Time with some of our CEF university students from the north

Back in 2005 CEF started helping students from a poor rural community in Thai Binh province. Now most of the girls we started helping then have completed school and university, and are working women supporting themselves. A later group of  students we started helping there in 2007 have mainly finished their education with a few still in school and some in university. 

It's always special having time with them as we have known them such a long time, 13 years! We knew them when they were little angels and now they have grown to be delightful, educated, intelligent women.

Recently we caught up to do updates and to run a small workshop for them. 

Small workshop for the students - September 2019

With our university students and their trainer

Cham is studying nursing

Chang with a book of poetry her sponsor has written

Change is studying IT 

Yen is studying Electrical Engineering

Van Anh is studying Nutrition 

Tham is studying IT

 Hue is studying to be an International Tour Guide

Linh is studying Human Resource Management

Hang is studying Food Processing Technology

CEF students' summer holiday and Water Safety Day

Our students are thrilled when summer arrives and they can have some time to relax after very full days of studies at school, of both their daily classes and compulsory extra tuition sessions. On top of that they have private extra tuition after school hours. 

The summer break most have is very short before they start taking summer classes. If they don't take these they will be behind the other students when the school year starts, so the system demands that they take these sessions.

It must be hard for them to have so little relaxation time. I recall endless summers at the beach, playing with friends, having many outings and doing outdoor activities, and taking part in swimming and tennis competitions. They are all the blessing of not having a challenging life of poverty, like our students.

For many of our students the highlight of their summer is our Water Safety Day that we run soon after school breaks up. 

Having a water safety theory session

On this day we gather the older (grade 5 and over) CEF children from all over Quang Nam province to take part in this important life-saving day. We start with Water Safety Theory, then they play games in the water and on the beach.  

 Games on the beach and in the water

Games on the beach and in the water

Some of the students and volunteers playing tug of war 

Then they learn floating and swimming. If they have learned to float for a good period of time at a prior Water Safety Day, then they move onto swimming lessons.

 Swimming lessons

Swimming lessons

Learning to float

At the end of the day we take them to the cinema to have the treat of a movie, usually both an educational and humorous one. 

This is a very special day, especially for the new students who have never been to the beach, or some of older ones whose parents have not permitted them to come along so far. And from our perspective a very important one as it has the potential to save lives.

This important day would not  have been possible without the support of many, our staff, volunteers, life savers and swimming teachers, and Le Belhamys' generous reductions making the day possible, and use of their beautiful space and beach. Funding of this day was from Go Philanthropic and we are most grateful for this very important support.   

Interviews and updates of ethnic students in the mountains of Phuoc Son

In June each year we do a research trip in Phuoc Son District to interview new ethnic students at their homes, if possible, but some live in much more isolated mountainous communities that we can't easily visit, in which case we interview them at their high school. 

As all the students are poor, we never know if their situations are worse than they make out. They all are so accepting of their poverty and their humble abodes. We often discover that their situations are much worse than we have been told, and that we discover when we visit their homes. 

We help students from this area to keep them in school, so they are educated and can earn a decent living. But also being in school reduce their risks of being trafficked and abused and will delay their marriage. In many of these communities marriage takes place before the legal age in Vietnam and as this is what they parents and grandparents did, it is not questioned.  

It's always a very humbling trip.

Home of one of our new students

Home of another new student

Home of another new student this year

CEF's Guest Blogger and Friend ~ Bev Short

Bev Short is a UK-born New Zealand citizen who has been working and travelling in Cambodia and Vietnam since February 2019. 

Bev is an award winning art photographer who has exhibited nationally and internationally, culminating in her solo exhibition "All Woman - A Modern Portrait of New Zealand Women" which exhibited at the NZ Portrait Gallery in 2012 for 3 months and went on to tour the country for the next 2 years. 

Bev's life has always been a mission to improve the lives of women so, when she left photography behind, she turned to the world of health and coached many midlife women back to well-being and happiness. 

Divorced with 2 adult daughters, she will return to NZ in July 2019.

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Interview of CEF's Ms. Ngoc Huynh ~ Guest Blog by Beverly Short

With her cropped hair and unique style, Ngoc Huynh isn’t your average young Vietnamese woman.  24 years old and originally from Saigon, Ngoc has been a volunteer with CEF Vietnam in Hoi An for over 7 months.  She is an English Language graduate and has always aspired to a career combining education with social work. At some point down the track she intends to continue her studies with Education Management. 


Although she comes from a comfortable background, since an early age she has recognised the connection between education and breaking the poverty cycle, which has spurred her to seek voluntary work within an NGO.  Whilst most Vietnamese leave Hoi An to seek work in Saigon, Ngoc has done the opposite – drawn by the tranquillity of the town and the fact that she can cycle everywhere.


Like others who are drawn to NGO work, Ngoc has experienced much personal satisfaction and happiness from the volunteer work she has done in the past, and continues to do, knowing that she is making a difference in other people’s lives. In particular, she takes pleasure in teaching the girls basic hygiene, and skills in how to protect themselves, through her mentoring and the CEF workshops.

She explained to me that to break the vicious poverty cycle it was necessary for children to complete their education. Parents will ask their children to begin work straight from High School, or to not even finish High School, in order to bring money into the family.  That the parents only think short term: bring in money, and not long term: education, which ultimately leads to improved prospects and a better income.

Ngoc supports 40 girls through CEF.  Her strong family background has shown her the importance of love and support through the family but she realises that not all people have been as lucky as she has.  She visits the sponsored girls twice per year to see firsthand how things are for her students in remote areas where the standard of work is lower than in the city due not to a lack of hard work, but to a shortage of technological resources, finances, and local government or family support.  Many students in the city are able to afford extra curricular tuition to raise their grades which, unfortunately, in remote areas is an inaccessible luxury.


Ngoc offers her own support every week by phone and email but also encourages the girls to group together and support each other with study groups, to ask their older siblings for assistance, and to make a request to CEF for the supplies they may need to raise their grades.


In Ngoc’s own words: “I want to continue in this work because I want women to be able to live independently.  In remote areas they always depend on their husbands. They don’t have enough education so they only do housework or manual work with a very low income. Because they depend on their husbands they don’t have a voice in the family.  I want to change this little by little.  Women have such a great responsibility.  They take care of their children, they do housework, they work, they do almost everything but they cannot decide anything.  They have no voice.”

Interview of CEF's Ms. Thuy Dinh ~ Guest Blog by Beverly Short

Thuy Dinh lives 11km from Hoi An but travels to and from each day to her job with CEF. She has been with the organisation for a little over a year, working in a variety of districts including working with other staff on the scholarship program for girls from mountainous ethnic communities, and recently with 17 students in closer communities that she can so easily identify with.

25 years old and an English Language graduate, Thuy comes from a poor farming background.  Being the only girl amongst 3 other siblings, it was only her brothers who were encouraged by their parents to stay at school and continue their education, even though they had limited ability – a common practice in the village she comes from.

Thuy describes herself as being a ‘fair’ student whilst at school but she had no money for extra tuition so decided to study alone.  At the age of 15, she realised that English was the subject she was least good at, so decided to undertake her own extra study again to improve her knowledge and skill.

In her village, Thuy is of the first generation of Vietnamese to graduate from High School.  Her parents, and their generation, mostly left school at the age of 9 or 10 to begin their lives, like their parents before them, as farmers.

Thuy’s determination and hard work paid off and she was accepted into university.  She hadn’t told her parents before she applied so was delighted when they told her they would assist in any way they could to finance her studies.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to see her through so Thuy worked for a shoe company for 6 months to save money prior to starting and, like many of her fellow students, worked during her 4 years at university by English tutoring, waitressing and nannying.

She discovered that having a degree didn’t necessarily mean that she could walk into a job.  Thuy explained to me that many students pass their degree but don’t necessarily have top marks, or they lack work experience - possibly volunteering.  They might also lack in communication and computer skills, as well as confidence, and all of this impacts their work opportunities.  The ongoing mentoring and skills workshops that CEF run regularly for the students in their programs ensures that the girls who graduate are more equipped for the outside world and are infinitely more employable.

In Thuy’s own words: “My students take me as a model.  I tell them don’t blame your difficulties on your circumstances. It’s up to you.  You have to find a way to overcome it. For example, when I was at university I didn’t have much money so I had to borrow a student loan, find a part time job and I had to share a very small room with 3 other girls where we also cooked together to save money. This inspires and motivates my students and they begin to make their own life.”

Interview of CEF's Ms. Vy Nguyen ~ Guest Blog by Beverly Short

Like the 60 students she supports in the CEF sponsorship program, Vy Nguyen knows exactly what it’s like to be poor and want a good education.  Now married with a 10 month old daughter, 28 – year old Vy has been working with CEF for 3 years assisting the students under her mentorship through all levels of education up to, and including, university.

Vy graduated from university with a degree in English, specialising in Business English.  She counts herself as being lucky as her parents encouraged her to finish school and continue with her studies.  She had no mentorship from either her parents or her teachers, though, and was unaware of the variety of subjects she could have studied when she left school. Her family were also unable to provide her with a computer to do her own research, so she applied to do English as this was her strongest subject in school.

Vy considers mentoring to be one of the most important aspects of her position at CEF and prides herself in knowing each of her 60 students personally – 8 of whom are at university.  She talks to them once every month and visits them twice per year. In between those times, if the girls have any troubles with their studies, their friends or their family, Vy’s door is always open to listen and help in any way she can.  The women working at CEF describe themselves as ‘big sisters’ to the girls that they mentor, and Vy is no exception.

Vy had no mentor during her education so was unaware of not only what subjects she could study at university, but what careers were available after graduating.  She ensures that all the students under her care are armed with the best possible knowledge so they can make considered choices as to their future.  She told me that if she had known more, she would most likely to have studied Japanese or Korean, as well as English, and pursued a career as a translator.

Lacking knowledge of careers, on graduating Vy began to apply to hotels for a job in tourism.  She described not being accepted into anything as ‘failing’, but I reminded her that she wouldn’t have been doing what she’s doing now if she’d gone down that path; that it didn’t work out for her because, frankly, her talents were needed elsewhere.  She went on to become a translator and Personal Assistant for an NGO that helped children with disabilities before starting work with CEF.  Her duties with CEF are varied and include giving talks on child abuse and human trafficking as well as being ‘big sister’ to her students.

In Vy’s own words: “I feel very proud of my students and myself, knowing that I am encouraging them to get good grades. When they tell me that they are satisfied with their choice of subject at university it makes me feel good and motivates me to continue my work with CEF. I know that in the future their parents and their sponsor will also be proud of them.”

Interview of CEF's Ms. Thuy Tran ~ Guest Blog by Beverly Short

Thuy Tran’s bright smile and cheerful demeanour are contagious. The 32 year old has been bringing her enthusiasm and upbeat personality to CEF for the last 4 years where she manages ethnic children from the Phuoc Son District – a mountainous area near the border between Vietnam and Laos. 

After studying Hospitality Management at University, Thuy applied for a volunteer position within a local NGO and was very quickly hired as a fulltime member of the staff. For the next 6 years she experienced firsthand the eagerness of the poor children to go to school and learn, but how they were hindered by the economic instability of their families. 

After 6 years Thuy resigned from her position as the NGO’s funds we

re running low and she believed they should be spending their money on projects and not on her salary. During that time of unemployment she started her own charity with some of her friends which assisted underprivileged primary and kindergarten age children with school supplies and taught workshops on personal hygiene.  It wasn’t long, though, before Thuy was snapped up by Linda Burn of CEF Vietnam and the rest, as they say, is history.

Not only does Thuy support children in the ethnic community from the Phuoc Son District under the CEF programs, she also trains older girls, who have already gone through university and want to give back to their community, to give workshops on personal hygiene and nutrition. She told me how she proudly watched one particular ethnic student grow from a shy, unconfident young girl into a mature and strong young woman who felt able to give community workshops to nearly 150 children at a time, and go on to be a teacher herself.

It is an ongoing battle for the women who work for CEF to stress the importance of education to the parents in these ethnic communities where children are encouraged to leave school to work on farms or in paddy fields to bring money into the family home.  There are exceptions, though, and Thuy told me of one woman who had 7 children and was without a husband.  At 70 years old, she still does manual work daily in the scorching heat to help support her children through their education.  Unfortunately, she is in the minority.

It’s not a given that graduates from University in Vietnam will get a job so Thuy coaches the students in her care to get the highest possible grades, to network with other teachers and schools, and continually improve their communication skills to increase their chances of employment.

Since working with CEF, Thuy has noticed that the dropout rate of students from the programs has decreased.  She believes that this is, in part, due to the life skills workshops that CEF offer.  They teach the girls about sex education, healthcare, nutrition and sanitation which leads to less teenage pregnancies and improved health. The girls also begin to understand more about the ‘outside world’ and that University isn’t the only option for them after High School as there are many careers available such as cook, waitress or hairdresser.  There is a gradual realisation that there is more to life than having children at a young age and working on a farm.

In Thuy’s own words: “The sexual education workshops we teach are not only for the girls to understand how to protect themselves and to use contraception.  We teach them how to deny their boyfriends sex, if that is what they want, but to also still have a good relationship.”

Interview of CEF's Ms. Kim Chi ~ Guest Blog by Beverly Short

Kim Chi is 30 years old from the Duy Xuyen district, roughly a 15 minute drive south of Hoi An.  One of 6 children raised by a single mother, she grew up and still lives there so knows first-hand the struggles that children face in this underprivileged area.  Now married with 2 daughters of her own, Kim Chi has spent the last 6 years as a CEF Vietnam staff member.  In fact, she was one of the original 2 staff members that Linda Burn, founder of the organisation, hired.  Her background has had a profound effect on how she now lives her life, and the career she has chosen to help poor and disadvantaged girls continue their education.

Kim Chi’s siblings were like many of the children in Duy Xuyen in that they left school at around the age of 7 years old but, due to her academic ability, Kim Chi was encouraged by her mother to stay on. Education isn’t completely free in Vietnam and parents must contribute to their children’s schooling.  

When these parents rely on low-paid manual farm work and selling produce such as vegetables, it can be very difficult to keep their children in school – therefore putting pressure on the children to leave school and raise an income to help support the family.

When Kim Chi was around 14 years old, her mother was unable to work and could not continue to fund her education but Kim Chi’s drive to go to university so she could improve not only her own life but that of her mother, prompted her to talk to her uncle, who knew of an NGO-run children’s home where she could apply to be housed, fed and funded to continue her education at the local High School.

Initially, as the new girl, it wasn’t a happy experience for her, but she realised that the young girls were being bullied by the boys and stepped in to be their protector. She became their ‘big sister’ and supported them through their time there – a role she still embodies as mentor to the 37 girls under her wing in the CEF programs.

At University, Kim Chi was mentored and was able to share her struggles with someone who supported and guided her through tough times.  Every month, her own students check in with her to share their experiences and Kim Chi is there to listen, guide and help in any way she can in order for the girls to overcome their difficulties and ensure they are strong enough to continue with their studies and push to do well. Once again, she is the protective ‘big sister’.

She always knew that she wanted to work for an NGO.  From her own experiences growing up in an underprivileged background, being supported by an NGO to continue her education at High School and then on through University, she knew she wanted to give back and change things – hence her focus and drive for all the girls in her care through CEF.

In Kim Chi’s own words: “I want to give back to someone else to help them with their education. While I work with CEF, I always think that I am lucky.”

Interview of CEF's Ms. Ngoc Do ~ Guest Blog by Beverly Short

Along with Kim Chi, Ngoc Do is one of the founder staff members of CEF Vietnam, working with Linda Burn, the founder, for nearly 6 years. Not only did she find her future career with CEF, she also found love, and Ngoc is married to a former CEF staff member with whom she has a 6 month old baby boy. 


All the women who work for CEF have 6 months maternity leave but are never replaced during that time.  Each of the 5 other women share that person’s workload as they do whenever anyone is sick, has exams, or needs to be away from work for any period of time.  I experienced a very happy work atmosphere with young women who are close, and are kind and supportive of one another.

Ngoc was studying English Language full time at University when she applied for a volunteer position with CEF which, she believed, would help improve her English for her desired career as a Tour Guide. Unbeknownst to Ngoc, Linda saw her as a potential employee and offered her a part-time paid position within the organisation.  Although she knew that this would have an impact on her study, she took the position and went on to successfully complete her degree whilst working part-time - supported by her co-workers during exam time, and motivated by the inspiring work of the organisation.  


Although Ngoc comes from a poor family, she grew up with supportive parents and, along with her brother and sister, was encouraged to complete High School and go on to University. Her father completed High School and went on to College, but her mother, although a gifted student, was forced to leave school at an early age which led to hardship.  She didn’t want the same life for her children so she and her husband funded them, and encouraged them to educate themselves.

As well as admin and accounts work, Ngoc covers sponsorships in Dien Ban district around 30 km from Hoi An and mentors 11 students and works on several support programs.

In her own words: “My favourite part of this job is visiting the children.  I love to get close to them so that they can share what they need with us so we can help them. I also always love the Water Safety Day.  The children work hard all year and many of them live in remote, mountainous areas and they haven’t had the chance to see the beach or come to Hoi An. I also like the soft skills workshops where we have taught things such as time management, communication skills and how to interview well.  These things are so important.”

Accidental meeting with the mother of students

I was walking through the market in the mountains in the township of Kham Duc when I came across the mother of twins in our sponsorship program who are both in university. She grows vegetables for her family and sells some to earn money to help support her family.  

Artwork by a CEF student

I love this interesting drawing by one of our young CEF students in the sponsorship program, as it is so full of life. So much is included on a small piece of paper ~ the lotus pond, the lady carrying chickens in her two baskets, the boy flying a kite, the scarecrow and children walking under the arch.

About a recent home visit day ~ Guest blog by CEF VN USA manager, Stephen Jackel

As CEF-Vietnam’s U.S. manager, and a big fan and supporter of CEF’s founder Linda Burn, I do my best to visit Vietnam and Hoi An annually.  This year, on my 14th trip to the country (hard for me to even grasp that!), I headed out early one Sunday with CEF staffer Thuy to visit nine children sponsored by CEF’s generous contributors and update our information on how they are faring in their studies and their goals for the future.

On these visits I was struck by the contrasts between the young ladies who were working hard and succeeding in school and those who, though smart, were underachieving and potentially throwing away their opportunity for further education and a chance for a better life.  Like teenagers everywhere, they are tempted to hang out with friends, play sports instead of studying, and most insidiously, to fritter away homework time on Facebook.

MH, a polite 10th grader whose mother is caring but not in good health, used to get very good grades and dreamed of becoming an architect, which is an uncommon and ambitious goal for a poor Vietnamese child living in the countryside. But she failed two classes last term and basically isn’t working hard enough this term to improve her grades unless she makes significant changes to her routine.  Because our resources are limited, CEF demands a lot from the children we support and Thuy had to warn MH and her mother that if she fails any classes this term we’ll have to suspend our support for the coming year.  A somber MH admitted that she’s been spending time Facebooking with her friends instead of putting in the hours she needs to regain her standing as a top student.  We hope she can stick to her promise to spend more time on the books.

In contrast, U, an athletic 9th grader who just earned her brown belt in karate, is maintaining excellent grades and on course to achieve her goal of attending a science and technology university in Danang.  She also will be making time for extra classes at a local school teaching English.

The home visits made me think about my own childhood and how I often neglected homework to play with friends, watch TV or read the books I loved.  I can’t imagine how I would’ve coped with the temptations now confronting children via the internet and social media.  I was fortunate to live in the privileged West and had time to mature and accomplish my goals. The children CEF helps don’t have that luxury. At a young age they must recognize that their opportunities are fleeting and if they don’t apply themselves now, they’ll miss out on their chance to escape poverty. We wish them well and are ready to help as much as we can.

Sponsor visit

Dennice and Ted visited Vietnam and were able to meet the young lady they sponsor as well as her mother. This was a real treat for both the student and mum as well as for her sponsors. They spent some time together and TT was blessed with some thoughtful gifts from them.

Ever wonder what you can do to support Children's Education Foundation?

University is the dream of most of our students, but possibly only about 50% will be successful at getting into university. For those who are successful the challenge is how to cover the costs of  their university education.

At present we have 31 students in university, studying a variety of subjects, such as medicine, law, accounting, nutrition, food manufacturing and technology, IT, chain supply management, teacher training and foreign languages (English, Korean, Japanese and Chinese).

University costs vary depending on the subject, the area they are studying in and the city. For example the costs to study in Tam Ky in Quang Nam province are low and the university costs are low too, but the costs of studying in Ho Chi Minh City are high for both studies and living. To study medicine or architecture, the costs are high, to study teacher training the costs are low.

Another factor is can they get part time work to help with their costs. In some cities it is easy, such as in Da Nang, Tam Ky, Ha Noi and in Ho Chi Minh City. But when our students study in Hue they have a challenge finding work as it is a small city, but also because our students from Quang Nam who study there, have a different accent.

Students can apply for student loans in term two if they aren't an orphan, but a parent has to sign the paperwork and although it is the student's loan, some parents refuse to do this, denying their child a university education.

Basically for a poor student, going to university remains but a dream for many.

The CEF University Education Fund was created to help students dreams come true. When their sponsor from high school can't afford their university education costs, because of this fund, CEF can step in if they are in need of help.

So that more students can be helped, this fund offers the student 25% as a loan, to start paying back once they are earning.  75% of their short fall for their university education is a gift.

All our university students also receive mentoring and attend workshops that provide information they are in need of, such as on female health care, family planning,  budgeting and human trafficking. We also provide good second hand computers to our university students.

We hope that you will be interested in supporting this important fund that enables our students to be better educated and have a future with more opportunities.

Please get in touch with us: c.e.f.vietnam@gmail.com

(Photos are of some of our university students who come to CEF for biannual updates)