An unusual CEF family situation about a single father caring for his three children ~ Blog by Thuy

CEF was introduced to Vy’s family through the Women Union. It’s an unusual case and different to most. It is a single father with 3 young children. It’s very difficult for a single mother to look after her children, but it’s more difficult for a single father in the same situation.

Vy’s mother died last December. Although they knew Vy’s mother had heart disease, she had no treatment because they had no money and they did not understand how serious her health problem was.

They live in a countryside village where most people work as farmers. If anyone wants to change their life by earning more money they need to go to another city or district to find another job, such as construction work, factory work, tailoring or housekeeping. Vy’s father considered finding a job in a town so that he could manage their daily costs and his children’s education expenses. However, he has no one he can ask to help look after his children. As he is the youngest child in his family and all of his siblings are poor farmers they can’t help. His deceased wife’s relatives live too far from his house to help. Therefore, he has to continue with just farming jobs near home. This allows him to stay near home to do the washing, cooking, cleaning and looking after his children. He sometimes goes fishing at night by using an electric rod. He knows that it‘s very dangerous and not allowed by Government but he needs to feed his family. Life seems so hard for their family but he still feels lucky and happy when he sees the smiles of his children.

About a visit to one of our CEF children ~ Guest blog by Ngoc

We had a nice time at Kiem’s house. They talked and shared about many aspects of their lives. Last time, they were quite depressed because of the big debt they had from building the house. However, they are now happier thanks to their change of mind. They have a new stable house, which can help them to avoid the heat when it’s really hot, and the wind and rain when it’s stormy, so they know that they are very lucky. Although they still have a huge debt, they have positive thinking that they can work harder to gradually pay it off. Her mother already paid off a quarter of the loan over a year by working all day. It is very fortunate that since they have had a new house to live in, her mother is healthier and fatter enabling her to work harder. I believe that no matter what happens, with their efforts and optimism, they will be always be joyful and ecstatic about their new home and life. 

New bikes for CEF children from Renaissance International School Saigon ~ Guest blog by Kim Chi

Our CEF children were very happy and lucky to receive new bikes from ‘Renaissance International School Saigon’. Their students worked very hard to raise money by selling food at their school at lunch time and raising sponsorships for their teacher who competed in the Iron Man competition. They donated all funds to CEF to buy new bikes for 11 children who really needed bikes to go to school.

It was a hot day, and fortunately the children from the mountainous areas came early to get their bikes. Both the children and their parents were very delighted to get new bikes.

After receiving training about how to ride a bike safely on the street, the children were trained in how to keep the bike safely with a chain and lock plus learn how to adjust the light to use at night.
The children had a chance to choose the bike which they liked and to test it out. Students of Renaissance International School Saigon helped our children to alter the height of the seat in order to suite their height and to align their wheels. They went back home with contented smiles.

The Power of Reading Books ~ Guest blog by Kim Chi

I really like reading whenever I have free time and every night before going to bed. I have found a lot of useful knowledge in books which I really need for both my life and my work. 

I just recognized the benefit from reading books when I was in grade 12. I became very stressed from having had a difficult life, plus living in the ‘Children’s Home’ in Hoi An. While living there and when I was in my last year of high school my behavior changed for the worse: I was impolite, jealous, felt disappointed and lonely as I felt no one cared for me. When I was given two helpful books from someone, I could then see, and could hardly believe how rude I had become. After reading these books, my behavior changed. I’ve believed in myself, believed in life since then. I have become confident and experienced the power of attitude. Since then, I save money and buy many books for myself, especially on each birthday.

Fortunately I work for CEF where we have a lot of books. I’ve now borrowed and read many of the books in CEF’s mobile library. This has not only helped me gain more knowledge, but it also enables me to give advice to CEF’s students about which books would be good to read when they want to borrow books.

Over the time I have been borrowing and reading the books from CEF’s library, I have thought of some of our students who should read these books as I know they would help them a lot in their life and with their education.

I have lent some specific CEF books to a CEF student who said she wasn’t confident, especially with communication and it helped her. As I know the benefits of the books we buy from my personal experience and from that of students too, I do hope that CEF will receive further funds for buying more books for mobile library for our students to read.

About CEF's first Life Skills Workshop ~ Guest blog by Kim Chi

CEF’s first ‘Life Skills Workshop’ took place on Sunday, April 12th, 2015. The students were very excited about it, especially the girls who came down from mountainous areas to attend. They had to come to Hoi An a day early in order to be able to join the workshop on time. I and Thuy took them to the ‘Ancient Town’ after they had chicken rice for dinner. It was a first time for some of the children to visit Hoi An. They enjoyed walking around the streets and saw many goods for sale at the ‘Night Market'.

(In town ~ Kim Chi with the students from the mountains. Thuy's photo)

(Kim Chi with the students from the mountains in Hoi An. Thuy's photo)

 Although it was cool and rainy on the workshop day, the hall was warm and they were even warmer as they also did warm up games.

(Warm up exercises. Thuy's photo)

For the morning session the students were divided in 4 groups, with 8 students in each one. In the morning, they learnt about ‘Goal Setting and Time Management’. They worked as a team and discussed each subject enthusiastically. When the lecturer asked about their biggest dream, some of the girls were very realistic. One of the girls said she dreamed her mother would be better as she has kidney cancer, and she cried when telling us of her dream. One other girl said she would like to have a job as soon as possible after her internship because she knows that would help her family. I was very surprised as they were very thoughtful and confident when they shared their dreams. The students gave presentations confidently about the statement ‘Do you think if someone was born into a poor family, they can be rich and successful’. Most of them supposed that the statement was right and they believed they could do that.

(Affirming success is possible even when from a poor family. Thuy's photo)

In the afternoon, it was a very helpful session for the grade 12 and tertiary students as they learnt about ‘CV writing and Interviews’. The lecturer and the students worked really hard on the questions and answers. They shared with each other about how to get information about employers and how to prepare for an interview. It was wonderful that some of the students were able to answer the lecturer’s questions correctly.  

                 (Answering the lecturers questions. Thuy's photo)

The workshop was very important and useful for both students and myself. Thanks to the workshop, the students have more knowledge and they understand themselves better. I also understand more about their thinking and their attitudes and that helps me to work with them as their mentor and also for the future when I plan the next workshop for them.

My first week at CEF ~ guest blog by new staff member Thuy

My name is Thuy. I have just joined the CEF team since the 4^th of this March.  Although I am a very new CEF staff, CEF director and other staffs make me feel very comfortable and relaxed.  They are very friendly and helpful with sharing both their knowledge and experience with me. I am very happy to work with CEF.

I had the first three days in the office to get familiar with our office and office work. Kim Chi and Thu Ngoc not only introduced CEF to me clearly, but also helped me to do CEF work.

On my fourth CEF day, we had a home-visit trip to Hiep Duc, a mountainous area which belongs to Quang Nam province. Different to other NGOs, our home visits and events are often held on weekends because it’s the only time most of the children are free.  Linda - CEF's director, Stephen - CEF 's coordinator in the USA, Kim Chi - CEF staff, and me went on this trip. We visited 12 children that were supported by CEF to see how they were and to update their information. Children in mountain or rural areas, not only try their best at school, but also help their families to do housework or help parents earn more money to support their lives. Tra (her name has been changed here) is one of our examples. 

Tra is a grade 10 student and is quite a good student at school. Her mother has liver cancer and her father is often sick. Everyday she wakes up very early to help her mother prepare vegetable to sell in the market. She then comes home to do some housework, prepare the lunch and look after her young niece, the daughter of her older sister. In the afternoon, she goes to school. She also joins in on some extra classes in the evening. She comes home about 9pm and starts to do all her homework. Although she is very busy, she is still happy. She said she will attempt to do more study and to do better to make her mother pride of her and for her future. She wishes her mother can live a long time.

Each CEF child has a different situation but they all enjoy going to school and believe that education will help give them a chance to have a better future.

My first week ended with the bi-annual event – payment day. On this day we meet all the students that CEF helps with education and make payments for one term. I could see the happiness of the children and their parents on their faces. As everything was already prepared well by the other CEF staff before the trip, and with the good support of CEF local partners, the Vietnam Women's Union, the event was successful.

I was lucky to join CEF at a busy time so I could see many activities and learn more about CEF from my director and colleagues. I believe that CEF is a great place to work and I will try my best to make a positive impact and contribution to CEF.

Two challenged but wonderful CEF mothers ~ Guest blog by Ngoc

In joining in on many home visits I have an opportunity to get to know about the CEF sponsored children and their families lives.

I really appreciate and admire some of the mothers who always support and stand by their children in any situation.

These are two mothers whom I am working with who are good samples of wonderful mothers.

This is a photo of  Linh (her name has been changed here) with her mother and granny. It is already two years since her father passed away due to a motorbike accident. They are still very sad about this; her mother always cries whenever she mentions him.

She is the breadwinner of her family and she works so hard. She works for a garbage collection company from early morning till late afternoon and then she goes to the garbage dumps to collect recycled materials in order to increase her income. She used to return home at 9.30 p.m, then do some household chores and go to sleep at 11 p.m. For a while, she realized that she did not have time with her lovely children and she realized how lonely she was as her children went to bed before she returned home from work. For this reason, she decided to work 1 hour less in the evening so she could go home to be with her children and feel the happiness when having dinner with them, and seeing them doing homework. According to her, it is the most ecstatic time in each hard-working day.

 This is Tuyen (her name has been changed) with her mother. She is little for her age perhaps because she isn't strong with good health. She lives with her mother and siblings in her new small house, which is next to her paternal grandma’s house. In the past, they lived in a shack which was in sand hills surrounded by graves. Soon after her father died of a stroke 3 years ago, they had to leave the area as it was bought up for development, so they all moved to live with granny and then built their little home with some funds from being relocated and with a loan.

Tuyen’s mother is a farmer and also works in a hotel near their house as a housekeeper. Besides that, she takes care of 2 children and her mother-in-law. She works hard all day but she can not afford all the expenses for her family. It was lucky that her oldest son graduated from vocational training and worked as a chef assistant in the hotel where she works. Over a year everything seemed to be going smoothly and was gradually becoming more stable, Tuyen’s mother and her family suddenly had a big shock when they heard that Tuyen’s oldest brother died in a motorbike accident. It was unacceptable for her mother because she had only lost her beloved husband 3 years earlier  and now her son also. She went unconscious when heard this terrible news and it took time to accept this fact. Gradually, she realizes that she is not also the main breadwinner of her family, but also the only shoulders for her 2 children to lean on; hence, she tries hard to overcome her spiritual and physical losses.

Besides working, she spends time being with her children and looking after her small family and encourage her children to study hard.

The way these mothers shared their story is different but both of them have similar thinking that each of them have their own fate, instead of refusing it, they accept it unconditionally, and try to make do what they can to make it better. Thanks to that thinking, they can overcome many obstacles and challenges in their life in order to bring love, care and happiness to their children.

Trip to the mountains to give desks to girls in a boarding school - Guest blog and photos by Graeme

Last November we visited a school a two hours drive from CEF's office in the mountains close to the border with Laos. Many of the girls are ethnic Gie Trieng at this school and they board because their families live too far away. We found that the best way we could help them was to donate small desks for them to do their homework on. They'd been working in their dorms on their beds, without any desks, which was not the best for their hand writing and their backs.

Here are some pictures of our second visit last week to deliver the desks to 47 girls.

It was the last day of school before their New Year holidays and the girls were dressed and ready to go home. 

I wasn't sure about the choice of decorations on the desks, but the girls were happy.

Our colleague from the Women's Union, helped with the presentations. 

And so did the headmistress.

CEF staff Kim Chi and Ngoc with one of the girls with her desk in the dorm.

And now ready to do homework!

Tet Food Parcels make Tet a more pleasurable and happier time for CEF families - Guest Blog by Ngoc

Tet or Vietnamese Lunar New Year is a special occasion in Vietnam when all family members living far from home are able to return and gather with their families.  For our CEF children it is a really significant time for them as it’s when their beloved mothers or fathers who had to leave their hometown and family to make a living in a distant area, can be at home with them for several days. For some it is the only time of year that they see them.

Yesterday morning, we delivered Tet Food Parcels to our poorest children to contribute to their Tet being a cozy and joyful time. For me, this is one of the most meaningful activities of CEF as we are able to partly reduce their worry about Tet and it brings more happiness to them.

All the families came to Hoi An before the required time although they live rather far from Hoi An and it was also a cold and rainy start to their morning.  I asked a father from Dai Loc who came first what the reason was for being very early, and he answered honestly: “I left home at 5.30 a.m this morning so that I can be here before 8.30 a.m. This is the first time I went on my own to Hoi An, so I was afraid of being late and other people having to wait for me. I am really happy to receive this parcel so that my daughter and I do not need to worry much about the rice and other foods during Tet. Thanks CEF a lot”.  It is very kind of him to think of others and indeed the parcel is very helpful for him.

Thanks a lot to our very generous donors who helped us this year to be able to continue doing this special and important annual activity.

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.......