Sponsor's update from Thanh Hoa, Vietnam

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Village Thanh Hoa, Vietnam from Summer 2008.

Dear Friends,

Warm sunlight is dispelling unpleasant aftertaste of the last Vietnamese winter. Summer is coming. Hoping that it will be a wonderful summer, as sweet as childhood memories for the tale season. Summer, it is the time children could say goodbye to book and pen, mix themselves with interesting games and fly their dreams towards kites... Looking children healthy and cheerful, we feel really happy. Happiness be shared, happiness be doubled. Let’s share with us the recent changes taking place in SOS Children’s Village of Thanh Hoa.

A cozy roof of little hearts
One more day is coming, much more children are admitted to Village. This year, village received ten more children and now it is becoming a cozy roof of 110 children in need. At any time, a new admitted child feels fearful and embarrassed in their first arrival at the village because everything is totally new for them. Day after day they look things more familiar and at last most of them can adapt themselves to life at the village. They start taking well part in all activities of the family houses like tidying houses, enjoying with younger brothers and sisters or helping mother do housework and cooking...The village atmosphere is more and more interesting and joyful when laughter of children can be heard in every corner of the village. Village yard is always an interesting playground where they can play football, children’s slide, rocking chairs...The SOS family house becomes more and more cherished and united and it is full of love when the big children help and guide the younger ones to study, to work and to get used to the routine of the family.

Education performance
The cozy roof is not only the firmly moral support for children, it also brings good opportunities for children to make optimal efforts in study. 95 children out of 110 are attending schools. The school year has just been closed and studying result is as follows: Good: 30,5 %, Quite good: 13,7%%, average: 51,6%, and poor: 42,% Some of children made much progress in their studying, they adapt well the new methods of studying here, they like their new school very much when they can enjoy a lot their new friends and new teachers. They make great effort to study well in order to be able to keep pace with their friends. Besides, some others don’t give their mind in their studying and their study results are ranked average and poor. We are always on their sides to share, encourage and help them aware of the importance of studying and practicing...In this summer, we are opening extra classes to consolidate omitted knowledge for poor children with the hope that they will catch up with classmates in the coming school year,

Children growing up at Thanh Hoa, Vietnam

Summer holiday of children.
The coming of summer in the village was marked by the first day of June. On that very day, village organized a big festival with lots of activities likes fairs, traditional games, singing and dancing party and a special dress party. All children took part in excitedly and the festival was very impressive for them. And since now, our children spend nearly three- month-summer holiday, they have plenty of time to enjoy many funny extra-curricular activities and games. Many extra classes like painting, cooking, art of fighting, singing, dancing are waiting for them. That helps them relax and get much confidence in themselves.

In peaceful arm of SOS mother

The twin sisters Hai Ly and Ha Ly was once told to you when they were newborn babies. Now they are three years old round, lovely and healthy. They eat very appetizingly three meals a day, sleep well at night. They can run from house to house, walk around the playing-ground holding on to her sister’s hand. They can sing lots of children songs and dance in the rhythm of music. In the family, the twin sisters are everyone’s doll or mascot, coddled and loved and spoiled by everyone and this does wonders for them. Happiness is heard in their serene laughter. The twin sisters love mixing and smiling with all siblings...However, mother is their most loved person who is asked to carry in her arm any time possible and they can’t leave mother one minute at night. One day, mother was asked to back her native home. Mother felt confident to handle all things for her elder daughters. The twin sisters followed their elder sisters all day after, they played and shared lots of things with the thought that their mother was busy. when the sun was setting and the night was reaching, the twin sisters felt sad and empty. They missed their mother very much and they were waiting mother’s arrival every minute. They cried and cried till midnight and slept in sister’s arms when feeling tired. It is likely to have a coincidence, mother couldn’t sleep all that night because she also missed the twin sisters greatly. She got up early in the morning and caught the bus to the village to meet her children, first the twin sisters. Mother arrived, the twin sisters hugged their mother tightly without departing her half a step.

Dear sponsor, on telling you what have been going on with village, we want to express our deep thanks to your help to our village development. Paper and ink can not tell exactly but I can send to you best regards of the Village’s staff, mothers-aunties and the children as well. We hope that you can enjoy the best things of this interesting time of the year.

Best wishes,

Phan Văn Ẩm
Director
SOS Children’s Village Thanh Hoa