A visit to two girls in CEF's education sponsorship program (Guest blog and photos by Kerry)

A very special day!



Today we were to get a rare insight into the world of two little girls, named Tam (14 years old in the pink) and Ngoc ( 12 years old) who we sponsor through C.E.F. in Vietnam.(www.ChildrensEducationFoundation.org.au)

Tam and Ngoc and their younger brother lost their father in a motorbike accident over a year ago.This has been a very sad situation for this young family on so many levels.
Their mother left as sole carer and breadwinner, was placed in difficult situation in regard to the continuation of schooling for the girls. Thankfully C.E.F. was advised by a local Buddhist Nun,( seen pictured here with Linda's assistant and Linda) and once their needs were assessed, C.E.F went into action to try and find a sponsor.



Linda Burn the founder of the charity and I met on a previous cooking tour of Vietnam as she sidelines as a travel guide to support herself and her charity. We stay in contact and when she alerted me of this situation last year, Andrew and I were happy to step up and take up sponsorship.

As many people do when they donate to a charity like this, beyond the initial payments, we don't often think about how our donation actually plays out in the individual's lives. As Andrew and I were to be in Vietnam and close to where the girls lived,( about 45 mins out of Hoi An), I asked Linda if we could arrange to meet, which she kindly organised and accompanied us with an interpreter.

It was such a humbling and rewarding experience to meet the girls. I wanted them to know us, and to believe we have their best interests at heart. They both study hard and their grades are excellent. English not being their first language and sparingly taught in the schools, we learned through the interpreter that Ngoc's favorite TV show is a cartoon called Tom and Jerry. Who would have thought! Tam loves Literature and Ngoc is into Physics. They are poor but proud. Their home is humble but they have a small piece of land the mother can sow and harvest rice from to earn a living, and they have 3 new piglets which makes them extremely happy as this also can bring in an income.

I can't tell you how much it meant to us to see the girls and for a short while gain an appreciation of their lives and the challenges they face and will face in the future. An education is everything to a Vietnamese as it is the only way for them to go beyond manual labour in markets or harvesting rice or worse sold off as a mail order bride. It was even a treat to play with the play dough we brought for the younger brother, who was totally in awe of this colourful moldable stuff and went to give it back to us before we left, as he didn't think it was for him. I think that's why we got the "peace sign" attempt Andrew had been working on with him in the last pic.



My praise goes to Linda and her team for the work they do. It does truly cost so little to sponsor a child here, and I am glad we took them both. They loved the small little gifts we gave them and it gave us such great pleasure to just be there.

Further down the way on the same day, Linda took us to meet another girl, Trang, who we sponsored just for her last term. Apparently it was very much appreciated as without it she would not have been able to go on and gain a scholarship to learn to be a PE teacher. She is pictured here with Andrew.

Vietnamese read less than 1 book a year

"Vietnamese read less than one book/year" was the title of an article in VietNamNet Bridge.



Children's Education Foundation started a mobile library this academic year to help increase the love of reading and literacy amongst the children in our education programs. Initially we are taking books to all the children in our programs throughout Quang Nam and in Da Nang; most of whom live in the countryside. As we have more funding and consequently more books, they will be lent to all family relatives.



Part of the article follows which helps to give a good picture of how little reading takes place here:
"Vietnamese people read 0.8 books a year on average, said an official of the Ministry of Culture - Sports - Tourism at a press conference last week. The figure stunned the press.

Preparing for the Festival of Books and Reading Culture 2013, titled "The book that changes life," Deputy Minister Huynh Vinh Ai had a passionate speech about the importance of books at the press conference on April 12.

Another official from the Ministry, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, released some sadly information about reading in Vietnam. According to Mai, compared to other countries in Southeast Asia, the proportion of people reading books in Vietnam is quite low. On average, Vietnamese read 0.8 book/year (less than one book). The rate at public libraries is 0.38 book/person.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Thach, who initiated the project to bring books to the countryside, said that he conducted a survey in 2011. All 253 respondents who were farmers said they did not read book. Rural children read 0.2-0.8 book/year compared to 5 books/year for urban kids."

UTS Fundraisers for CEF (blog by Graeme)

For two years or so we've been holding various events at the University of Technology in Sydney to raise funds for CEF's programs. Just before Christmas Lyn donated one of her rich fruit cakes and we made $355 for New Year food parcels for the poorest families in CEF's programs.



On most Saturdays Anna brings in chocolate biscuits and we raise about $25 each time. These donations add up to enough for the school costs of at least one girl over a year.



We've also been supporting two girls and one of the girls, Phuong, completed her schooling last year. So this Saturday we had an Easter raffle to pay for Phai who we're now helping. We raised $160!



Thanks to all our supporters who brought in Easter produce and who brought tickets, and especially to Anna, who is the mainstay of these events.

'New bike for Vi'

Today Vi, who is one of our educational sponsorship programs, received a 'new' secondhand bike.

When Vi was in primary school she just walked a few minutes to school. But now she has moved up to middle school she needs to travel about 10 km to school. She needed a bike to get there easily. A local pagoda kindly gave us one of their old delapidated one. We had it repaired; new wheels, tires, and seat, as well as adding a basket.

She is thrilled as now she can get to school in 30 minutes on the bike. Her family are happy too as they are challenged financially, as dad has cancer and hasn't been able to work for many years now.

Donation of aprons and easels for CEF art days from 'Reaching Out' in Hoi An

'Reaching Out' have donated easels and painting aprons for CEF art days. This gift is not just thoughtful and generous, but special too as 'Reaching Out' staff have disabilities.



The aprons are beautiful, well made, as well as practical; as one side is an oil cloth. The easels will be very useful too!



Thank you to the staff of 'Reaching Out' and to the amazing couple who started up 'Reaching Out'; Binh and Quyen.


Please see the 'Reaching Out'website www.reachingoutvietnam.com/

If in Hoi An, Vietnam please visit their handicraft shop with beautiful and unique gifts on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. If in need of refreshments such as exquisite flavoured and fragrant teas please visit their beautiful tea house near by, on Tran Phu Street.

CEF staff member Hieu

I am Hieu from Hoi An.

I have been working as a part time staff at CEF for about 1 year already.
Before working for CEF, I spent my free time hanging around or going to some coffee shops with my friends. I always wished that I could find a part time job or voluntary work to do with my free time. I did think of working freelance from home. However I don’t think that I suit this kind of work. All I want to do is something that I can utilize my accounting skill and work with vulnerable children as well as their families.

One day the director at my official working place introduced me to Ms Linda and asked if I wanted to work for CEF. I was so happy that I accepted the offer as it matched with what I longed for. It is so great to work for Linda and her great staff.

For the first few months, I worked on accounting only. In July 2012, I was offered a new chance and challenge which was managing about 20 children in Hoi An. The task was quite new to me. Although I have some experience with charity work however I have not worked directly with local people. I considered this as a new challenge for me to discover myself and also a great chance to devote for the poor.

It has gone well since then. Although now I am busy and have less time for my family and friends, I spent my time in a useful way.

'Love' cards made by some of the CEF children

Here are some of the cute 'LOVE' cards the children made on the art day with Linda DeWolf.
The children are 6 to 16 years old.

He saved his life by floating

Each year Children's Education Foundation organizes for the Quang Nam children in our sponsorship program to have a beach day. We have Swim Vietnam teach water safety and swimming. We also play many beach games and have a meal together. It's a great day for all, including all our volunteers, young and old.

This year only one child refused to go in the water; this boy had taken in all he heard and saw we know for sure, as recently he saved his own life by remembering to float.

It has brought home the importance of educating children in Vietnam in water safety. He is still alive.

What's an orphan?

A child in an orphanage is not necessarily an orphan, if we mean an orphan is someone without parents.

In most orphanages in Vietnam that I have been to or heard about the majority of the children have parents.

Most of the children have parents who are poor and they can't care for them well, or their parents are alcoholics and won't want to care for them, or they have too many children and can't afford their care.

There are orphanages throughout Vietnam that are truely caring places for children and they are better in the orphanage than at home. Unfortunately that is not the majority. Many have become thriving businesses, for the management at least, with children not receiving any of the financial benefit or the wonderful gifts of toys and games.

Children's Education Foundation does what we can to keep orphaned children with any remaining family, whether an aunt, uncle, or grandparents. This keeps them part of their family still, part of their community and allows them to continue school with their friends.

(These three girls do not have living parents, but do having aunts, uncles and grandparents to help care for them)

Some stuffed toys were given to CEF for the children

A few stuffed toys were given to CEF for the children so we gave them out yesterday when we did home visits. The children were thrilled to be given toys!