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.

Rose Vietnam's strength is flexibility

Flexibilty is a key success factor in our operation. Rose Vietnam allows donations to be earmarked for a particular cause that a donor wishes to support.

Such a cause or project can be one of many that Rose Vietnam is currently involved with or a donor may suggest an entirely new project, as long as it meets our mission and objectives.

As an example, we had accepted donation to Yen Bui from a donor in Toronto through Rose Vietnam mobile cataract clinic ($1,000). The money will be directed toward cataract surgeries via Rose Vietnam partnership program.

It is fair and logical to customize and allow maximal control of the fund distribution to our donors. We want to address the problem that many people experience after making contribution to large, international charitable organizations and not being able to take an active role in the process, even in the financial sense.

Rose Vietnam works directly with you, your projects and our projects...

Fund Raising at Canada Rocks Concert in HCM City

A KISS FROM A ROSE
By Libby Zinman Schwartz

This time the kiss was from Rose Charities, a Canadian group of non-governmental organizations with a common goal: to rehabilitate people to function more productively in their lives.

One of the many needs Rose Charities fulfills is eye surgery for sight restoration. On the evening of February 16, at the residence of the Canadian Consul General, Bill Johnston, Rose Charities and the Canadian Consulate fulfilled the dream of many sightless Vietnamese and Dr. Tran Cong Toai, Orthopedic Surgeon and Vice Chairman of the Biomaterial Research Laboratory, Ho Chi Minh City, by raising thousands of dollars for an eye bank.

Braille training for the blind...

Dr. Will Grut visited our project site in Quang Dien, Hue. He took these moving pictures with his digital camera. Rose Vietnam sponsored the entire project which included 20 blind students and provided Braille training equipment, furniture and a Braille instructor from Hue Province.