Queen of Malaysia visits SOS Children Vietnam

On Friday 13 March, the children of the SOS Children's Village Mai Dich in Hanoi met Tuanku Nur Zahirah, the Queen of Malaysia, who had come to visit them and answer their questions.

Queen Tuanku Nur Zahirah has lots of fans of all ages at SOS Children's Village Mai Dich - "I like imagining the lives of kings and queens and I read about regalia in books. And I can now say that I've met a queen!" said Phan Thi Hoa. She and her siblings were very excited to meet a queen.

You could really sense the excitement and curiosity among the 168 children at the SOS Children's Village in Vietnam's capital Hanoi before the royal visit. All the children, mothers and staff formed a welcoming committee for the guests that included other members of the royal family, Ministers, the Ambassador of Malaysia, and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam.

Queen Zahirah visited various families and talked to both the children and their mothers. She asked about everyday life at the SOS Children's Village, so SOS mother Nguyen Thi Loi described family life and how each day unfolds at Mai Dich. The Queen seemed impressed in particular by the educational work of the SOS Children's Village. She was fascinated by the nursery, where the children read poems and showed off their sketchbooks.

The President of Vietnam invited King Zainal Abidin and Queen Tuanku Nur Zahirah to make an official state visit to Vietnam, where there are now twelve SOS Children's Villages.