Quang Nam term 1 payment day

These are some photos of our students from term 1 payment day in Quang Nam. Payments in the low lands take place in three halls where students come to receive payments.

In term 1 we talk briefly about an important issue and in term 2 we have more time to do a longer talk and presentation on an issue we consider important for our children and families to know about. On term 1 payment day this year we reminded the students to use Facebook wisely due it being the main means for traffickers to obtain young girls her in Vietnam.

  

Payment day and workshops for our scholarship students in Phuoc Son distict

In term 1 we make scholarship payments to our students in Phuoc Son district, not far from the Vietnam-Laos. These students are mainly from poor ethnic communities and are considered the best female students in their school. 

Scholarship funds enable them to pay education costs they could not otherwise cover, purchase study materials and eat breakfast. We also provide extra tuition for our ethnic students in grade 11. When there is more funding we will provide extra tuition for our grade 12 students too.   

After payments a session took place on careers guidance and explained how to choose a suitable subject for their ability, and how to do research they needed to see the careers that come within their abilities and in which they have an interest.  

Over the next day we ran small workshops in female health, hygiene, family planning, unwanted pregnancy, and sexual diseases for all the girls in this high school. It is easier to deal with questions when working in small groups. We also divide the ethnic girls and non-ethnic girls as they then are all more open and communicative. 

As it is normal to marry and bare children at a young age in many ethnic communities we feel it is important to cover these subjects so they don't have unwanted pregnancies and can complete their studies and develop a career before marriage. 

CEF Scholarships students 

CEF Scholarship students wearing jumpers CHIA donated to CEF

Students in career guidance session

Thuy Tran teaching and guiding on the subject of choosing a suitable careers 

Some students with an excellent book on female health

One of the small groups who studied female health, hygiene, family planning 

and sexual diseases over the weekend

A CEF student is now sponsored for her last two years of her high school education

Having a sponsorship to do her last two years of high school is really important, so we are very grateful to her new sponsors for this meaningful help. She has no parents, and lives with her aunt and granny who have almost no income due to granny being old and her aunt having a serious back injury.

She wants to complete high school and as she loves English her hope is to train to be a receptionist after high school.

Vietnam's beauty helps to nourish the spirit

I am mainly writing about the challenges our CEF families and children are facing and help that is needed. but I wanted to share another aspect of their lives. Our students all come from poor families, but they live in beautiful or interesting environments. I believe this beauty of their surroundings helps them. The greenery, the mountains, the hills, rice fields, rivers, streams, lakes, bridges and the historical buildings are beautiful or interesting and help nourish their spirit, which is a huge help when struggling to make ends meet.  I believe this nourishment helps give them the strength to not give up.

Apologies for the delay in being in touch and getting information to you

Hello dear supporters, donors, sponsors, partner organizations, friends and readers,

Due to unexpected travel due to my mother being unwell over the last year and now due to her death, I am behind with some work which includes getting updates to you, newsletters out and staying in touch with you as much as I would like.

I will do all this as soon as I can and ask for further patience.

Thank you so much,
Linda

(Founding Director and In-Country Manager - Vietnam)

A new school year starts soon and what does that mean

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

These lovely photos he took are a gift from Manus to these six CEF students he sponsors

Manus met with six of the CEF students he sponsors

It's very special for CEF students to meet their sponsors. It means they then know who the person is who cares about them, who is paying for their education and who they write letters too. 

Dental care for CEF students

CEF students receive free dental care each summer. Big thanks to East Meets West Dental who give them free dental examinations, dental care, hygiene lessons and give them a free toothbrush and toothpaste. 

Also thanks to Go Philanthropic who make this dental care possible. Our students need to get to the dentists and the Healthy Kids Fund from them enables us to transport many of the children to the dentist and reimburse transport costs for others who come separately from other areas. Without this support they won't go to the dentist as their families are too poor. 

We hope that over the years all our students will learn good dental hygiene and take good care of their teeth.