EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS
VESAF has established several scholarship programs to provide financial assistance to high-performing students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Foundation strongly believes that education is a critical component for breaking the cycle of poverty. We provide the means for gifted students to continue their schooling, by easing the immediate financial pressures and hardships on their families that might otherwise curtail their opportunity for a strong education. Without this much-needed financial support, many of these students would have to drop out of school to work to assist their families financially.
The VESAF Representative in Vietnam and Hearts for Hue, VESAF’s local partner, work with school administrators to identify students in need of financial assistance. These students all come from underprivileged families that are experiencing severe financial and/or medical hardship. Each scholarship awardee has demonstrated outstanding scholastic potential and a desire to excel.
VESAF SCHOLARSHIP AT HUE UNIVERSITY
Hue, Thua Thien Hue province
The VESAF scholarship program at Hue University was established in 2018. About 40 students participate in the program each year. Each scholarship awardee receives $400 USD per year. They will continue to receive VESAF scholarship support annually until graduation, as long as they continue to demonstrate a solid academic standing and good conduct.
Thus far, VESAF has provided scholarship support to a total of 180 students in various Schools of the University, including Agriculture and Forestry, Economics, Medicine and Pharmacy, Science and Technology, and Tourism.
11/23/2022: Representing VESAF in Vietnam, Mr. Trương Trọng Khánh and Ms. Vũ Hương Lan of Hearts For Hue, delivered the VESAF scholarships to 41 needy students, in cooperation with Hue University.
VESAF SCHOLARSHIP AT ĐA NANG UNIVERSITY
Da Nang
VESAF has established a scholarship program at Da Nang University, starting with the academic year 2021-2022.
The scholarship recipients, all of whom are from families experiencing severe financial and/or medical hardship, are awarded the scholarships for their strong academic performance. They will continue to receive VESAF scholarship support until graduation if they continue to demonstrate a good academic standing and good conduct in the following school years.
In the academic year 2022-2023, VESAF has provided scholarship support to 36 students in various Faculties, including Economics, Information and Communication Technology, Medicine and Pharmacy, and Science and Technology.
12/07/2022: The VESAF Representative in Vietnam, Hearts for Hue, and Da Nang University officials delivered the VESAF scholarships to these needy students at the University.
VESAF SCHOLARSHIP AT HÀ TRUNG HIGH SCHOOL
Vinh Hà Commune, Phú Vang District, Thừa Thiên Huế Province
Starting with the 2020-2021 academic year, VESAF awards scholarships to 30 students each year at Ha Trung High School in Vinh Ha commune, Thua Thien Hue. Each student received $125 USD, which is sufficient to cover tuition, books, and school supplies for the year. These students will continue to receive VESAF scholarship support throughout high school, as long as they continue to demonstrate a strong academic standing and good conduct.
11/15/2022: The VESAF Representative in Vietnam and Hearts for Hue, distributed the VESAF scholarship to the 30 selected students, in collaboration with Hà Trung High School.
VESAF SCHOLARSHIP AT VINH PHÚ MIDDLE SCHOOL
Phú Gia Commune, Phú Vang District, Thừa Thiên Huế Province
Starting with the 2020-2021 academic year, VESAF awards scholarships to 40 underprivileged students annually at Vinh Phu Middle School in Phu Gia commune, Thua Thien Hue. Each scholarship recipient was given $100 USD, which is sufficient to cover tuition, books, and school supplies for the year. These students will continue to receive VESAF scholarship support throughout middle school, as long as they continue to demonstrate a strong academic performance and good conduct in the following school years.
11/15/2022: in collaboration with Vinh Phu Middle School, the VESAF Representative in Vietnam and Hearts for Hue, delivered the VESAF scholarship to the deserving students at Vinh Phu.
VESAF SCHOLARSHIP AT XUÂN LỘC PRIMARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL
Xuân Lộc Commune, Phú Lộc District, Thừa Thiên Huế Province
Starting with the 2019-2020 academic year, VESAF provides scholarships to good students in need of financial help at Xuan Loc Primary and Middle School in Xuan Loc commune, Thua Thien Hue. Xuan Loc is a poverty-stricken mountainous community, with a population of 2,820 people, 85% of them being of Van Kieu and Ka Tu ethnics. Most of the local people earn their living by farming, and many do not have the ability to send their children to school.
11/15/2022: The VESAF Representative in Vietnam and Hearts for Hue distributed the VESAF scholarship to 90 needy students at the School. Each scholarship awardee was given $50 USD, which is sufficient to cover tuition and school supplies for the year. These students will continue to receive VESAF scholarship support throughout primary and middle school, as long as they continue to demonstrate a good academic standing and good conduct.
MICROFINANCE
Economists and other social scientists know how hard the climb out of poverty is for poor rural people in developing countries. The many obstacles include the need to support a family while starting or expanding a business, acquiring needed business knowledge, access to markets for one's goods and/or services, the support of other community members, and above all, finding the financial capital to invest in the needed tools and supplies. Microfinance programs, which supply needy entrepreneurs with small loans ($400-900) after organizing them into local support groups, overcome the last two of these obstacles. The loans are repaid to the lending organization, which then recycles the funds into new loans to other similar individuals and communities. Such microfinance programs multiply the benefits of the invested funds to the benefit of the borrowers and their neighbors.
Since 2017, in an extensive and expanding microfinance program, VESAF has partnered with Hearts For Hue (H4H), a Vietnamese nongovernmental organization based in Hue, to grant microloans to needy families in the region. H4H, in collaboration with local People’s Committees, provides basic training to borrowers in financial literacy, savings techniques, and other necessary topics for financial management. Since the program’s inception, VESAF has provided microloans to 530 families in three communes of Thua Thien Hue province. By the end of November 2022, 346 families remain active ịn the program and 184 terminated after complete loan repayment. And as more loans are repaid and additional families participate, we can expect this to lead to a continued expansion of the program and its benefits. The funds have been used in a variety of productive ways: to expand supplies offered in rural retail stores and service establishments such as beauty parlors, sewing businesses, and repair shops, and to buy and plant pomelo trees and other agricultural products … to name a few.
Effective June 1, 2022, VESAF’s loan amounts are to be increased from 10,000,000 to 15,000,000 VNĐ in the first phase, and to remain at 15,000,000 VNĐ in the second and third phases.
HƯƠNG VÂN PROJECT
Huong Van commune, Huong Tra district, Thua Thien Hue province
Huong Van is one of the poorest communities in Thua Thien Hue province. Many of its people are skilled and motivated to work, but it is virtually impossible for them to start their own businesses without start-up funds. H4H provides VESAF loans to individuals in need, enabling them to establish businesses and achieving financial independence.
Currently, 326 households are actively participating in the Hương Vân project.
12/27/2022: VESAF provided additional funds to support 29 new families joining the program in the first phase. After providing basic training, H4H, with the cooperation of the People’s Committee of Huong Van Commune, distributed VESAF loans to the new participants, each receiving 15,000,000 VNĐ.
11/29/2022: Using available loan repayment funds, H4H disbursed new VESAF loans (15,000,000 VNĐ each) to 39 participants who would like to continue into the third phase (actually, 50 participants were anticipated to continue, but 11 of them decided to leave the program after the second round) .
09/29/2022: Using available loan repayment funds, H4H disbursed new VESAF loans (15,000,000 VNĐ each) to 15 participants, who would like to continue into the third phase.
07/28/2022: Using available loan repayment funds, H4H disbursed new VESAF loans (15,000,000 VNĐ each) to 15 participants who would like to continue into the third phase.
06/21/2022: VESAF provided additional funds to support 20 new participants in the first phase of the program. After providing basic training for these borrowers, H4H, with the cooperation of the People’s Committee of Huong Van Commune, distributed VESAF loans to them, each receiving 15,000,000 VNĐ.
05/25/2022: Using available loan repayment funds, H4H disbursed new VESAF loans (10,000,000 VNĐ each) to 15 participants who would like to continue into the second phase, and an other 50 participants moving into the third phase, each receiving 15,000,000 VNĐ.
03/25/2022: VESAF provided additional funds to support 27 new participants in the first phase of the program. After providing basic training to the new borrowers, H4H, in collaboration with People’s Committee of Huong Van Commune, distributed loans to them, each receiving 10,000,000 VNĐ.
PHÚ GIA PROJECT (ongoing)
Phu Gia commune, Phu Vang district, Thua Thien Hue province
QUẢNG PHƯỚC PROJECT (discontinued in May 2021)
Quang Phuoc commune, Quang Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Since 2014, VESAF has been providing funds for community-development projects in rural Vietnam. Such projects have included the construction of rural bridges and roads to improve means of transportation, establishing clean water sources or water lines to deliver clean water to underserved communities, and building homes for families in need.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:
CONSTRUCTION OF RURAL BRIDGES
PHƯƠNG PHÚ BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 25)
Phuong Phu commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 12 m, width: 3 m, with 3.5-m concrete extension at each end
Construction cost: 353.300,000 VNĐ (15,564 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (50%) and Hau Giang Province Budget (50%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Hau Giang (Liên Hiệp các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Hậu Giang)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
05/25/2022: Groundbreaking
06/26/2022: Inauguration
TÂN TIẾN 1 BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 26)
Tan Tien commune, Vi Thanh township, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 28 m, width: 2.5 m, with 10-m concrete extension at each end
Construction cost: 203,700,000 VNĐ (8,974 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (50%) and Hau Giang Provincial Budget (50%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Hau Giang (Liên Hiệp các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Hậu Giang)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
05/11/2022: Groundbreaking
06/24/2022: Inauguration
TÂN TIẾN 2 BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 27)
Tan Tien commune, Vi Thanh township, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 12 m, width: 3 m, with 3.5-m concrete extension at each end
Construction cost: 203,700,000 VNĐ (8,974 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (50%) and Hau Giang Provincial Budget (50%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Hau Giang (Liên Hiệp các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Hậu Giang)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
05/11/2022: Groundbreaking
06/24/2022: Inauguration
HÒA AN BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 28)
Hoa An commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 27 m, width: 2.5 m, with a 3-m concrete extension at each end
Construction cost: 420,000,000 VNĐ (18,502 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (50%) and Hau Giang Provincial Budget (50%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Hau Giang (Liên Hiệp các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Hậu Giang)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
05/01/2022: Groundbreaking
05/28/2022: Inauguration
BẢY PHƯỚC BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 29)
Vinh Vien township, Long My district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 22 m, width: 3 m, with a 15-m concrete extension at each end
Construction cost: 369,800,000 VNĐ (15,945 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (50%) and Hau Giang Provincial Budget (50%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Hau Giang (Liên Hiệp các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Hậu Giang)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
07/02/2022: Groundbreaking
07/28/2022: Inauguration
BÌNH THẠNH BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 30)
Binh Thanh ward, Long My township, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 48 m, width: 3 m, with a 20-m concrete extension at each end
Construction cost: 729,000,000 VNĐ (31,613 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (50%) and Hau Giang Provincial Budget (50%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Hau Giang (Liên Hiệp các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Hậu Giang)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
06/16/2022: Groundbreaking
07/24/2022: Inauguration
MỸ PHÚ BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 31)
Ta An Khuong commune, Dam Doi district, Ca Mau province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 25 m, width: 2.3 m
Construction cost: 125,400,000 VNĐ (5,452 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (72%) and People’s Committee of Ta An Khuong commune (28%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Hau Giang (Liên Hiệp các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Hậu Giang)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
06/12/2022: Groundbreaking
07/25/2022: Inauguration
CONSTRUCTION OF RURAL ROADS
PHƯƠNG AN ROAD
(VESAF Road 11)
Phuong Phu commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Concrete; length: 1,245 m, width: 1.0 m, thickness: 0.08 m
Construction cost: 269,200,000 VNĐ (11,885 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (58%) and local People’s Committee (42%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Hau Giang (Liên Hiệp các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Hậu Giang)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
01/09/2022: Groundbreaking
01/20/2022: Construction complete
03/05/2022: Inauguration
HÒA AN ROAD
(VESAF Road 12)
Hoa An commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Concrete; length: 1,200 m, width: 1.0 m, thickness: 0.08 m
Construction cost: 261,550,000 VNĐ (11,547 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (56%) and local People’s Committee (44%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Hau Giang (Liên Hiệp các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Hậu Giang)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
12/26/2021: Groundbreaking
01/07/2022: Construction complete
03/05/2022: Inauguration
BÌNH THẠNH ROAD
(VESAF Road 13)
Binh Thanh ward, Long My township, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Concrete; length: 80 m, width: 2.5 m, thickness: 0.10 m
Construction cost: 90,000,000 VNĐ (3,881 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (70%) and People’s Committee of Long My commune (30%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Hau Giang (Liên Hiệp các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Hậu Giang)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
07/02/2021: Groundbreaking
07/24/2022: Inauguration
CLEAN WATER PROJECTS
CLEAN WATER LINE IN HOA MY COMMUNE
VESAF Clean Water Project 06)
Hoa My commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Underground system; PVC D114x3.5mm (1,500 m) and PVC D90x3.0mm (3,800 m) (Ströman Vietnam Plastic Co., Công Ty CP Nhựa Ströman)
Total budget: 901,254,000 VNĐ (39,750 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (50%) and Hau Giang Water Supply & Rural Environmental Sanitation Company, HGWSRESC [Công Ty CP Cấp Nước và Vệ Sinh Môi Trường Nông Thôn Hậu Giang] (50%)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta) and HGWSRESC
The new water line, financed by VESAF and HGWSRESC, brings clean water from a HGWSRESC distribution center over a distance of 5,300 m across Hoa My commune, delivering fresh water to all households in this underserved community.
04/29/2022: Groundbreaking
06/10/2022: Inauguration
BUILDING HOMES (NHÀ TÌNH THƯƠNG) FOR FAMILIES IN NEED
NHÀ TÌNH THƯƠNG VESAF 16 - 21
Phuong Phu commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Brick structure, concrete floor, length = 10 m, width = 4 m, height = 4 m
Construction cost: 58,600,000 VNĐ (2,587 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (71%), and local and family contributions (29%)
Logistics and realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
No. 16:
Recipients: Mr. Trần Văn Mót and family (husband & wife, 3 young children, and mother)
Ấp Phương Hoà, xã Phương Phú, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/05/2022: Groundbreaking
04/10/2022: Construction complete
No. 17:
Recipients: Mr. Lê Văn Ngon and family (husband & wife and 3 young children)
Ấp Phương Hoà, xã Phương Phú, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/05/2022: Groundbreaking
04/10/2022: Construction complete
No. 18:
Recipients: Ms. Trần Thị Bé Hai and family (husband & wife and 3 young children)
Ấp Phương An A, xã Phương Phú, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/05/2022: Groundbreaking
04/17/2022: Construction complete
No. 19:
Recipients: Mr. Ngô Văn Vốn and family (husband & wife and 1 young daughter)
Ấp Phương An B, xã Phương Phú, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/05/2022: Groundbreaking
04/17/2022: Construction complete
No. 20:
Recipients: Ms. Huỳnh Thị Đẹp and family (husband died, living with son and grand son)
Ấp Phương An B, xã Phương Phú, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/05/2022: Groundbreaking
04/10/2022: Handover ceremony
No. 21:
Recipients: Mr. Bùi Văn Trí and family (husband & wife, 3 children, and 2 grand children)
Ấp Phương An A, xã Phương Phú, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/05/2022: Groundbreaking
04/10/2022: Handover ceremony
NHÀ TÌNH THƯƠNG VESAF 22 - 25
Hoa An commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Brick structure, concrete floor, length = 10 m, width = 4 m, height = 4 m
Construction cost: 58,600,000 VNĐ (2,581 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (71%), and local and family contributions (29%)
Logistics and realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
No. 22:
Recipients: Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh and family (husband died, living with 2 young children)
Ấp Xẻo Trâm, xã Hoà An, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/02/2022: Groundbreaking
04/27/2022: Handover ceremony
No. 23:
Recipients: Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thủy and family (with 3 young children)
Ấp Bào Môn, xã Hoà An, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/02/2022: Groundbreaking
04/27/2022: Handover ceremony
No. 24:
Recipients: Mr. Nguyễn Văn Thao and family (husband & wife and 1 child)
Ấp 3 , xã Hoà An, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/02/2022: Groundbreaking
04/18/2022: Handover ceremony
No. 25:
Recipients: Mr. Đặng Văn Ngân and family
Ấp 3 , xã Hoà An, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/02/2022: Groundbreaking
04/18/2022: Handover ceremony
NHÀ TÌNH THƯƠNG VESAF 26 - 31
Hoa My commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Brick structure, concrete floor, length = 10 m, width = 4 m, height = 4 m
Construction cost: 58,600,000 VNĐ (2,581 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (71%), and local and family contributions (29%)
Logistics and realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
No. 26:
Beneficiaries: Ms. Lâm Thị The and family (husband and 2 young children)
Ấp 6, xã Hoà Mỹ, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/22/2022: Groundbreaking
06/10/2022: Handover ceremony
No. 27:
Beneficiaries: Mr. Huỳnh Văn Đức and family (wife and 2 children, one being seriously injured from an accident)
Ấp Mỹ Thành, xã Hoà Mỹ, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/22/2022: Groundbreaking
07/18/2022: Handover ceremony
No. 28:
Beneficiaries: Ms. Võ Thị Hồng and family (mentally-ill husband and one child)
Ấp Long Trường, xã Hoà Mỹ, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/22/2022: Groundbreaking
06/10/2022: Handover ceremony
No. 29:
Beneficiaries: Mr. Lưu Minh Đầy and family (wife and 2 children)
Ấp Phú Mỹ, xã Hoà Mỹ, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/22/2022: Groundbreaking
07/18/2022: Handover ceremony
No. 30:
Beneficiaries: Mr. Nguyễn Văn Ngọc and family (wife and 2 children)
Ấp 5, xã Hoà Mỹ, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/22/2022: Groundbreaking
07/18/2022: Handover ceremony
No. 31:
Beneficiaries: Mr. Trần Văn Dũng and family (wife and 3 children)
Ấp 5, xã Hoà Mỹ, huyện Phụng Hiệp, tỉnh Hậu Giang
03/22/2022: Groundbreaking
07/18/2022: Handover ceremony
SUPPORT FOR ORPHANAGES
“MÁI ẤM TÌNH THƯƠNG” ORPHANAGE AT QUANG CHÂU PAGODA
Hoa Chau commune, Hoa Vang district, Da Nang
02/15/2022: VESAF continued to provide support for MÁI ẤM TÌNH THƯƠNG CENTER, operated by Quang Châu Pagoda. This Center is home to about 150 orphans, ranging in age from newborn infants to teenagers, and is also helping a few dozens of old, poor, and dependent individuals without families with lodging, meals, clothing, and medical care. Our annual funding (7,000 USD/year) helps to subsidize the cost of education for the children at the center.
EMERGENCY RELIEF
Two powerful typhoons hit central Vietnam in mid-October, causing heavy rainfall and widespread flooding. Numerous communities in Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Thua Thien Hue were submerged, affecting thousands of families, many of whom lost their houses and belongings.
In partnership with local charitable organizations, VESAF provided funds to help many affected families in these communities.
ASSISTANCE TO VESAF MICROFINANCE RECIPIENTS AFFECTED BY SEVERE TYPHOON FLOODING IN HƯƠNG VÂN AND PHÚ GIA COMMUNES, THUA THIEN HUE PROVINCE
10/24/2022: Representing VESAF, Hearts for Hue provided financial assistance to 150 families in Huong Van, and 50 families in Phu Gia, each receiving 500,000 VNĐ (21.00 USD). These families have been participating in the local microfinance program sponsored by VESAF.
ASSISTANCE TO NEEDY FAMILIES AFFECTED BY SEVERE TYPHOON FLOODING IN HÒA BẮC COMMUNE, HÒA VANG DISTRICT, DA NANG
10/23/2022: VESAF made a contribution to the relief funds at Pho Chau Temple for providing assistance to needy families severely affected by heavy typhoon flooding in Central Vietnam. The Charity Group at the Temple, led by Venerable Thong Hue, distributed basic food and cash donation to 260 families (each receiving 500,000 VNĐ) in Hoa Bac commune, Hoa Vang, Da Nang.
