Education Fund: 21 Women’s tertiary study scholarships sponsored; 1 Traineeship for people with disabilities sponsored; 1 Medical centre internship sponsored.

Medical Fund: Feasibility study commenced for a village medical centre.

General Fund: Orphanage playground; Bicycle fleet; Chicken farm upgrade; Digital upgrade; Rice harvester; Village cafe improvement; Assist volunteer groups of Dec 2010, Jan 2011); Feasibility study for orphanage special care unit carried out; Feasibility study commenced for a village library/student study room.

COMPLETED PROJECT EXAMPLE: ORPHANAGE PLAYGROUND

Total outdoor + indoor play equipment supply cost = $5,800A

The orphanage Director at Huong Phuong village orphanage identified a need for play equipment in April 2011. The play and exercise equipment consisted of a large unfurnished TV room at the orphanage and a small metal carousel outside.

Returning through Saigon, I spent a couple of days looking at orphanage/kindergarten play equipment with Sister Luan, orphanage Director, another nun who runs a preschool in Saigon, and my interpreter Hoan.

We visited the premises of two suppliers. Both have glossy colour catalogues. But one, we found, supplied mass produced play structures wholly imported from China. They had a big show room.

The second supplier turned out to be a cottage industry. Based in a shed at the outskirts of Saigon, every item of play equipment was carefully crafted by hand. All items are made to order, so there is no floor display or floor stock. Prices turned out to be very competitive with the China imports.

We prepared a detailed specification and itemised costing based on the catalogue items. A meeting with Canberra’s disability therapists in Belconnen helped to fine tune the play equipment selection.

We began fundraising in May. Funds were raised at St Vincent’s Parish, Aranda and the Vietnamese community parish at Kambah. Matching funding was provided by St Aloysius College in Sydney and David Penalver in Goulburn. Then we collected small donations from many kind people. By September 2011, we had raised the $5,800 playground cost and sent a funding contract to the orphanage. When this was returned signed we transferred funds to the orphanage. In November the installers arrived.

The children (and grown -ups) couldn’t wait for the playground to be completed and ran out to try it all out. Provision of the play equipment is now fully accounted for, delivered and reported back to sponsors – Peter Kabaila

Images of the completed playground, November 2011: