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"

Come Support Children of Vietnam!

Please come out to Ten Thousand Villages

and support Children of Vietnam!

On Thursday, May 10th, the Ten Thousand Villages store in Greensboro, NC will be supporting Children of Vietnam. 15% of all proceeds from sales between 6 pm and 8 pm will go to COV to support our wonderful programs. Please come out and join us! You can buy some wonderful third world handicrafts and support COV at the same time!

For more information or store directions, please check out Ten Thousand Villages.

Controlled and Happy Chaos - Hoi An Orphanage

Hoi An Orphanage was one of the last outings we made before some of our group headed back to the United States. It was controlled chaos as 51 pairs of brand new sandals were distributed to these children. The orphanage director explained that the children had never received shoes all at the same time. In the past, they had received donations of only 5 or 6 shoes at a time.

Tam Ky Newborn Orphanage

We were fortunate to visit Tam Ky Newborn Orphanage a second time during our trip. The pictures below are just some of the infants we delighted in visiting and seeing how well they are doing. COV provides milk, food, and vitamins for these precious children.

Bicycles Keep Children in School

Donors Jack and Jerry raised funds, through their church, to buy bicycles for these great kids -- many must travel 5 to 8 kilometers one way to get to school in 90-degree heat. Helping these children get to and from school quicker makes a great impact in keeping them in school longer.

Vocational School Dormitory Dedication

We were happy to have our donors Suzanne and Bud present for the dedication of the new vocational school dormitory in DaNang. This dormitory, which they funded, will house 12 street children who have completed their vocational training and need safe housing as they enter the workforce. It was wonderful, filled with joyful emotion.


One of the first resident spoke to the audience about how important this housing is to his life and to personnally thank the donors. This handicapped young man, Hung, was orphaned at age 12. In his own words, he told us he had contemplated suicide by jumping in a river, because he had no hope for his future. He said, "As you can see I am a disabled boy, but I will try my best and now I have a job. I work at hairshop. My income is $98 a month. I wish the last part of this dormitory be built so more children can live here."


The goal of Children of Vietnam is to raise additional funds of $45,000 to complete three more wings to this dormatory and ultimately provide needed housing for 48 youth starting a new life.

Education is the Key to a Brighter Future

University Scholarships




On Monday, education was the theme. We were invited by the People’s Committee to formally meet with students who are receiving scholarships from Children of Vietnam. It was thrilling to meet the young people, but even more moving for the students to meet the family who is funding their education. Some of the stories were so very moving.

One young lady tearfully explained how her mother was so happy when she passed the university exam. Their joy quickly turned to sadness when they realized that there was no way they could fund her education. The mother first sold the family’s only pig to provide clothing for her daughter and left the rest to fate. COV was the blessing they were looking for.

Children of Vietnam is funding 47 university students this year, thanks to the generosity of our donors. When we see the conditions these children live with, it is hard to imagine how they succeed. It is through hard work and commitment. What a joy

Mang Non Kindergarten, Hai Chau District
The kindergarten teacher had just gotten them settled for a late morning nap but when we arrived a nap was out of the question! This little people are full of swagger! They laughed and giggled, hugging pushing, each wanting their picture taken. This kindergarten was built with the funds of a generous single donor. It provides all day enriching care from 7:00am to 5:00pm with four meals for poor children who come from very poor families.







Tutoring for Street Children
In the evening, we visited the DaNang Street Children Tutoring Program. Children of all ages are tutored in small groups in algebra, trigonometry, English, and other subjects. Younger children practice math and language skills. COV is funding this program, which includes a meal – a big draw for the children. Many of the children live in a dormitory setting, while others live with family members in poor situations.