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 (Ongoing Program since 2018)
Hue, Thua Thien Hue province
The VESAF scholarship program at Hue University was established in 2018. About 40 needy students participate in the program each 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 268 students in various Schools of the University, including Agriculture and Forestry, Economics, Medicine and Pharmacy, and Science and Technology.
12/02/2024: Representing VESAF in Vietnam, Mr. Trương Trọng Khánh (Chairman of Hearts For Hue), in cooperation with Hue University delivered the VESAF scholarships to 45 students.
VESAF SCHOLARSHIP AT ĐA NANG UNIVERSITY (Ongoing Program since 2021)
Da Nang
VESAF has established a scholarship program at Da Nang University in 2021.
The scholarship recipients, all of whom are from families experiencing severe financial and/or medical hardship, are supported on the basis of 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 current academic year 2024-2025, 36 students received VESAF scholarships. Thus far, VESAF has provided scholarship support to a total of 144 students in various Schools of the University, including Economics, Information and Communication Technology, Medicine and Pharmacy, and Science and Technology.
12/18/2024: The VESAF Representative in Vietnam, Hearts for Hue, and Da Nang University officials delivered the VESAF scholarships to these 36 students in financial need at the University.
VESAF SCHOLARSHIP AT HÀ TRUNG HIGH SCHOOL (Ongoing Program since 2020)
Vinh Hà commune, Phú Vang district, Thừa Thiên Huế province
Starting with the 2020-2021 academic year, VESAF awards scholarships to 30 needy students each year at Ha Trung High School in Vinh Ha commune, Thua Thien Hue. 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.
11/18/2024: The VESAF Representative in Vietnam, in collaboration with Hà Trung High School, distributed the VESAF scholarships to the 30 deserving students.
VESAF SCHOLARSHIP AT NAM ĐÔNG HIGH SCHOOL (Ongoing Program since 2023)
Khe Tre township, Nam Dong district, Thừa Thiên Huế province
Starting with the 2023-2024 academic year, VESAF provides scholarships to good students in need of financial help at Nam Dong High School in Nam Dong district, Thua Thien Hue province.
11/18/2024: The VESAF Representative in Vietnam, in cooperation with Nam Dong High School, distributed the VESAF scholarship to 30 students at the School. Each scholarship awardee received $125 USD, which is sufficient to cover tuition 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 good academic standing and good conduct.
VESAF SCHOLARSHIP AT VINH PHÚ MIDDLE SCHOOL (Ongoing Program since 2020)
Phú Gia commune, Phú Vang district, Thừa Thiên Huế province
Starting with the 2020-2021 academic year, VESAF awards scholarships to a number of underprivileged students annually at Vinh Phu Middle School in Phu Gia commune, Thua Thien Hue. 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.
11/18/2024: In cooperation with Vinh Phu Middle School, the VESAF Representative in Vietnam, delivered the VESAF scholarships to 35 needy students at the School.
VESAF SCHOLARSHIP AT XUÂN LỘC PRIMARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL (Ongoing Program since 2019)
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.
11/18/2024: In cooperation with Xuan Loc Primary and Middle School, the VESAF Representative in Vietnam distributed the VESAF scholarship to 35 needy students at the middle-school level. These students will continue to receive VESAF scholarship support throughout middle school, as long as they continue to demonstrate a good academic standing and good conduct.
DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOR DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN
VILLAGE OF HOPE (LÀNG HY VỌNG)
Thanh Khe district, Da Nang City
Established in 1993, VILLAGE OF HOPE (209 Dũng Sĩ Thanh Khê, Thanh Khê district, Đà Nẵng City) is a center for disadvantaged children from Danang and Quang Nam province. The Village provides these children with the opportunity to study and fully develop their characters to become useful citizens in the future.
Over the past three decades, the Village has brought up more than 800 orphaned and disabled children. At present, 122 children aged between 6 and 18 are being cared for at the Village. Most of them attend the local public schools. However, the hearing-impaired children receive their education on-site from experienced, well-trained teachers because the public schools do not have classes for children with special needs. The Village enhances children's education by offering extra classes in math, science, English, and computer skills to supplement the instruction given in the overcrowded public schools. The Village also provides extracurricular and vocational activities, such as tailoring, embroidery, cooking, woodworking, art, music, and sports.
Aside from nurturing approximately100 children who reside at the center, the Village also provides some financial support for about 25 severely disadvantaged children living with their families in the local community.
Several hundred children have grown up at the Village of Hope since its inception, graduated from public schools, and found suitable jobs. Many have moved on to graduate school and earned university degrees, achieving many successes in life and contributing to society.
In recent years, after the decision of the “East Meets West Foundation”, which initially built and funded the Village, to terminate their humanitarian activities in Vietnam, and with the subsequent calamitous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the funding for the Village has drastically diminished. The Village of Hope has faced serious financial difficulties. It needs to rely on additional funding from other organizations and private donors to be able to continue its operation.
07/01/2024: Joining the other two organizations - Association for Supporting Women and Children with Disabilities in Da Nang (Hội Bảo trợ Phụ nữ và Trẻ em bất hạnh Đà Nẵng) and the Japan Democratic Women's Association (Hội Phụ nữ Dân chủ Nhật Bản, FEMIN) - VESAF started to support the disadvantaged children at the Village.
09/07/2024: On the first day of the 2024-2025 academic year, the representative of VESAF in Vietnam, Mr. Truong Trong Khanh, participated in the Opening Ceremony at the Village. Amongst the participants at the Ceremony were Mr. Huynh Van Hoa - Chairman of the Association for Supporting Women and Children with Disabilities in Da Nang, Mr. and Mrs. Yuichi Takeuchi representing the Japan Democratic Women's Association, and representatives of schools and local agencies.
QUANG CHAU PADODA SHELTER (MÁI ẤM CHÙA QUANG CHÂU)
Hoa Chau commune, Hoa Vang district, Da Nang
VESAF continued to provide support for QUANG CHAU PAGODA SHELTER. At present, this Center is home to about 70 disadvantaged children, ranging in age from toddlers to adolescents; most of them are attending neighboring schools: 2 in kindergarten, 26 in primary school, 27 in secondary school, 5 in high school. and 4 in college. However, the hearing-impaired children (6) receive their education on-site from well-trained teachers because the public schools do not have classes for children with special needs. Our annual funding helps to subsidize the cost for their education and school supplies.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS
NEW GATE AND FENCE AT HÒA AN KINDERGARTEN SCHOOL
(VESAF School Improvement 03)
Hoa An commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Metal gate, repaired concrete fence
Construction cost: 64,650,000 VND (2,545 USD)
Financial support: VESAF
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)
05/20/2024: Project started
06/15/2024: Project complete
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. Generally, there are three two-year phases in the program. New participants are initially enrolled in the first phase; and if their loans are paid off after two years, they may continue into the next, second phase, and subsequently into the third phase. Since the program’s inception, VESAF has provided microloans to 710 families in three communes of Thua Thien Hue province. At present, 489 families remain active ịn the program and 221 terminated their loans after complete loan repayments. 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.
Since June 2022, VESAF’s loan amounts have been set at 15,000,000 VND for all three phases of the program.
HƯƠNG VÂN PROJECT (Ongoing Project since January 2018)
Huong Van commune, Huong Tra district, Thua Thien Hue province
Huong Van is a poor community in Thua Thien Hue province. Many of its people are skilled and motivated to work, but it is difficult for them to start their own businesses without start-up funds. H4H helps distribute VESAF loans to individuals in need, enabling them to establish businesses and achieving financial independence.
By the end of August 2024, 474 households are actively participating in the project: 219 families in Phase 1, 81 in Phase 2, and 174 in Phase 3.
01/30/2024: Using available loan repayment funds, H4H distributed VESAF loans to 57 new comers who would like to join the program in the first phase, and 3 and 17 participants who are qualified to move from the first phase into the second and from the second phase into the third, respectively. In January, 24 families left the program: 3 from Phase 1, 4 from Phase 2, and 17 at the end of Phase 3.
01/25/2024: Using available loan repayment funds, H4H provided VESAF loans to 7 new comers (15,000,000 VND each) who would like to join the program in the first phase, and 17 participants who are qualified to continue into the second phase.
QUẢNG PHÚ PROPJECT
Quang Phu commune, Quang Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province
Located about 15 km northeast of Hue city, Quang Phu is one of 10 communes in Quang Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province. The entire commune has 3,120 households with 13,275 people, living in 10 villages with a total land area of 11.88 km2. Nearly 10% of the local households are rated poor and near-poor. The main business of the people is agriculture such as growing rice, peanuts, sugarcane, cassava, sesame, etc.; raising livestock such as pigs, chickens, goats, cows; and aquaculture such as fish farming. Handicraft industries including rattan and bamboo weaving, hat brims, carpentry arts... develop steadily, increasing income for people. Trade and services in the area are also in development and have positive changes; many types of service establishments such as catering, wedding, and bus services ... have sprung up to serve the needs of local customers. With the urbanization of rural areas, the land area for cultivation is shrinking. The commune's policy is to develop handicraft industries and service businesses to meet the new situation.
Currently, a large number of households in the commune, estimated to be over 500, need to borrow capital for embarking on these business activities. H4H has worked with the People's Committee of Quang Phu commune and realized the high demand for loans in this area.
11/22/2024: Using available loan repayment funds, H4H provided VESAF loans to 26 new comers (15,000,000 VND each) joining the first phase of the program.
08/22/2024: Using available loan repayment funds, H4H provided VESAF loans to 32 new comers (15,000,000 VND each) who would like to join the program in the first phase.
04/26/2024: Starting the new microfinance project in Quang Phu, 49 individuals were enrolled in the first phase, each receiving 15,000,000 VND. H4H provided them with a basic training on obligations and credit and saving management to ensure the long-term viability of the program.
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Since 2014, VESAF has been providing funds for community-development projects in rural Vietnam. Such projects have included the construction of 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
VỊ THANH BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 36)
Vi Thanh commune, Vi Thuy district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 28 m, width: 3 m
Construction cost: 360,000,000 VNĐ (14,875 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)
03/30/2024: Groundbreaking
05/12/2024: Inauguration
VỊ BÌNH BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 37)
Vi Thanh commune, Vi Thuy district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 32 m, width: 3 m
Construction cost: 399,500,000 VNĐ (16,510 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)
03/30/2024: Groundbreaking
05/12/2024: Inauguration
VỊ XUÂN BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 38)
Ward 7, Vi Thanh township, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 47 m, width: 3 m
Construction cost: 577,000,000 VNĐ (23,650 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)
05/10/2024: Groundbreaking
09/24/2024: Inauguration
VỊ ĐÔNG BRIDGE
(VESAF Bridge 39)
Hamlet 8, Vi Dong commune, Vi Thuy district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Steel-reinforced concrete; length: 31 m, width: 2.5 m
Construction cost: 328,000,000 VNĐ (13,554 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)
03/30/2024: Groundbreaking
05/12/2024: Inauguration
CONSTRUCTION OF RURAL ROADS
PHƯƠNG HÒA ROAD
(VESAF Road 21)
Phuong Hoa hamlet, Phuong Phu commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
HÒA MỸ ROAD
(VESAF Road 22)
Hamlet 3 & 4, Hoa My commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
BÀU MÔN ROAD
(VESAF Road 23)
Bau Mon hamlet, Hoa An commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
THUẬN HƯNG ROAD
(VESAF Road 24)
Hamlet 10, Thuan Hung commune, Long My district, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Concrete; length: 525 m, width: 1.5 m, thickness: 0.08 m
Construction cost: 275,625,000 VNĐ (11,343 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)
03/23/2024: Groundbreaking
03/30/2024: Inauguration
QUÝ NGỌC ROAD
(VESAF Road 25)
Hoa Phung C hamlet, Hoa An commune, Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province
TÂN ĐỨC ROAD
(VESAF Road 26)
Tan Duc commune, Dam Doi district, Ca Mau province
Specifications: Concrete; length: 1,000 m, width: 1.5 m, thickness: 0.08 m
Construction cost: 404,000,000 VNĐ (16,560 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (41%) and Ca Mau Provincial Budget (59%)
Coordination: Union of Friendship Organizations in Ca Mau (Liên Hiệp Các Tổ Chức Hữu Nghị tỉnh Cà Mau)
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta)
04/10/2024: Groundbreaking
09/18/2024: Inauguration
CLEAN WATER PROJECTS
CLEAN WATER LINE IN TÂN PHÚ COMMUNE
(VESAF Clean Water Project 09)
Tan Hung 2 & Tan Tri 1 hamlets, Tan Phu commune, Long My township, Hau Giang province
Specifications: Underground system; PVC D114 x 3.5 x 6m ĐN (697 units - 4,180 m) and PVC D90 x 3.0 x 6m ĐN (542 units - 3,248 m) (Công Ty TNHH MTV Thương Mại THANH DUNG, TP. HCM)
Total cost of materials: 454,000,000 VNĐ (18,310 USD)
Financial support: VESAF (70%) and local community (30%) shared the cost of PVC pipes; Hau Giang Water Supply & Rural Environmental Sanitation Company, HGWSRESC (Công Ty CP Cấp Nước và Vệ Sinh Môi Trường Nông Thôn Hậu Giang) provided labor support for pipe and water-meter installation.
Realization: VESAF Project Coordinator in Southern Vietnam (Mekong Delta) and HGWSRESC
This new water line brings clean water from a HGWSRESC distribution center over a total distance of 7,430 m across Tan Phu commune, delivering fresh water to all households in this underserved community.
05/09/2024: Groundbreaking
06/06/2024: Inauguration
