Our annual report to donors is just finished.  You will find it in “About Us”. During the 2017 financial year we carried out a wide range of projects. This included encouraging children to attend school, providing an electric wheelchair, medicines for a group of orphanages in Nha Trang and provisions to disadvantaged families in villages as well as help to a leper colony. Our sustainable projects increased household income through livestock raising of free range black mountain pigs, wild geese and chickens.

Our board, Julie, Dennis, Geoff and Clive provided encouragement and support. Vietnamese-Australian friends Loan & Tiep were regularly consulted as cultural interpreters. They have provided a picture of what is happening under the surface. Our faithful weekly contributors Clive, Vytas, Michael & Adrienne, Geoff & Rachelle. have been joined by Hayden and Yen. Thank you for a generous donation from the friends of Mrs Pho House, the Vietnamese Restaurant at 221 Rangoon Rd Singapore. The owner, Hoang, organised an amazing fundraising opening night for this new restaurant.  Also thank you to our Vietnamese-Australian friend Thuy. The fund received large donations from our friends Dennis and Karna. Thank you also to our many volunteer interpreters and “fixers” in Vietnam: Hien, Chau, Thuy, Huyen, Hiep, Truclinh, Duong, Lam, Son. We were not able to involve all of them during the 2016 trip. But nothing could get done without the help of our interpreters. We relied heavily on the generosity of local people, some of whom were also volunteer interpreters, to carry out and complete projects: Hiền in Mekong Delta, Sister Kim Anh in Binh Duong, Lâm in Nha Trang, “Nam1” in Ha Tinh, Châu in Ha Tinh, Sister Quế in Buôn Mê Thuột, Sister Nhàn in Phong Nha, Sister Kính in Phát Diệm, Sister Lành in Xã Đòai and Sister Nguyễn in Quỳnh Lập. Neighbours in my street included  Hamish and Ginny  who helped with street parties. Jee and Joyce held a Sunday junk stall at the local Trash-n-Treasure market. With this funding we were able to carry out many small, local projects at the village level, including 3 large projects:

1. Flood relief for 20 households in Ede indigenous village, Central Highlands, south of Buôn Mê Thuột. Pig raising and food. Project carried out by Sister Quế.

2. Medicine supply to 8 orphanages in Nha Trang region. Project carried out by Lâm.

3. Geese for 34 poor households in 4 mountain villages around Phong Nha. Project carried out by Sister Nhàn.

Thank you to all for generous donations to the fund, practical help, moral support and good counsel.