In Viet Nam the new school year starts soon. For the students this means studying all day. Some of it will be spent attending classes at school, some compulsory extra tuition classes at school, and some in private extra tuition classes at teachers homes and then doing homework at home. Saturdays are usually spent on school activities, some private tuition and homework as well as helping around the home. Most students have a free day on Sundays when they do more homework and chores around the house and many have to do farming to help the family.
For us at the office now it's time to prepare home visit schedules for each area we work in, do home visits to our students and families, write up reports, prepare for term one payment days and much more.
Also we need to make sure we have a sponsor for each CEF student. Sometimes the sponsors who have committed to see a child through their education have to stop for financial reasons and we need to find new sponsors. Each year we have high school graduates and some who have applied to go to university need help and so we need to find them sponsors or even two to share the sponsorship. As university is more expensive than high school, the cost of university is too much for some sponsors to carry on their own. Every year we also have new students we take on who urgently need help to stay in school and they need sponsors too.
Without our staff, donors and sponsors, partner organisations, advisors and board of directors all this help for girls to stay safe, in school and receive an education, so that they can break the poverty cycle and have a future with choices, would not be possible. So we are reminded often as we work, how crucial the support is that we fortunately do receive.
With huge thanks to all those who are interested in our work, those who encourage us and those who support us in some way, as it all makes a difference,
Linda
