2010 Annual Letter
November 26, 2010
Dear Friends of CVN,
Every year, when Thieu Dao, a volunteer and retiree from Springfield, VA, goes to Vietnam, he challenges himself to find the poorest of the poor. He seeks out remote villages that are often accessible only by a footpath or by canal. He travels light: a bed sheet and a water bottle. The villagers always welcome him, as they don’t often get visitors from out-of-town, much less out-of-the-country. They share their meals with him, which often consist of rice and salt, or potatoes. He sleeps on the dirt floor in his bed sheet, praying the poisonous scorpions don’t find him appealing.
Thieu’s travels this past year took him to Ha Tien, an eight-hour bus ride from Saigon to the Cambodian border. Here in the mountains, lives the Cham ethnic minority. The Cham children would walk 4-7 hours across the mountains to get to school. They carry enough food for 3-4 days, sleep on the school floor, and walk home when the food is gone. The school is poorly equipped for the 600 children that attend there: 1 bathroom for the girls, 1 for the boys and 1 for the teachers. Many Cham children cannot go to school because their families need them for daily chores.
When FCVN was founded in 1998, one of our main goals is to give every child an opportunity to go to school. We believe that education is essential in helping these children escape poverty. It is very difficult to bring building materials up the mountains to build a school, and even more challenging to find teachers to staff it. At the top of our wish list this year are 100 bicycles for these children. With the bikes, it will take them 1-2 hours each way, which is a do-able daily commute, and they can use the bikes to run errands, go to the market, etc. The cost of each bike is $50. If there is enough money, we will also build additional bathrooms at the school.
Won’t you add a bicycle or two to your holiday gift list this year? You will receive a picture of a child with your bicycle gift and your name attached. We have so much to be thankful for. And these children are thankful that you have chosen to make a positive difference in their lives. 100% of your fully tax-deductible gift benefits these children directly. You may donate by check or online at www.childrenvietnam.org.
Yours in Gratitude,
Phuong (Phoenix) Bui, Co-Founder
Dear Friends of CVN,
Every year, when Thieu Dao, a volunteer and retiree from Springfield, VA, goes to Vietnam, he challenges himself to find the poorest of the poor. He seeks out remote villages that are often accessible only by a footpath or by canal. He travels light: a bed sheet and a water bottle. The villagers always welcome him, as they don’t often get visitors from out-of-town, much less out-of-the-country. They share their meals with him, which often consist of rice and salt, or potatoes. He sleeps on the dirt floor in his bed sheet, praying the poisonous scorpions don’t find him appealing.
Thieu’s travels this past year took him to Ha Tien, an eight-hour bus ride from Saigon to the Cambodian border. Here in the mountains, lives the Cham ethnic minority. The Cham children would walk 4-7 hours across the mountains to get to school. They carry enough food for 3-4 days, sleep on the school floor, and walk home when the food is gone. The school is poorly equipped for the 600 children that attend there: 1 bathroom for the girls, 1 for the boys and 1 for the teachers. Many Cham children cannot go to school because their families need them for daily chores.
When FCVN was founded in 1998, one of our main goals is to give every child an opportunity to go to school. We believe that education is essential in helping these children escape poverty. It is very difficult to bring building materials up the mountains to build a school, and even more challenging to find teachers to staff it. At the top of our wish list this year are 100 bicycles for these children. With the bikes, it will take them 1-2 hours each way, which is a do-able daily commute, and they can use the bikes to run errands, go to the market, etc. The cost of each bike is $50. If there is enough money, we will also build additional bathrooms at the school.
Won’t you add a bicycle or two to your holiday gift list this year? You will receive a picture of a child with your bicycle gift and your name attached. We have so much to be thankful for. And these children are thankful that you have chosen to make a positive difference in their lives. 100% of your fully tax-deductible gift benefits these children directly. You may donate by check or online at www.childrenvietnam.org.
Yours in Gratitude,
Phuong (Phoenix) Bui, Co-Founder
