the message below.

Dear Ben,

Thank you so much for your note. I am sincerely moved by the dedication shown by the COV staff in Vietnam. Their efforts demonstrate the value they place on the food we've donated and exemplify the high level of accountability that your organization provides. I have shared these comments with our Board and staff, stating how the partnership SHN has with highly effective organizations such as yours is indispensable to our efforts to end hunger.

Ben, please express my profound thanks to the staff who have worked so hard to ensure that the meals we sent are secure and distributed to the children who really need them. And please accept my sincere thanks for all that you are doing.

Yours truly,

Rod
Rod Brooks, CEO, Stop Hunger Now
2501 Clark Avenue, Suite 301, Raleigh, NC 27607, (919) 839-0689 office, (rbrooks706 SKYPE

EMERGENCY APPEAL - PLEASE HELP THOSE AFFECTED BY TYPHOON KETSANA!

On September 29 Typhoon Ketsana roared through Danang and central Vietnam with winds up to 90 mph and dumping 10 to 15 inches of rain. Children of Vietnam offices did not suffer too much damage, but our food warehouse lost its roof. Per our Country Director, Ms. Hong, “two /third of food have got wet, but each small box covered by plastic bag so we have to use a lot of towels to dry each bag and put to another box. 620 Boxes ax 36 bag = 22,420 bags. About 25 people help us yesterday including 7 COV staff, Hai Chau Orphans, our University Scholarship students. We finished around 7 PM.” Ms. Hong and the volunteers knew that salvaging this food (fortified rice, tofu and vegetable mix) was vital to provide some relief for people flooded by the storm. Staff are now swamped with requests for food and housing assistance.

Our staff are focusing on the immediate need now and will send photos and a full report shortly after the situation becomes less severe. So far we have learned that two of the poorest districts of Danang have suffered considerably, In Hoa Van, a very rural district, 64 villages and 5,384 people are flooded with water (up to 2 meter is some locations), 92 households have completely collapsed, and 1,089 household have lost all their roofs. In Gnu Hanh Son, 50 household have completely collapsed and 500 households lost their roofs. We know the need will be great for sometime to come until families are able to rebuild and begin their lives again. COV is using it limited emergency funds to provide relief and we are also redirecting our food stocks originally designated to supply food supplements to 11 agencies in the area (orphanages, street children programs, old people and people with disabilities homes.)

We are asking for donations for our emergency funds which will be dedicated to crisis food, health, and housing support. Your gift would be a tremendous lift to the families and children facing this crisis. Please act now by making a donation.

We will share more information as it becomes available.

Thank you,

Ben Wilson, President and Founder

The many faces of the Children of Vietnam...

One Very Happy Day!

What a joy we shared today in the dedication of a new kindergarten in rural Quang Nam province. The school was built with funding from COV donors and will provide early education for the children of this community. Our visitors were treated to quite a reception by government officials, parents and children. The festivities included dancing, singing and many smiles.

Visit to the Ancient City of Hoi An

Our staff and visitors had a blast visiting Hoi An. This was a day to enjoy the sites of Vietnam. We toured the city and saw how silk is made through the cultivation of the silk warm. I think everyone had some clothing made from the beautiful fabrics. The highlight of the day, was a trip on a riverboat to see the sights along the river. This included watching a fisherman casting his net.

The gift of a home!

Safe housing is something that most of us take for granted. In Vietnam, many families do not have the luxury of dry and safe housing. Our team has seen families in dire need of a home to protect their family. We have also seen families who have received new homes built by our donors.

On Saturday, we dedicated a house for a family that included a single mother and her daughter. There were smile of happiness and tears of gratitude. That same day, we visited a single mother with two daughters in need of a house. There, we saw tears of desperation. Children of Vietnam, with funding from Dining for Women, built the first house and plans to turn the tears of fear and sadness into tears of joy.

A touching moment with a new friend!

There are times in our lives when a moment touches us deep within our being. Such a moment happened to the COV team when we visited the Center for the Aged and Handicapped in Hoi An. We met a young man lying in a flat wheel cart. He spoke some English and interacted with us. Cory, one of our visitors, was very moved by his situation and asked if he would like a wheelchair that would allow him to sit up. His eyes lit up and he squealed with delight. Everyone was brought to tears. This young man will get a modified wheel chair and Cory has made a new friend.

Welcome to Danang!

Ben Wilson and a team of visitors arrived in DaNang on Wed, March 3 and were welcomed by the COV staff and children from the Street Children Program. The team visited a kindergarten, which is under construction and will be dedicated on March 11.


In addition, the group visited Tam Ky orphanage where they delivered toys and clothing to the children donated by residents from Winston-Salem.

A special visit in Saigon

Saigon:

On Tuesday, March 3, Ben Wilson and a group from COV went to visit a young girl with ichthyosis, a genetic skin condition. The team brought in lotions and clothing to assist with her treatment. A doctor was present to help with the use of the lotions and will follow-up with her care.

Come Celebrate Tet and Support COV!

TET CELEBRATION AND FUNDRAISER

Come Celebrate the Lunar New Year

When: Saturday, February 9, 2008 between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm Location: A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, NC

The event is being co-hosted by UNC students from the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA). Throughout the day Vietnamese foods will be sold, Vietnamese cooking will be demonstrated, and the VSA Traditional Dance Team will perform Vietnamese dances.

AND...

As a prelude to this year’s event, A Southern Season will match any gift dropped in their "Piggy Bank Boxes" located by each register throughout the whole month of January.

COV is hoping to raise $3,000. These funds will be used to provide milk, food ,and vitamins for orphans and street children in Quangnam Province. A year’s supply of milk for 50 children to have one serving a day costs $3,000 that breaks down to $8 a day, or 16 cents a child.

Thank You USS Peleliu!!

Last month, the Children of Vietnam got a very big surprise--a donation of goods valued at $20,000 from the USS Peleliu of our US Navy!

In mid-July, one of our board members, Nancy Letteri, was in Danang, Vietnam working hard on a grant for COV when she and Dannia Southerland, another COV consultant, met a navy team from the US navy ship, USS Peleliu. The USS Peleliu was in Southeast Asia as part of its 2007 Pacific Partnership mission. After talking with Nancy and Dannia, they met the Danang staff and were so impressed with COV's work that they wanted to donate 6 large crates filled with toys, medical supplies, sewing machines and fabric!

Mrs. Huong, our wonderful program director in Danang, along with our diligent Danang staff, worked hard negotiating with Danang Customs and managed to get all of the donations quickly cleared through customs --an amazing feat in itself! Thank you staff!

The USS Peleliu was so impressed that they invited COV's Danang staff aboard the USS Peleliu for a ship tour and reception also attended by the Chairman of Danang People's Committee and other dignitaries.

Here are some pictures of their wonderful afternoon aboard the USS Peleliu...

After COV's exciting visit aboard the USS Peleliu, Ben Wilson, COV President, received the following email from Lt. Kent Hepler of the USS Peleliu...

"Mr. Wilson,

I want to begin by saying that it has truly been an honor to work with your team here in Danang!

Ms. Huong and the rest of the Children of Vietnam team in Danang are remarkable people! I was impressed with the organization instantly and that sentiment has only continued to grow. When we originally met with Ms. Huong, we were of the understanding that the government had cleared all of the donations through customs; she would only need to accept the gear. However, the day prior to the ship's arrival, we found out that there was a completely different customs requirement necessary for donations to NGO's. Ms. Huong immediately shifted gears, began coordinating with all governmental agencies here, and clearly relayed all of the requirements necessary. Without Ms. Huong's assistance, there is no way we would have been able to complete the paperwork necessary to deliver the gear prior to the ship departing. After Ms. Huong spent countless hours with Vietnam customs, we were able to deliver the materials. The ceremony yesterday was a very memorable time for all of us!

I noticed that you are located in Winston-Salem. I lived in Asheboro, NC for a few years and still have many friends in the region. If it is okay with you, I would like to meet sometime and learn more about your organization. Of all organizations I worked with in Danang, Children of Vietnam is by far the organization that impressed me the most!!

I look forward to hearing from you again and can not stress enough how impressed I was with your organization here. The team in Danang truly "gets it" and it is evident how much they are focused on improving the lives of those in need.

Sincerely,

LT Kent Hepler"