WOMEN’S TERTIARY STUDY SPONSORSHIPS
Through our fund, Australians have sponsored 25 women for tertiary courses and a disabled student for a computer course. These students are attached to the women’s monastic community (convent) at Huong Phuong in Central Vietnam. For a list of completed sponsorships please click here.
Other ongoing or recently completed projects are:
* Tertiary scholarships to study disability care, nursing and teaching. Women’s tertiary sponsorship program.
* School and tertiary scholarships for indigenous and disabled students at An Binh orphanage, Saigon.
* Livestock and education assistance to poorest households, Hung Son indigenous village, Nghe An.
* Student libraries for An Binh orphanage in Saigon, and Huong Duong orphanage in Can Tho.
* Internet computers for orphanages and student households, in Quang Binh, Danang and Saigon.
* Chicken and duck farm expansions at Huong Phuong orphanage, Quang Binh.
* Computer training for Danh, boy in a wheelchair at Huong Phuong orphanage, Quang Binh.
* Rice harvester for women’s monastic community at Huong Phuong, Quang Binh.
* Locally manufactured playground for Huong Phuong orphanage in Quang Binh. Purchase and installation of new playground equipment
* Chicken raising project for Thuy, young mother in a severed burns accident, Quang Binh.
* Furnishing a kindergarten and traditional medicine clinic at Chuyen My village, near Hanoi.
* Bicycles and blankets for Trang Nua (Vinh) shelter for homeless children.
* Beds, bicycles and electricity stabiliser for Huong Phuong orphanage, Qhang Binh.
* Weekly tutoring for students at An Binh orphanage, Saigon.
* Drinking water supply for Quyen Ngoc river fishing village near Cau Giat, Nghe An.
* School student sponsorships and study materials for Buu Tri pagoda orphanage in Can Tho.
* Furniture for medical clinic soup kitchen at Nga Nam, Mekong Delta.
* Life saving surgery sponsorship for Tien, an adopted baby from Cau Giat, Nghe An.
* Mattresses for children in the disabled room, Bo De pagoda orphanage, near Hanoi.
* Recovery from facial medical surgery for Hieu, victim of an acid attack, Saigon.
* Washing machines, hygiene and food supplies for Huong Duong and Hoa Mai orphanages in Can Tho.
Much of this project work is ongoing. We are always on the lookout for best ways of s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g that dollar, to help where it is most needed.
You can assist these community projects by donating here.
SMALL PROJECTS
Orphanage playground; Bicycle fleet; Chicken farm upgrade; Digital upgrade; Rice harvester; Village cafe improvement; Feasibility study for orphanage special care unit carried out; Feasibility study commenced for a village library/student study room; one year’s supply of medicines for a village clinic, furniture and fittings for a kindergarten and village clinic.
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:
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