Sponsor's update from Mai Dich (Hanoi), Vietnam

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Village Mai Dich (Hanoi), Vietnam from Summer 2008.

Dear Friends,

Another summer has come to our country-Vietnam. Coming with bright and sparkling sun, we find that the summer is definitely the most favorite season to all Vietnamese kids and the worldwide children as well. They would say goodbye to books, pencils and exercises to join many all-sided and meaningful activities for relaxing and entertaining. It is now time for us to look back what has been happened during the first half at the SOS Children’s Village Hanoi.

Together with other Asian nations, half of our country, mostly the northern part where the village is situated, has been suffered from the severe and continuous cold climate during last winter. These severe weather conditions have much influenced particularly on the life, health status, the crops and the nation’s economic in general. Facing with the cold, we have carried out proper methods to keep warm for the children and members of the village following the guidance from the local public health department. We did pay a strictly concentration in boosting their food allowance and cooking hot and warm meals so that we could maintain their body temperature. We did not let the children be outside if we found that it’s not necessary. As the result, none of the village members caught cold or be hospitalized because of the cold climate.

The remarkable events
Our country’s capital, Hanoi has had the honor to host two global events in May and June this year. From May 13-17, The 2008 United Nation Day of Vesak with the title ‘Buddhism for an equitable, democratic and advanced society’ was first time ever taken place at Ha Noi’s My Dinh National Conference Centre. Almost 2,000 international delegates representing Buddhists from more than 60 countries and territories and about 2,500 domestic delegates and Viet Nam-Buddhist-Sangha dignitaries attended the opening ceremony. The United Nations and international-organisation representatives; diplomats; and senior officials of the Viet Nam Communist Party, State, National Assembly, Viet Nam Fatherland Front and Government Religious Affairs Committee also attended. The Vesak celebration is the most important Buddhist festival as it marks Buddha’s birthday, his attaining Enlightenment and his entry into Nirvana.
The second event was the 18th Global Summit of Women 2008. This annual summit, with the theme of Women and Asia Driving the Global Economy, was taken place in the capital from June 5th to 7th for the first time. More than 1,200 women from 100 countries and territories did share best practices and successful business strategies. Vietnamese businesswomen would also get more opportunities in expanding their trade and learn how to do business successfully. The meeting was aimed at broaden Vietnamese women’s view on the world and fostering women in leadership positions. On the agenda for discussion was various topics related to business, environment and life and work problems that women face both domestically and globally during economic integration around the world.

Children growing up at Hanoi, Vietnam

Exchanged activities
In harmony with learning and professional education, we usually carry on holding cultural and sport exchange for the children. These activities would not only help them relaxing after tensed school time but also meeting famous artist, actors, actress from outside. They would also strengthen their behaviors, living and communicating skills and would integrate well to the society. In recent years, we have always been receiving love and concern from artist and staff from the Youth Theatre. They have invited us to join performances at the theatre and the live shows at the village. In early May, the 20 artists came and performed a real educational drama called ‘Little Mantis Finding Mother’ at the village. The show was deeply engraved in their minds and they did draw many useful lessons.

To mark the 16th anniversary of the establishing day of bilateral diplomatic relation between Vietnam and The Republic of Korea, our children had the honor to join the Korean Film Festival that took place in the National Convention Centre. This festival was held under the coordination between the Korean Embassy in Hanoi and the Korean Cultural Center. At the festival, they could watch outstanding Korean films, received gifts and met famous Korean Artists. The magic show did make unforgettable impression to our kids and they did have wonderful entertaining moments.

Youth House
After three years of implementing the Community Support Based Care Program, we are happy to inform you that we did reach the SOS Children’s goal of supporting the community. At present, we are taking care of 15 poor boys aged 16 to 18, who had excellent study from surrounding areas of Hanoi, at the House. In 2008, these number would increase as we are planning to admitt 10 more boys. If you come to the House this time, no difference can be seen between the SOS boys and the poor ones. Thanks to the competition that we launched, they did make the mutual help and assistance both at studying and training.

For those boys who are at the age of eighteen, we did pay a special attention as they are going to finish their twelve years at school. In this academic year, there will be five boys attending the graduation exam and the entrance exams to Universities and Colleges. They will be given all the best conditions to review all the subjects that they have to sit for at the exams. The House manager, cookers and educators have concentrated on their daily meals with lots of nutritious foods. We hope that these care will help them to prepare all the mental and physical conditions to be ready for the exams.

Child education in Vietnam

Academic perfomance
During this academic stage of 2007-2008, we had 146 children who study at Primary, Lower and Upper secondary school. On the first day of June, the village has held the Summary together with the Summer Welcoming Event. In comparison with last year figure, the number of Excllent Student has raised up to 37; however the good student was down to 50 ones. It was regretted that we had three children who repeated their grade and 5 chidlren who retake their test in this school year. This was closely related to their bad performance and lack of concentration at school. We have worked out a detailed plan to level up these 8 students by closely supervision and coordination with their SOS mothers during this summer.

What the stroke of happiness to witness the maturity of the 8 abandoned babies who was admitted in 1990. This group has the same age with our village. After 18 years living under the SOS care, it is now the real turning points of their lives. They would sit for the two essential exams of their twelve yeas in study: graduation examination of High school in May and the entrance exam to Universities and vocational schools in July. Many key preparations have been made by this group with our timely support and guidance. Besides going to extra classes to get more knowledge, our children have to do homework and review lessons. The mothers often sit beside their children in order to explain what the children can not understand clearly at class. Both of the mothers and children just go to bed when all exercises are well prepared and completed.

To let the children face with the new challenges from outside, we created opportunity for them to take part in Good-Student Contests that were held at the Municipal and Provincial level. One boy and one girl , aged 15 and 18, have won two silver medals in Municipal Contest of Geography. We have four boys from Youth House winning one first, two second and one consolation prize in the local contest of Chemistry, Physics and English. All of the above boys and girls have been rewarded during the final summary. They have set a real bright example to other kids at the village and we are do hope that they would ‘upgrade’ their achievements in the next school year.

The SOS Nursery School
Locating inside the village, the SOS Nursery School has created a good environment to attract more kids to come to ‘study’. In the first months, the number of kids are 97 (9 from the village), and at the end of school year, the number was up to 104. Owing to the thorough care and updated ways of educating, the school has already had given prestige among the surrounding community. Through the final summary, 41 kids at the age of 5 have supplied all the best preparation for their turning point to the primary school. Ninety five percent of the kids have got familiar with alphabetical and simple calculation within 0-10.

One of the most improtant tasks in daily session is the measurements to maintain the safety for the chidlren, to keep their body clean and to avoid them from being suffered food poisoning. The cooking personel usually follow the regulation of ‘Boiled water’ and ‘Cooked foods’. They have made the commitments with the foods suppliers that only fresh and clean foods to be imported to the nursery school. They also saved the food examples just in case the kid would suffered from poisoning. As the result, most of the kids have good health status till their last days at school. During school year, the teachers have taken all the kids to the circus shows, to play at the town parks and zoological garden. Thanks to the visits, the kids have broaden their knowledge on approaching the nature and surrounding environment. At present, the work of recruiting more kids to the school has been worked out. They should complete this recruitment ahead of August so that they could be ready for the new academic year in September.

Accidental hobby

Trang is a cute and lovely girl. When she is 12 years old, she looks just like a 10 years old girl, being a very thin stature. And being slim and the girl she seems to be allergic to sports, particularly the sports need strength and team spirit that seems to be suited with active and playful boys. She was very interested in coloured pencils, crayons, brushes and easels. In the summer of 2007, she followed a drawing course at the SOS Children’s Village held by painters. Her younger sister followed the chess class, an intellectual sport. From time to time, she was asked to take this younger sister to her class. On the way home, out of the curiosity, she put the following question “what sort of game chess is? Is it a sport? It is by no means interesting that my sister can spend hours playing it”. Even, she burst out laughing and murmured to herself “Definitely, I will never play that game because it does not bring me any pleasure”. However, she came to her mother with all her queries she had in mind. Her mother said smiling “I do not know, either you may ask your sister and instructor”. Her mother’s answer confused her.

Determined not to be defeated by her younger sister, she came directly to the instructor, a very experienced instructor in the Hanoi League of Chess Players. And the detailed explanation of the instructor had in due course shaped the ideas of this new sport. The intelligence of her younger sister and the cultivation of patience were the correct answer to her queries on the passion of her younger sister for chess. And the encouragement, very kindly encouragement of the instructor were driving power that brought her to this sport with 64 square-chess-board and the very funny black and white chess men.

During the first days of training, she had some time thought that she could not follow this game. She confided “I am happy to have mother, teachers and friends all beside me. They have given me more hard in this passion for chess”. And she still remembers as if it was yesterday, the warm voice of the instructor keeps up her “You were born for this game, my confidence is in you”. With her inherent intelligence and the daily hard work, she had overtaken most of her friends and other players in the village chess class. In the rating test held by her school, she was third in the final test. Now she is getting herself ready for the qualifying round to choose excellent players for selected team of the local district. Let us wish her all the best in her efforts to lift herself to new elevation in this brain intensive sport.

It is a great hope that the information referred to above can help you imagine what we have done during the first half of 2008. Once again, we would like to wish you and your beloved ones a joyful and interesting summer. We will get back to you in the Christmas letter with more news from the SOS Children’s Village Mai Dich. We highly appreciate your generous help and support for our children.

With best regards, I remain,

Yours truly,

Nguyễn Tiến Dũng
Director
SOS Children's Village Mai Dich