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Read More......Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Remembering Our Past
By David Hylton,
Public Relations Specialist
As we look forward to the next chapter in our history, today marks the last day that we are known as Christian Children’s Fund. At our International Office in Richmond, Va., we are celebrating CCF Day today. Employees are wearing CCF shirts, showing off CCF memorabilia and sharing their memories. Here’s a look at some of the CCF items on display:
We believe the work we have done is just the beginning of the work we have yet to do. Our mission has always been about benefiting the children, and we believe this change will allow us to positively impact more children and youth throughout the world.
Please join us as our mission to help the world’s children continues as ChildFund International.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Looking Ahead
By Nguyen Thi Hong Phuong, ChildFund Vietnam
and David Hylton, Christian Children's Fund
This is the final entry in a series of blogs detailing the day in the life of Nam, an 11-year-old boy. So far Nam has gone to school and helped his mother prepare lunch. The rest of the day is a busy one as he continues to help his parents and ends the day studying.
2 p.m. 
Nam follows his parents to the field, helping to weed their rice paddy. This year, they have had much rain and the crop looks promising. Nam likes to go here with his parents since he often meets his friends who have also come to help their own parents in the fields. Despite doing hard work, they play together and have fun.
7 p.m.
Nam prepares for tomorrow’s lessons. He wants to study hard to become a doctor. He remembers what his father often says: “I only finished grade 3 and I understand the disadvantage of a limited education. I will try my best to support my sons to study as long as possible. I believe they will have a brighter future.”
Nam is one of more than 18,000 children in 16 communities in the northern mountainous areas of Vietnam, where ChildFund Vietnam is working to create better lives with programs in education, water and sanitation, livelihood, health and child protection. Since beginning work in Xuan Phong, CCF and ChildFund Australia have helped to improve the physical learning environments and teaching quality in kindergarten and primary schools; increase families’ income through agricultural cultivation and livestock husbandry; deliver clean water to homes; build hygienic family toilets; construct a good-quality health clinic and train local medical staff for better health care services; and lay a foundation for better child protection.
Beyond all these achievements, we also emphasize the importance on the local children and people’s capacity for their self-sufficient future development. ChildFund Vietnam is working hard to realize the dreams of people like Nam and his family for a better future.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Helping at Home
By Nguyen Thi Hong Phuong, ChildFund Vietnam
and David Hylton, Christian Children's Fund
This is the second in a series of blog entries detailing the day in the l
ife of Nam, an 11-year-old boy in Vietnam. After a morning at school, Nam returns home to help out his family. His fathers offers an insight to how Christian Children’s Fund and ChildFund Australia have made a difference in their lives.
Noon
Nam returns home. His parents have just returned from field work. Nam helps his mother to prepare lunch. Sipping tea, Nam’s father, Duong, talks.
“Our life now is easier than five years ago. My family used to be suffering 4-6 months of food shortage per year,” he says. “ChildFund came and taught us to improve cultivation, lent us money from its savings and credit projects, and discussed with us how to generate and manage family income. Now, we have enough rice for food. The borrowed money is used for raising pigs. ChildFund also teaches us how to raise pigs for profit. In the past, we harvested pigs only every two years.”
Duong says the family sells pigs twice a year and makes between $100 and $150 each time.
“This year, I don’t have to borrow money because I use the profit from previous sales to invest,” he says.
What’s next: Nam continues to help his family and then closes the day off by studying.
and David Hylton, Christian Children's Fund
This is the second in a series of blog entries detailing the day in the l
ife of Nam, an 11-year-old boy in Vietnam. After a morning at school, Nam returns home to help out his family. His fathers offers an insight to how Christian Children’s Fund and ChildFund Australia have made a difference in their lives.Noon
Nam returns home. His parents have just returned from field work. Nam helps his mother to prepare lunch. Sipping tea, Nam’s father, Duong, talks.
“Our life now is easier than five years ago. My family used to be suffering 4-6 months of food shortage per year,” he says. “ChildFund came and taught us to improve cultivation, lent us money from its savings and credit projects, and discussed with us how to generate and manage family income. Now, we have enough rice for food. The borrowed money is used for raising pigs. ChildFund also teaches us how to raise pigs for profit. In the past, we harvested pigs only every two years.”
Duong says the family sells pigs twice a year and makes between $100 and $150 each time.
“This year, I don’t have to borrow money because I use the profit from previous sales to invest,” he says.
What’s next: Nam continues to help his family and then closes the day off by studying.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Time for School
By Nguyen Thi Hong Phuong, ChildFund Vietnam
and David Hylton, Christian Children's Fund
This is the first in a series of blog entries detailing the day in the life of 11-year-old Nam. Nam is one of more than 18,000 children in 16 communities in the northern mountainous areas of Vietnam, where ChildFund Vietnam is working to create better lives with programs in education, water and sanitation, livelihood, health and child protection.
Christian Children’s Fund works with ChildFund Alliance partner ChildFund Australia in Vietnam. The area we work in is less than 100 miles from Hanoi, the nation's capital.
On this particular day Nam is beginning a new grade level.
and David Hylton, Christian Children's Fund
This is the first in a series of blog entries detailing the day in the life of 11-year-old Nam. Nam is one of more than 18,000 children in 16 communities in the northern mountainous areas of Vietnam, where ChildFund Vietnam is working to create better lives with programs in education, water and sanitation, livelihood, health and child protection.
Christian Children’s Fund works with ChildFund Alliance partner ChildFund Australia in Vietnam. The area we work in is less than 100 miles from Hanoi, the nation's capital.
On this particular day Nam is beginning a new grade level.
6 a.m.Nam, an 11-year-old Muong ethnic boy in Xuan Phong, wakes up early and eagerly prepares to go to school. He will have his first lessons in the sixth grade. A long session of mathematics doesn’t seem to lessen Nam’s eagerness for his new school.
“I like secondary school because I feel I am older and more independent. I have new friends, play more grown-up games, and the lessons and teachers are different,” Nam says. “I do miss my primary school, my classroom and my teachers. But if I hadn’t gone to primary school, I would not have had the chance to continue studying and would not have the opportunity for high school. Then, I would not have a job for my future.”
Primary school is free in Vietnam. However, the affordability for children’s schooling is limited in rural mountainous areas due to other shared expenditures such as school construction costs, text books, electricity, water and other fees. These contributions are a burden for poor families like Nam’s, whose monthly income is less than $30.
Tinh, the headmaster of Xuan Phong primary school, said: “Since we’ve had ChildFund projects, we have more children going to school. This is because of two reasons. First, the school is much better in terms of teachers’ capacity and infrastructure. We have concrete-built and well-equipped classrooms, clean water and hygienic toilets. Our teachers are trained to improve their teaching methodologies. Now, children’s families are more capable to send their children to school. ChildFund has helped increase families’ income.”
Tinh says children are provided with text books, school bags, and school uniforms, which ease the difficulties of family financial contributions for their children’s schooling.
Nam’s father Duong also recalled the time when Nam’s elder brother, Dan, went to primary school: “It was a thatched roof and bamboo walled school. The class was so poor. Children from far-off hamlets had to cross long distances to get to school. Children nowadays have better schools. Farther hamlets now have satellite schools where teachers can stay. Both children and teachers don’t have to travel daily to get the remote hamlets, which lengthens the time they are able to teach and learn.”
What’s next: Nam’s busy day continues at home as he helps his family.
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