Update fromBe Tho

Recently a number of modern sewing machines were purchased for Be Tho so that the older girls can learn a skill which will sustain them when they leave the orphanage (please see previous blogs). Many people have particpated in the process, all have been crucial to its success. We would like to thank Oliver Bonas, Albetta (Marco and Annabel), Rose Charities UK, Hanh Thuc Nguyen, the Canadian ladies in HCMC and the Consular Club of HCMC. Here is a report from Helen Taylor, Canadian representative to the Consular Club HCMC, and a message from Sister Vinh.

(from Helen) Some of our Canadian ladies have spent 7 days over the past few weeks working with some of the orphans and nuns on the improvement of their quilting skills and developing new marketable projects for the orphanage. This has involved donations of many hundreds of dollars from us as well for fabric, thread and scissors. We hope to use some of the Rose UK funds for a collapsible table, quilting rulers and quilting blocks. By November we hope to have many new Christmas projects for sale on the Canadian table at the Consular Club Charity bazaar, with payment going to Be Tho orphanage.

and from Sister Vinh : We are the board of managers of the ophans and disabled children BeTho, we are very happy to send this letter to you. We received 3 sewing machines and 1 enter lining machine. We use these machines to teachthe disabled children a trade and do outwork, make the products to earn money for nourishing the orphans and disabled children. On behalf of 130 orphans and disabled children, we express our gratitude to Rose Vietnam Organization, Oliver Bonas Organization. We wish you are healthy and happy.

New homes for the blind

As part of our commitment to improving the quality of life for blind people in Hue, Rose Charities is building ten homes for some of the poorest residents. With a donation of $2000,00 from the Canadian Chamber in HCMC (CanCham) and support from PEB Steel Construction Company, the first home was "unveiled" on July 17th, 2010. PEB Steel has very generously offered to undertake the construction of the roofs on all ten houses.

Mr. Cao Vinh Family House (before)

Construction in Progress

Laying Foundation

Mr. Cao Vinh Family New Home...donated by CanCham and Peb Steel

SEWING MACHINES FOR BE THO

Over the last two years Oliver Bonas UK has been making steady donations to Be Tho orphanage. These funds have contributed to the building of a new orphanage to ease overcrowding, support for essentials (such as food, etc.) and most recently the purchase of three "professional" sewing machines and one needle over-lock. These machines will make a considerable difference to the girls in the training programme that has been set up at the orphanage to ensure a means of support for young women when they leave (the boys learn carpentry). With the help of Albetta, a local clothing manufacturing company that has also been a generous donor to Be Tho, and with training from volunteers from the Canadian women's group in HCMC, the young seamstresses at Be Tho will soon be producing professional quality goods which can be sold at local markets.

Rose Vietnam Christmas Spirit

On December 21, members of Rose Vietnam were joined by some Canadian expat volunteers for a Christmas Party at Be Tho Orphanage.

The 132 orphans were excitedly waiting for our arrival and immediately launched into We Wish You A Merry Christmas, followed by a traditional Vietnamese song! We were then treated to a dance performance by some of the deaf and hearing girls, and to a duet by two young children at the orphanage.

After the performance we broke open the milk boxes, cookies, snacks and presents and had a great Christmas party. The children particularly enjoyed the bubble blowing -- special thanks to Thao Duong for organizing that -- and we were all persuaded to join them on the dance floor. Thanks to Metro for sponsoring the milk and baby food.

It is wonderful to see how much the children care for each other at Be Tho, everyone is included, the older children dance with the young children, the deaf are held and encouraged to participate by the hearing children, there is a great deal of love and care in this facility.

The only disaster was the "noise makers" made from water bottles filled with rice and decorations, which had been put together for the sing along. All went well until one of the children realised he could open the top and spill the rice. Pretty soon they were all doing it and the rice was thrown all over us like confetti .... it made such a mess, but was so much fun!

The Gift that Keeps on Giving-Laundromat Operation by the Blind

Projects that aim at being self sufficient are the long term goals of Rose Vietnam. In the province of Hue, we support four Blind Centers through our Laundromat Income Generation Programme. We donated washers, plastic package sealers and towels to these centers to wash and package wet towelettes for the local restaurants.

Wet towelettes are usually provided on long haul air routes to Asia in a small, sealed plastic bag. Many restaurants and hotels in Viet Nam also have these wet towelettes as an additional service to guests for coping with the humidity. It makes more practical sense than a paper tissue which tend to stick to the skin.

Our pilot location is in Phong Dien Village, many thanks to Mr. Phuoc, our Board member, who works on site to ensure that our first site is in full operation mode and Mrs. Tina Nguyen, an online donor from U.S.A. We provided full line of equipments, training and helped them find customers.



Rose Vietnam hopes to expand the Laundromat Programme to the other three sites. All sites are now equipped with washers but we are looking for financial donors in order to purchase the plastic package sealers and more towels. The total start up cost is no more than $600 for each site, including the washer, but such an amount can go a long way. Rose Vietnam is actively seeking funds for this programme.

A Much Needy Orphanage

Our Rose members recently made a visit to Dieu Phap Temple Orphanage, just outside of Bien Hoa, Dong Nai. Introduced by the Sunshine Group who has been a regular contributor to this orphanage, Rose Vietnam had pledged to be a permanent partner on this project.

This is a much needy orphanage. There are roughly 120 to 150 orphans ranging from newborns to high school seniors. Though Dieu Phap Temple seems to be getting supports from various charitable groups and private individuals, we think that the children's health and social well being are overlooked.

We see people bringing foods and other confectioneries to the temple but we also discovered that the volunteer doctor is no longer able to make visits and some of the children clearly required medical attention. One child had died in the previous week before our visit. It is a very, very difficult situation at this site.

Dr. Thuy, a Rose Vietnam volunteer, and her colleague are so kind in contributing their own time and dedication to improve the children' health. They will work with the Sunshine Group and begin profiling each child's medical status in order to address specific, individual needs.

Rose Vietnam had donated school supplies, bath towels, toys and foods with our Tran-Nguyen-Hoang Fund for Children and small donations from a few residents of Burlington, WA. Rose Vietnam will be looking for further fundings in the remaining months of 2008 and 2009.

We hope to be gaining wider support for this project and certainly welcome any financial contribution from you.

Thank you, HMCS Regina!

On June 4th HMCS Regina came to Vietnam to celebrate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Canada. During their four day visit to Ho Chi Minh city seven members of the ship's crew spent an afternoon visiting the children at Ben Tho orphanage in Dong Nai, which is about 40 minutes outside the city. They brought with them toys and food (including Girl Guide cookies which were a clear favourite among the children) and donated $1500 to Rose Charities Vietnam, to be directed to the orphanage, which is home to approximate 132 children. Sister Vinh, director of Be Tho, said the money will be used to replace the roof.

The money had been raised by the crew of HMCS Regina on its voyage across Pacific Ocean. An additional $2,800 was raised for Rose Vietnam at a corporate dinner held on board.

Rose Vietnam hopes to implement more sponsored programs for children and extend our reach to different regions with increasing support from organizations and individuals in Vietnam and abroad.