A letter from a CEF girl to her sponsor - Guest blog by Kim Chi

I love the way this little girl writes her letter to her sponsor; it’s very simple and honest about her feelings. Although she’s just in grade 5, she is a very thoughtful girl.

Many children like Tet as they will have new clothes, but this girl likes Tet because this is the only time when her family gather together. I can understand her desire as her mother and her brother work far from the family home, and her sister studies far away too. She stays at home with her brother and her granny lives nearby. For this girl, at Tet, the most importance thing is to be with her family.

......How are you? I am well. I have just finished my term 1 examinations and I am now looking forward to my Tet holiday because my mother, my sister and my brother will come back to the family home for Tet, and it will be a very happy time.

After school I often help my granny with some chores and then have lunch and dinner with her. She loves me so much. I often go to my aunt’s house to play with my cousin who always smiles when I come to play with her. Although my mother, my brother and my sister aren't at home, I feel happy when I play with my cousin.

I hope you are always in good health, happy and successful.......

Da Nang supporting minority tribe communities in the mountains

When CEF was told of 27 very poor minority tribe families in the mountains outside Da Nang we considered helping them with their education.

So today we went into the mountains and went to the commune and met some of the parents that we were told about.

We found that the Da Nang government had been amazingly generous and given them completely free education,  textbooks and notebooks, as well as a sum each term to make, or to buy school uniforms, allowing the children to have 4 uniforms a year.

Da Nang businesses and charities also had contributed to the community with gifts of bikes, Tet food parcels and other gifts mainly organized by DOFA in Da Nang.

This was a total surprise and new experience for us. So far we haven’t come across any children in the other areas where we work (Thai Binh or Quang Nam), receiving 100% free education including all education costs.

In the area we went today there weren't high schools, so the high school students have to go to boarding schools and all costs there also are covered.

Their homes also were good, although small. They had been built with funds from the local government. 

We were told by a Da Nang official that they try to look after the minority tribes well as they are very poor and they want to make sure the children receive an education as well, so they do what they can to make it easy.

It is true that the families we saw are poor, but they don't need help with education or housing. Their poverty is mainly because the soil is poor and they can't grow much. As it is quite isolated they can't easily get work and are dependent on local businesses for work, which for many is seasonal, such as planting in the forests and logging.

We were please to see and hear about all the support this community receives. Congratulations are due to the departments of the Da Nang government that care for the minority tribe communities and for DOFA working to ensure support goes their way. We at CEF are totally impressed with the amount of support and care they receive. 

Proud to share one of our CEF girls won second prize in a drawing competition on 'Disaster Relief'

We are proud to share that one of our CEF girls did a wonderful poster in a 'Disaster Relief' art competition. 

SEEDS ASIA is running a short term project in Quang Nam on 'Disaster Relief'. They have been talking to local residents and students in schools and so far have visited 6 schools; 3 primary and 3 secondary.

They recently had an art competition for a poster at all these schools and the students sent their posters to SEEDS ASIA. Our CEF student won second prize and was rewarded with a certificate, rain coat, school bag, cap and some booklets about 'Disaster Relief'. She was very brave and made a little speech too.

This project that the Japanese NGO SEEDS ASIA, has been running in Quan Nam is a capacity building project for students and local residents around Quang Nam to help prepare and better equip them for disasters . This is an excellent and needed program as the adverse weather conditions in Quang Nam do result in many disasters.