On the initiative and with financial support of Ford Foundation (USA), a group of two journalist and filmmaker visited Da Nang from July 5th to 17th July 2010. The visit was aimed to make a film report, in cooperation with Children of Vietnam (USA) through the project of “Hope System of Care,” about agent orange/dioxin impacts on children’s life in Da Nang city, one of the hotspots of agent orange/dioxin in Viet Nam.

After a survey of 6 families with disabled children in the districts of Hai Chau, Hoa Vang and Ngu Hanh Son, the camera crew selected 2 families being affected most seriously to film. One of the selected families was of a little girl Nguyen Thi Ly, in Hoa Quy ward, Ngu Hanh Son district and the other was of two brothers Tan Tri and Tan Hau, in Hoa Phong commune, Hoa Vang district. Daily activities of the children and their families were recorded with interviews of their parents about the family’s current situation and the difficulties they are facing.
Also, the group interviewed Ms. Luong Thi Huong, Chief Representative of Children of Vietnam inDa Nang. The interview was about impacts of agent orange/dioxin on generations in Da Nang, cases of disabled children benefited by the “Hope System of Care,” and especially the organization’s expectation for cooperation with and receiving support from other donors in helping the disabled children in Da Nang city.

Excerpted from the Danang City Foreign Affairs Department official website: http://www.fad.danang.gov.vn

The Ford Foundation is funding a campaign called the Vietnam Reporting Project. The goal of the project is to raise awareness of the issues surrounding Agent Orange to the American Public, Vietnamese Americans and many policy makers.

As part of this project, COV will host 5 journalists over the next two months. The first of these two journalists-- Ed Kashi and Catherine Karnow just finished spending almost two weeks visiting families impacted by the legacy of Agent Orange with the Children of Vietnam staff.

Please take a few moments to view the struggles and beauty these journalists observed on their travels.

http://www.viiphoto.com/feature.html

Each year, COV provides primary and secondary school children from poor families with the materials and funding needed for them to get a public education.

This year over 400 students in the Hoa Vang district received these COV scholarships for the upcoming school year. Other students in Ngu Hanh Son and Hai Chau are still waiting for assistance.

These scholarships will come in two stages. Last week the first round of children received notebooks, textbooks and two uniforms to wear to school.

The children were so appreciative and excited about their new supplies!

The second stage of their scholarships will come in August. The students will get money just before school starts to pay the required public school fees including health insurance, accident insurance, class movement funds and money for classroom equipment.

All of these fees and material costs average to around $50 per student to go to public school for a year in Vietnam. While by American standards this may not sound like much, for low income families in Vietnam this amount, especially for multiple children, can make education a huge burden.

Often times children born into the poorest of families are more likely to drop out of primary school in order to participate in income generating activities. (Young Lives Longitudinal Study) Also, By the time children reach the lower secondary level, which begins in sixth grade, only 59% of males and 57% of females attend. (UNICEF) These children stop studying and learning when they are only eleven years old! Girls particularly National statistics hide the gap in educational attendance between males and females in rural areas and ethnic minorities. (UNICEF) Two-thirds of all school dropouts are girls, and 19 percent of young women from ethnic minority groups have never attended school. (United Nations Position Paper on Young People in Viet Nam 2008-2010) Girls often feel the pressure to stay home to help the family provide the basic essentials.

Luckily, because of Children of Vietnam scholarships, poor families are able to give their children an education for a brighter future!

Did you know that Vietnam has one of the highest rates of facial deformities in the world? The high number of children born with disfigurement is a result of the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

Children born with facial deformities must deal with serious health issues, high medical bills and educational difficulties.

Facing the World, one of Children of Vietnam's partners builds medical infrastructure in countries like Vietnam and preforms life changing reconstructive surgery to deserving children.

COV locates and supports children and their families in Vietnam who can benefit from one of these procedures.

Tomorrow night, June 28th Channel FIVE will air a documentary on Facing the World's wonderful work in Vietnam.

Check out the documentary trailer here!

Children of Vietnam coordinated all seven children featured!

Education is one of COV's main initiative, so I think it is important for the COV community to understand what the educational practices and norms are in Vietnam.

What amount of schooling does the government provide? What does a school day consist of for students in Vietnam? How does COV improve education levels? These are all questions I myself have wondered and researched these questions so I have decided to share the results!

Primary education for kids ages 6 to 11 is compulsory in Vietnam. While the actual schooling is free, families must pay for school supplies, textbooks, uniforms and other similar costs.

For many low income families these costs mean the family may have to choose between sending their child to school or putting food on the table. Also, in rural areas some families may have difficulties getting kids to schools that may be miles away. Another issue is that during busy farming seasons children may be needed to work at home and thus kept from furthering their educations.

Students attend school six days a week. Sometimes when schools are overcrowded, students attend classes in shifts. Children in primary education classes often learn through recitation.

Lower secondary education in Vietnam is the equivalent of 6th through 9th grade in the United States. Then students can go to an upper secondary school program to prepare for university or they can do a vocational education program.

Students on the university track must pass entrance exams to move on to further education. Tourism is one of the most popular areas of study for university students.

All throughout school students take courses in civics that focus on moral behavior and citizenship when they are younger and then, in higher levels of education, students explore various philosophies such as Confucsionism and Marxism that have been highly influential to Vietnamese culture.

Many students also take English and other foreign language classes in additional to their regular loads. A friend of mine who I met while in Vietnam came from a rural village and is now a university student in Saigon. He lives in a dorm room with 9 other students and attends classes and additional tutoring for over twelve hours every day. Quite the feat!

Education is probably the best way to improve the lives of deserving families in Vietnam because it takes children out of the cycles of poverty and gives them opportunities to brighten their own futures and then later use their skill sets to improve the lives of their families and communities.

Children of Vietnam has a variety of programs that aids in need students at all levels of education. COV makes it possible for poor families to send their students to school by providing tutoring, scholarships, bicycles (as a way to get to and from school), school supplies and more. COV also builds kindergartens in rural areas to give young students a great head start on their educations. Check out the education initiative page on the COV website for more information about these programs.

Earlier this week, Children of Vietnam was featured in another blog called What Gives 365. Blogger Betty Londergan selects one charity every day for a year to recieve a $100 donation. She also does a great write up of each non-profit to encourage others to give as well. Check out her blog post about COV and leave a comment to thank her for spreading the word about our worthy cause!

http://whatgives365.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/losing-your-heart-in-vietnam/

Thanks to a generous donation by MoneyGram International, children in Tam Dai village now have a beautiful new kindergarten facility so that they can get a jump start on their education.

Kids, teachers, community members, government leaders, and representatives from Children of Vietnam and the MoneyGram Gobal Giving Program gathered on May 12, 2010 to celebrate the completion of this project.

There was dancing, singing, speeches and food to mark the occassion. The Binh Binh kindergarten now has a beautiful entrance, tiled flooring, an indoor bathroom and hand washing facility for the students.

“This is a great day for young children in Danang that now have the opportunity to begin school at an earlier age. We thank Children of Vietnam for their hard work during the past two decades and dedication to the education and well-being of disadvantaged children in Vietnam,” said Remas Ho, Regional Director for MoneyGram, “We are pleased to support Children of Vietnam as it strengthens academic readiness.”