Yen Luat, Vietnam
YEN LUAT, PHU THO PROVINCE, Vietnam (our long term project).
September 2014 to NOW.
After meeting with local officials in Hanoi, Vietnam, in September 2014, an interim report was prepared outlining the needs of a small village of 3500 poor subsistence farmers on the Red River, Yen Luat, North Vietnam. As there is no Rotary International presence in Vietnam, we have established links with the NGO Overseas Kids Foundation (OKF) in Hanoi and ably assisted by the Rotary Club of Balwyn North to provide support to this community.
Three major areas of support were identified:
Education, Infrastructure and Subsistence Income enterprises.
Our Yen Luat Timeline:
September 2014:
2015:
2016:
2017:
September 2014 to NOW.
After meeting with local officials in Hanoi, Vietnam, in September 2014, an interim report was prepared outlining the needs of a small village of 3500 poor subsistence farmers on the Red River, Yen Luat, North Vietnam. As there is no Rotary International presence in Vietnam, we have established links with the NGO Overseas Kids Foundation (OKF) in Hanoi and ably assisted by the Rotary Club of Balwyn North to provide support to this community.
Three major areas of support were identified:
Education, Infrastructure and Subsistence Income enterprises.
Our Yen Luat Timeline:
September 2014:
- Due to the poor state of the Health Clinic, funds for a new vaccine/medicine fridge.
- Kindergarten-blankets and bedding for the approaching winter.
- Kindergarten & Primary School- toys, books and sporting equipment for the children.
2015:
- Health Clinic- With the imminent wet season, funds for repairs of the Clinic’s leaking roof, water affected walls and electrical repairs.
- Health Clinic- funds for completion of two "western" style toilets.
- Child Education Sponsorship- the Rotary Club of Bacchus Marsh’s main emphasis to date in Yen Luat is the establishment of a “pilot” Child Sponsorship and Education program for the needy and/or orphaned children. Over 100 children can't attend school due to poverty, leaving little or no opportunity for education.
- For AUD$45 per month, our Child Sponsorship program helps support both the child and family, by allowing the child to attend school, provide books and educational equipment and providing a nutritional source of food for the whole family.
- Kindergarten- we assisted in the replacement of the leaking Yen Luat Kindergarden roof.
- September- International Chair, Scott Pepin and fellow Rotarian, Lita Foot visited our “adopted” village of Yen Luat to identify further community needs
- Primary & Secondary School- Our club provided lap top computers for both the primary and secondary schools. These were donated by Bacchus Marsh Grammar, and Windows software provide by Rotary’s Donations in Kind (D.I.K.)
- Primary & Secondary School- Our club also provided sporting balls donated by Australian charity, Footy’s 4 All. Soccer balls, netballs and even AFL footballs were given to the children which were received with great delight.
- Health Clinic- Our club provided a lap top computers for the clinic. These were donated by Bacchus Marsh Grammar, and Windows software provide by Rotary’s Donations in Kind (D.I.K.)
- Community- an extensive range of reading glasses were provided for elderly population.
- Child Education and Sponsorship Program- the children were presented with gifts and hygiene care packages. The highlight of the tour was to see the smiles of the children who many of our club members sponsor. Pleasingly since the start of our sponsor program a 100% school attendance and great improvements in their nutritional status have been achieved.
- If you are interested in sponsoring a child, providing them with the only chance of an education, please contact our International Chair, Scott Pepin or Club secretary.
The sponsor children were then taken to a nearby town where they were presented with new bicycles provided by their sponsors. Smiles, laughter and tears-life changing gifts!
2016:
- Health Clinic- provision of medical grade mattresses, bedding and blankets.
- Health Clinic- purchase of a dry steam steriliser and oxygenation unit.
- Primary & Secondary School- our club partnered with both schools to provide funds to establish two purpose English teaching classrooms for online English lessons. Locally made classroom furniture, lap tops, webcams and audiovisual equipment were provided in anticipation for online English classes to commence in 2017.
- Secondary School- Future community project feasibility scoping to build a new toilet block facility for the Senior School, which will also provide fresh potable water for drinking and personal hygiene.
- Community- Future community project feasibility scoping to establish four Moringa tree gardens. This project aims to provide nutritional supplementation especially for the children, and potentially a subsistence income enterprise source.
2017:
- Primary & Secondary School- online English classes sponsored by our club, tuition provided by Filipino teachers liaising with local Vietnamese English teachers. Start date-March.
- Rotary Bacchus Marsh teaming up with other regional Rotary Clubs of Melton, Melton Valley and Caroline Springs to provide funds to cultivate and grow the fast growing, deciduous Moringa Oliefera trees. Over 2000 seedlings have been planted. Every part of these trees can be used in cooking and traditional medicine to provide nutritional benefits to this subsistence farming community.
- August-International Chair, Scott Pepin visited our “adopted” village of Yen Luat to reunite with the sponsor children, give gifts, monitor progress of the Moringa tree project, English teaching project and identify further community needs.
- To scope the building of a new Secondary school toilet amenity block. (See above photo). Currently, 220 teenage boys and girls and 20 staff share this "toileting area", four 1.2 metre high walls, divided into two sections, with no sewerage connection..........urinating only!! The Rotary Club of Bacchus Marsh is here to help!
