VNHelp is an NGO based in California that aims to help Vietnamese in Vietnam. It sent me a newsletter recently with the following letter written by one of its grand recipients, Le Thi Kieu-Oanh, who talked about how the scholarship helped paid the tuition she didn’t have…

(Note, water is rising in the Mekong Delta, it seems, as any low lying lands by the sea… )

Read on….

A Letter of Gratitude

My name is Le Thi Kieu-Oanh and I am a student attending Can Tho University, majoring in general accounting.

On December 7th, 2007, I received the Nguyen-Truong-To scholarship from VNHELP. I was so happy and very touched. My family is facing a difficult time due to rising waters. Our house is flooded and our rice fields are underwater, making it impossible to properly cultivate. In addition to that, my father is suffering arthritis due to the cold weather.

With this scholarship, my family is so relieved that my 2nd semester tuition can be paid for. This is the largest scholarship grant I have ever received. My feelings are mixed with happiness and worries.

There is happiness because the generous support has given me the opportunity to continue my education. There is worry because I do not know if I will be able to meet with expectations. I promise to work hard and try my very best in achieving the best results in order to make people like you proud of me. The scholarship not only helps me financially, it also presents a high moral value that will help to lead me through my studies as well as my life.

In my conversation with Ms. Trinh*, I learned that we should al¬ways have our hands open, ready to give out generously, and what goes around will soon come around again. This reminds me of the following poem:

As a bird or as a leaf, A bird sings as natural as a leaf being green

Just like how we must naturally repay when we borrow, Life is giving, not just receiving.

I’ll always remember your advice: in order to succeed in life, be¬sides achieving our professional goals, one must never forget their roots and extend their generosity to those around them.
I would like to send my most sincere thanks to the generous donors and VNHELP. I wish for your success in many other humanitarian projects from health-care to education. In the future, I will certainly join VNHELP once I am ready.

Sincerely,

Le Thi Kieu-Oanh
(Translated by VNHELP)

*Ms. Trinh is a VNHELP donor who attended the scholarship distribution ceremony in Can Tho, Dec 2007.

To help people like Kieu-Oanh, send your donations to

VN Help
P.O. Box 51780
San Jose, Ca 95151

or contact

408-885-1791
info@vnhelpp.org
www.vnhelp.org

Other agencies to consider:

Pacificlinks.org (Help girls in Mekong Delta avoid being victims of trafficking)
contact: Diep Vuong adapt@pacificlinks.org.

East Meets West Foundationhttp://www.eastmeetswest.org/

Here’s VNHelp Mission Statement:

Mission Statement

VNHELP is a non-profit, tax-exempt, charitable organization dedicated to assisting children, families, and communities in Vietnam through self-help programs in the areas of education and health care, and to promoting cultural exchange between Vietnam and the United States.

VNHELP Video…

Project Focus

Health: Develop, promote and maintain various programs related to preventive care and health education in rural areas.

Education: Provide financial assistance to poor students and individuals who have determination and ability to excel. Provide funds to build or repair schools.

Self-help: Emphasize on self-help programs to enable local people and the aid recipients to help themselves.

Direct Humanitarian Aid: Collaborate with individuals and organizations who share our common goal to bring humanitarian aid directly to the needy people in Viet Nam.

Cultural Exchange: Promote Vietnamese culture in the United States through cultural and art events to increase understanding between the two peoples.