Rose Vietnam

Rose VN: Be Tho Orphanage health check up program 2011

2011-11-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

Libby Madden joins Rose Charities Vietnam Board

2011-10-28T03:18:00.000-07:00

Rose Charities Vietnam is delighted to welcome Libby Madden to our Board. Libby and her husband James live in Brisbane, Australia. They work in the aged care sector to which Libby brings her considerable skills, including degrees in Nutrition and Gerontology.

Libby went to Vietnam for the first time in 2003 and "fell in love with the country and the people". She has been back seven times, visiting Rose VN projects in Ho Chi Minh City on a number of those occasions. Libby has given Rose VN a great deal of support over the years.
In 2010 Rose Vietnam shifted its focus to Hue, where we now have a number of projects including building houses for the poor, education support, a school for blind adults and income generation. Libby plans to visit Hue in 2012, (and is currently learning Vietnamese!) While there she will evaluate a new community development project in Thanh Thien village.

Libby joins current board members Mr. Phuoc Chi Nguyen, Louis Lap Nguyen, Hanh-Thuc Nguyen and Jan Johnston.

Homes for the disabled, and other updates: July 2011

2011-07-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

A new home for a family with special needs

Rose Charities Vietnam: Update: July 2011 (from Ms Thuc - Rose Vietnam)

Rose Vietnam is in the hands of a small team of extraordinarily dedicated volunteers, Mr. Nguyen Chi Phuoc and Ms. Hanh Thuc Thanh (Thuc).

Currently Rose Vietnam is focusing efforts in Hue, where there is a great deal of poverty compounded by frequent typhoons and flooding. Projects in Hue include a school for blind adults, building ten houses for very poor blind people (4 completed to date, each house costs approximately $2000), education support and income-generating projects.

Here is a summary of a case study recently completed in Vietnam

“ Vietnam which has more than 3000 km of coastal line is received with many tropical storms from East Sea every year. Storms of destructive nature causing considerable damage, generally, strike the central part of Vietnam; namely three provinces, HaTinh, ThuaThienHue and QuangNam. Particularly, in Hue, since 1999, hundreds of people have lost their lives and the property damage comes amounts to thousands of billions Vietnam dong.

Last month Thuc made a trip to Hue, with Mr. Phuc, and sent back the following report. We rely heavily on these reports from the field: this one is submitted (almost) verbatim to demonstrate the cultural challenges, difficult choices that have to be made when allocating scarce funds and the dedication of Mr. Phuc and Ms. Thuc.

Day 1: Visited two finished houses. To date four houses have been built.

Visited two families who may qualify for sponsorship from Rose Vietnam for a house for shelter. It was decided to accept one case and reject another one. Reason for rejection: The candidate is an old blind women who has 2 daughters. The younger daughter is mentally challenged and lives with the mother, the second daughter is married and lives in a house with her husband and in-laws. Her husband does not want the mother and younger daughter to live with them due to the daughter’s mental illness. The woman’s younger brother lives in the same neighbourhood in his own house. He doesn’t want his sister and his niece living with him because his house is a remembrance building for ancestors and women are not allow to sleep there. This nonsense tradition and the unequal treatment toward the old blind woman and her daughter with mental problem are the sources of the tragedy. We want to create pressure on the family and local society. Good traditions should be kept to inspire morality and ethics. Nonsense traditions should be eliminated. Thus, the family should make the arrangements for these two poor women and the local society should redefine the standard in evaluating children's duties and compliance toward previous generations.

We visited one on-going building site: this house is being built with 20 million VND, which was donated by the Canadian Community in Ho Chi Minh City. The house will provide a decent shelter for a very poor elderly lady and her daughter, who has a mental problem. The daughter collects plastic from trash everyday for a living. Their house is on the bank of a river. Since it is not permitted to have house in this area which is considered as high risk during the flooding period the local authority granted land for her. But she needs some money to build a house. A representative of a local government organization will give her an additional 10 million VND (Vietnam dong; about Cdn $468).

I have learnt that all the houses built by Rose Vietnam have received contributions not only from CanCham and PEB Steel but also from local authorities and neighbours. This is such a wonderful thing. Phong Dien Blind Associate have referred cases to us and we will select the most needy. Mr. Phuoc has done a great job in the effort of coordinating with Phong Dien Blind Associate. He has great understanding of the local mindset. My concern is that we normally give the money after the house is built; we do cash giving. I guess this is the best that we can do.

Day 2: Thanh Tien village

This is Mr. Phuoc’s hometown. Mr. Phuoc knows most everyone and has a deep connection with this place. This village is among the poorest villages in Hue. Thus, the villagers have a hard time maintaining a common place for ceremonies and public usage. Mr. Hoa (chief of the village) has sought help from Rose. So far, Rose Vietnam has supported repairs for the main house in the complex with a budget of 10 mil. VND. There are two rooms in the house. One is used to teach the villagers making paper flowers and another room is used as classroom.

The key persons of the village would like Rose to consider 3 project proposals:

1) Investing in a sewing programme to create jobs for young women in Thanh Tien. Many young people are leaving the village to move to the booming metropolis. Mr. Phuc feels the urge to build a strong economy in the village. He buys trash from clothing manufactures, which is separated into two groups, paper and small pieces of cloth. The paper is then sold to a recycling depot and the pieces of cloth are used to make rugs/bath mats.

2) Supporting an encouraging education fund for the village.

3) Supporting the effort to maintain a traditional art and income opportunity which is paper flower creation. Please visit this website to understand it:

Mr. Hoa (the artist) is also the chief of Thanh Tien village. Although this art does get public interest it hasn't received sufficient financial support to survive. Each lotus flower is sold for 8,000 VND (37 cents). A tourist who wants to learn to make one is charged only 30,000 VND ($1.40).

Recommendations:

~While the recycling idea is a good one the sewing industry in Vietnam is very competitive. I told Mr. Hoa that I appreciate the thought of job creation for female villagers but I wish he would change his mind and focus in Thanh Tien’s competitive advantage. Working together in the paper flower business is an idea. Thanh Tien can become a tourist destination and promote traditional art.

~Supporting an encouraging education fund: I think a sufficient fund for an excellent and strong minded student who comes from disadvantage family and tries hard to be the best at school is crucial. I recommend that four candidates submit papers including school record for a year and a certificate to prove that he/she belongs to a disadvantage family (Vietnamese government gives a certificate for disadvantage household so that they can collect social welfare; this amount is very little). A decision would be made based on these submissions.

~Paper flower creation: I recommend Rose Vietnam grants Mr. Hoa 1.5 mil VND for the copyright registration fees. There is a need to furnish the making paper flower teaching room. Mr. Phuoc can advise us the cost. Something basic and organic feeling is a way to go; tourists come from the city and they love the simplicity of the countryside. I would like to see it turned to a real classroom and an exhibition place so that tourist can visit there. I asked Mr. Hoa about growing more plants and removing weeds to make it more attractive.

2010-08-26T12:42:00.001-07:00

Be Tho Sewing Machines

2010-08-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

Update fromBe Tho

2010-08-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

Recently a number of modern sewing machines were purchased for Be Tho so that the older girls can learn a skill which will sustain them when they leave the orphanage (please see previous blogs). Many people have particpated in the process, all have been crucial to its success. We would like to thank Oliver Bonas, Albetta (Marco and Annabel), Rose Charities UK, Hanh Thuc Nguyen, the Canadian ladies in HCMC and the Consular Club of HCMC. Here is a report from Helen Taylor, Canadian representative to the Consular Club HCMC, and a message from Sister Vinh.

(from Helen) Some of our Canadian ladies have spent 7 days over the past few weeks working with some of the orphans and nuns on the improvement of their quilting skills and developing new marketable projects for the orphanage. This has involved donations of many hundreds of dollars from us as well for fabric, thread and scissors. We hope to use some of the Rose UK funds for a collapsible table, quilting rulers and quilting blocks. By November we hope to have many new Christmas projects for sale on the Canadian table at the Consular Club Charity bazaar, with payment going to Be Tho orphanage.

and from Sister Vinh : We are the board of managers of the ophans and disabled children BeTho, we are very happy to send this letter to you. We received 3 sewing machines and 1 enter lining machine. We use these machines to teachthe disabled children a trade and do outwork, make the products to earn money for nourishing the orphans and disabled children. On behalf of 130 orphans and disabled children, we express our gratitude to Rose Vietnam Organization, Oliver Bonas Organization. We wish you are healthy and happy.

New homes for the blind

2010-07-18T05:54:00.001-07:00

As part of our commitment to improving the quality of life for blind people in Hue, Rose Charities is building ten homes for some of the poorest residents. With a donation of $2000,00 from the Canadian Chamber in HCMC (CanCham) and support from PEB Steel Construction Company, the first home was "unveiled" on July 17th, 2010. PEB Steel has very generously offered to undertake the construction of the roofs on all ten houses.

Mr. Cao Vinh Family House (before)

Construction in Progress

Laying Foundation

Mr. Cao Vinh Family New Home...donated by CanCham and Peb Steel

SEWING MACHINES FOR BE THO

2010-07-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

Over the last two years Oliver Bonas UK has been making steady donations to Be Tho orphanage. These funds have contributed to the building of a new orphanage to ease overcrowding, support for essentials (such as food, etc.) and most recently the purchase of three "professional" sewing machines and one needle over-lock. These machines will make a considerable difference to the girls in the training programme that has been set up at the orphanage to ensure a means of support for young women when they leave (the boys learn carpentry). With the help of Albetta, a local clothing manufacturing company that has also been a generous donor to Be Tho, and with training from volunteers from the Canadian women's group in HCMC, the young seamstresses at Be Tho will soon be producing professional quality goods which can be sold at local markets.

Rose Vietnam Christmas Spirit

2009-01-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

On December 21, members of Rose Vietnam were joined by some Canadian expat volunteers for a Christmas Party at Be Tho Orphanage.

The 132 orphans were excitedly waiting for our arrival and immediately launched into We Wish You A Merry Christmas, followed by a traditional Vietnamese song! We were then treated to a dance performance by some of the deaf and hearing girls, and to a duet by two young children at the orphanage.

After the performance we broke open the milk boxes, cookies, snacks and presents and had a great Christmas party. The children particularly enjoyed the bubble blowing -- special thanks to Thao Duong for organizing that -- and we were all persuaded to join them on the dance floor. Thanks to Metro for sponsoring the milk and baby food.

It is wonderful to see how much the children care for each other at Be Tho, everyone is included, the older children dance with the young children, the deaf are held and encouraged to participate by the hearing children, there is a great deal of love and care in this facility.

The only disaster was the "noise makers" made from water bottles filled with rice and decorations, which had been put together for the sing along. All went well until one of the children realised he could open the top and spill the rice. Pretty soon they were all doing it and the rice was thrown all over us like confetti .... it made such a mess, but was so much fun!

The Gift that Keeps on Giving-Laundromat Operation by the Blind

2008-10-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Projects that aim at being self sufficient are the long term goals of Rose Vietnam. In the province of Hue, we support four Blind Centers through our Laundromat Income Generation Programme. We donated washers, plastic package sealers and towels to these centers to wash and package wet towelettes for the local restaurants.

Wet towelettes are usually provided on long haul air routes to Asia in a small, sealed plastic bag. Many restaurants and hotels in Viet Nam also have these wet towelettes as an additional service to guests for coping with the humidity. It makes more practical sense than a paper tissue which tend to stick to the skin.

Our pilot location is in Phong Dien Village, many thanks to Mr. Phuoc, our Board member, who works on site to ensure that our first site is in full operation mode and Mrs. Tina Nguyen, an online donor from U.S.A. We provided full line of equipments, training and helped them find customers.

Rose Vietnam hopes to expand the Laundromat Programme to the other three sites. All sites are now equipped with washers but we are looking for financial donors in order to purchase the plastic package sealers and more towels. The total start up cost is no more than $600 for each site, including the washer, but such an amount can go a long way. Rose Vietnam is actively seeking funds for this programme.

A Much Needy Orphanage

2008-09-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

Our Rose members recently made a visit to Dieu Phap Temple Orphanage, just outside of Bien Hoa, Dong Nai. Introduced by the Sunshine Group who has been a regular contributor to this orphanage, Rose Vietnam had pledged to be a permanent partner on this project.

This is a much needy orphanage. There are roughly 120 to 150 orphans ranging from newborns to high school seniors. Though Dieu Phap Temple seems to be getting supports from various charitable groups and private individuals, we think that the children's health and social well being are overlooked.

We see people bringing foods and other confectioneries to the temple but we also discovered that the volunteer doctor is no longer able to make visits and some of the children clearly required medical attention. One child had died in the previous week before our visit. It is a very, very difficult situation at this site.

Dr. Thuy, a Rose Vietnam volunteer, and her colleague are so kind in contributing their own time and dedication to improve the children' health. They will work with the Sunshine Group and begin profiling each child's medical status in order to address specific, individual needs.

Rose Vietnam had donated school supplies, bath towels, toys and foods with our Tran-Nguyen-Hoang Fund for Children and small donations from a few residents of Burlington, WA. Rose Vietnam will be looking for further fundings in the remaining months of 2008 and 2009.

We hope to be gaining wider support for this project and certainly welcome any financial contribution from you.

Thank you, HMCS Regina!

2008-06-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

On June 4th HMCS Regina came to Vietnam to celebrate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Canada. During their four day visit to Ho Chi Minh city seven members of the ship's crew spent an afternoon visiting the children at Ben Tho orphanage in Dong Nai, which is about 40 minutes outside the city. They brought with them toys and food (including Girl Guide cookies which were a clear favourite among the children) and donated $1500 to Rose Charities Vietnam, to be directed to the orphanage, which is home to approximate 132 children. Sister Vinh, director of Be Tho, said the money will be used to replace the roof.

The money had been raised by the crew of HMCS Regina on its voyage across Pacific Ocean. An additional $2,800 was raised for Rose Vietnam at a corporate dinner held on board.

Rose Vietnam hopes to implement more sponsored programs for children and extend our reach to different regions with increasing support from organizations and individuals in Vietnam and abroad.

Rose Vietnam's strength is flexibility

2008-02-20T18:52:00.000-08:00

Flexibilty is a key success factor in our operation. Rose Vietnam allows donations to be earmarked for a particular cause that a donor wishes to support.

Such a cause or project can be one of many that Rose Vietnam is currently involved with or a donor may suggest an entirely new project, as long as it meets our mission and objectives.

As an example, we had accepted donation to Yen Bui from a donor in Toronto through Rose Vietnam mobile cataract clinic ($1,000). The money will be directed toward cataract surgeries via Rose Vietnam partnership program.

It is fair and logical to customize and allow maximal control of the fund distribution to our donors. We want to address the problem that many people experience after making contribution to large, international charitable organizations and not being able to take an active role in the process, even in the financial sense.

Rose Vietnam works directly with you, your projects and our projects...

Fund Raising at Canada Rocks Concert in HCM City

2008-02-16T23:17:00.000-08:00

A KISS FROM A ROSE
By Libby Zinman Schwartz

This time the kiss was from Rose Charities, a Canadian group of non-governmental organizations with a common goal: to rehabilitate people to function more productively in their lives.

One of the many needs Rose Charities fulfills is eye surgery for sight restoration. On the evening of February 16, at the residence of the Canadian Consul General, Bill Johnston, Rose Charities and the Canadian Consulate fulfilled the dream of many sightless Vietnamese and Dr. Tran Cong Toai, Orthopedic Surgeon and Vice Chairman of the Biomaterial Research Laboratory, Ho Chi Minh City, by raising thousands of dollars for an eye bank.

Braille training for the blind...

2008-01-15T12:44:00.000-08:00

Dr. Will Grut visited our project site in Quang Dien, Hue. He took these moving pictures with his digital camera. Rose Vietnam sponsored the entire project which included 20 blind students and provided Braille training equipment, furniture and a Braille instructor from Hue Province.