The spirit of Christmas & gifts that give ......

If you would like to take the angst out of Christmas shopping this year, you can buy someone special a gift that gives again!

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You can purchase a voucher from ACCV to make a donation as a Christmas gift for family and friends. Simply make a donation, you can choose the amount of money you spend, and how it is spent.

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Have a scroll through the sample vouchers and the list of suggested donatons and what that money will buy. When you have made your selection, simply make the donation and email us the details. We can create the voucher and email it directly to you for you to personalise your mesage. Or if you would prefer, you can send us the informatioin and we will send the voucher on your behalf.

You can nominate your gift to go directly to our language projects with the blind students.

$10.00 will buy a Braille board and paper for a blind student.

$50 will pay for two blind siblings to attend school for a month.

$100 will pay for a digital voice recorder for a blind student.

$500 will pay for an English language course for ten blind students.

TO MAKE A DONATION.

You may choose to donate directly to benefit the children of Friendship Home Orphanage.

$25.00 will pay for protein and fuit for Friendship Home Orphanage for one week.

$35.00 will pay for rice for Friendship Home Orphanage for one week.

$100.00 will pay for rice and oil for Friendship Home Orphanage for two weeks.

$150.00 will provide the children of Friendship Home Orphanage with winter blankets.

TO MAKE A DONATION.
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Or you might like to assist young teenagers with a Vocational Education Programme.

$50.00 will pay for two blind siblings to attend school for a month.

$125.00 will pay for a Vocational Education Programme , including course materials.

And of course there is delightful miss Thao. Your support is greatly appreciated as we help her to follow her dream to become a doctor, and to keep her mother healthy and alive!

$20.00 will provide 3 meals a day for Thao for a week.

$50.00 will contribute to Thao’s medical text books and stationary

$100.00 will pay for Thao's mother's medicine for one month.

$150.00 will support Thao at medical school for one month.

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TO MAKE A DONATION.
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Alternatively, you can make a general donation to assist us in supporting the many young people we are helping to break the cycle of poverty. We are happy to personalise your voucher to suit you.
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"Merry Christmas and wishing you all the very best for a safe and happy 2010"
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kind regards
Alison & Rose

Every dollar donated goes directly to the children of Vietnam - all administrative costs are covered by the Vidotto family

Someones trash is another's treasure ....

If you can read this, thank a teacher …….

When writing the blog entry yesterday, I was unaware that it was teacher appreciation day in Vietnam. I simply couldn't let that go by.

The teachers and teachers aides we are so fortunate to have on staff at ACCV are wonderful indeed. Birgit and Jennifer, along with Khanh & Trang travel quite a way out of Hanoi at least twice weekly to the blind association. They freely give their time, patience and dedication to our students, who are in turn genuinely fond of their teachers.

They also spend the necessary time to carefully document all facets of this course, and they contribute invaluable feedback and insight to the future development of this programme. Their contribution to the quality of life of not only our current blind students, but to the lives of those who will follow, is without measure.

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We also have another special teacher on staff. Mr Brian is not only a wonderful teacher, but he's also an invaluable member of the ACCV team. Without his full support and commitment, the smooth running of ACCV would simpy not be possible.

A very sincere thank you

Education is the movement from darkness to light....

Our review programme of the English language course for blind people is now more than half way through, and it is coming along beautifully. The students are progressing very well and they are really enjoying the classes.

Our teachers, Birgit and Jennifer, along with teaching assistants Khanh and Trang are doing such a wonderful job. Without their contribution this course would simply not be coming together. We owe them a very big thank you!

It is wonderful to see that the Braille materials we made up for the students are being fully incorporated into the classroom to create a fun and enjoyable educational environment for the students.

The students have just completed their first lot of assessments, for the first time in their lives for many of them, and they did very well! This brings a real sense of pride and accomplishment to the students, (as it should), well done to them!!


Each week the teachers send me lesson plans and student progress reports. It is such a joy to read each and every one of them. I can't help but think back to the very first time I met these people and the sad, limited existence they were leading.
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The Allan Bloom quote is so very true for these people... Education is the movement from darkness to light...


Kind regards

Alison & Rose

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" Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much" Helen Keller

Friendship, flowers and bubbles of fun...

Rose and I have been back for a couple of weeks now, my how the time flies! And I must say, the passing of time was very obvious when we went to visit the children of Friendship home.

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The children are growing so quickly. They seem to be really benefitting from the food ACCV is supplying for them. Every week Toan purchases and delivers 50kgs of rice, lots of protein, oil, fruit & veg etc …

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They are all looking very healthy ….. and taller!!

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As you all know spending time with the children is a real highlight to our trips, it’s always so lovely to catch up with them and see first hand how they are all doing. Many of the children have now matured into delightful young adults.

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Phuc has finished his first cooking course and will soon begin a more advanced level course. Toan is doing a wonderful job as both mentor and social worker with Phuc, he has taken him under his wing and it is really showing. Phuc has a level of confidence and happiness I’ve never seen in him before, it’s wonderful.
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Another young man has begun a motorcycle repair course as he looks to the future. A few of the children have come of age and they're now working and living independently. In their place are a number of new little faces at Friendship Home, six in total.

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We had great fun getting to know them, there is nothing like a tub of bubbles to help a friendship along, new or old…..

Ms Ha and the children were aware that it was my birthday and they went all out to make sure it was one I wouldn’t forget in a hurry! I was treated to the most delightful afternoon, which included lots of singing, flowers, handmade cards and hugs.


It was a wonderful day....



Kind regards

Alison & Rose



TO MAKE A DONATION.

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(please send us a quick email if you make a donation so that we can acknowledge your kindness - thank you)

The freedom of choice .....

Here is a photo of some brooms made by members of the Blind Association where we run our courses. A bundle of hand made brooms will sell for approximately 60,000vnd ($3.50), take out the cost of the materials and you have an idea what sort of money they can earn, if they're lucky enough to have work.

This is one of the many reasons we are focusing on educational courses for blind people.

We want them to have options....

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Kind regards
Alison & Rose

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They say money can't buy happiness.......

Rose and I just returned from Hanoi yesterday. It was another busy trip, but we achieved so much and once again we really enjoyed being there.

It's always great to catch up with the people we’re supporting, to see first hand how they're doing, how well the money has been utilised and if they need any further assistance.

Many of you know The story of Thao, the very poor young girl who grew up collecting rubbish to survive, and who, with the full support of ACCV is now a medical student.

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Thao is a delightful young girl, it's great to keep in touch with her and see how she is doing. Academically, she is doing very well, in fact her marks are very high. She is a devoted student who really appreciates the opportunity that has come her way. She will often express her gratitude for our support, even heading into town to find an internet café and organising someone to translate an email for her.

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Thao tries to make the long bus journey back home when she can as she is very close to her mother, who is quite ill. Recently she mentioned that she was very frightened about her mothers situation as she is quite weak and they had been told she would not live more than a couple of years. Thao is only eighteen years old, her mother is only 52.

With Dat’s assistance we organised tests for Thao’s mum to see exactly what the story is with her health and if we could possibly help. She has spent the last week in hospital in Hanoi undergoing tests. The final result is that she has only one kidney and it is full of stones. We met with Thao and her mother, both of them looking worn out and terrified. It turns out that she requires a daily medicine regime to treat both the stones and to strengthen the kidney.

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The medicines she needs will cost 1.6 million vietnamdong per month (about $100). Thao struggled to talk as she told us that they have no resources, nowhere to turn. She didn’t know what to do and she understands that ACCV is there to help children and again she mentioned how grateful she is for our support.

We had a big chat and after a while I explained to Thao that while she is at medical school we are committed to fully supporting her, and that support will include helping her mother...

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I wish I could convey the relief, gratitude and emotion that Thao obviously felt, it was clearly written in her face. An eighteen year old girl who had just realised that someone was going to give them the $26 per week required to keep her mother alive.

As the news finally sank in, Thao shared a bit of fun catch up time with Rose. Just chatting about growth spurts, hairstyles, and posing for photos!

If you would like to help Thao and her mother simply mark your donation “Thao” and every dollar will go directly to support them.

Kind regards

Alison & Rose

TO MAKE A DONATION

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(please send us a quick email if you make a donation so that we can acknowledge your kindness - thank you)

A wonderful birthday gift....

Well today it’s my birthday, and this evening Rose and I will once again fly out to Hanoi.

As I’m putting the final touches on the Braille worksheets and activities, I can’t help but think back to a special birthday a few years ago. It was actually on my birthday that we first met the children of Friendship Home.

We went along with stationary supplies we were donating for an English class that was being set up for the children at the orphanage. We had a truly wonderful afternoon, our children and the children who live at Friendship Home really hit it off and soon became fast friends. The highlight of the afternoon was when the balloons became water missiles and were thrown from a dizzy height, soaking the poor soul who couldn’t move fast enough!! Soon everyone was dripping wet and laughing their socks off!

That afternoon really was a life altering day, things haven't been the same since. That evening our children were talking about the kids of FH and the very difficult lives they led. I can remember saying that meeting them, even with the sadness of their situation, was a really special gift. They are an amazing bunch of kids.

Our plan was to spend an afternoon with the children, go and enjoy a family birthday dinner, continue with our trip through Vietnam and return to our lives here in Brisbane …….. that's not quite the way it worked out!

Since then there has been a huge amount of joy, a little bit of heartache and some truly amazing friendships and experiences.

Thoughts of how the children are growing, the turnaround in Quan’s life, meeting Brian, Dat, Thao, Toan ….

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So as I put the finishing touches on the Braille materials and prepare for a birthday dinner and then a flight to Hanoi. I realise how lucky I am to be involved in the lives of these amazing young people. It’ll be so nice to see them all again.

Another wonderful birthday gift.

Thank you
Alison & Rose

Pay it forward…...

Please excuse the delay in blog posts, things are busy, busy this end as Rose and I prepare for another trip to Hanoi. We are having a wonderful time producing activities for the next language course for blind people.

This year the Australian Government provided a 'stimulus package' designed to assist the economy in averting the global financial crisis. The idea is that every person who submitted a tax return last year will be given $900. They are then asked to go shopping and spend the money here in Australia, thereby boosting the economy.

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One young man, who doesn’t have very much money, (he has just finished a four year apprenticeship, which amounts to a lot of hard work and long hours for very little wages) came and told me that he had finally received his stimulus package and that he would like to donate $500 of his money to ACCV.

It is always wonderful to receive donations for the young people we are working with, the kindness and generosity people show is amazing. And of course donations are the backbone of ACCV, we simply cannot exist without them.

However, there is something quite humbling about receiving money from someone who we know will feel the impact of giving that money to others. In keeping with the spirit of what the stimulus package was designed to do, we agreed to spend that money here in Australia. Spending money has never been a problem for ACCV! (finding it, well that’s another story….. )

As many of you are aware, educating young blind people is a major focus for ACCV in Hanoi, and the stark reality of what they don’t have is always a bit of a shock, particularly when I compare those Hanoi classrooms with the wonderland of resources I work with here in Australia.

So, the $500 dollars we received from this young man will have an enormous impact on the lives of young blind people. One that will continue to affect each and every young blind person who attends an ACCV English language course.

We have purchased;

Dymo braille labeller 3 @ $60.00 $180.00

Dymo tape - black 20 @ $ 6.00 $120.00

Dominoes double 5 @ $25.00 $125.00

Braille primer 1 $40.00 $ 40.00

Tactile dice - set of 2 @ $6.00 $ 36.00

What this actually means is that the classroom environment has just been changed drastically.

In our previous course the students worked with only Braille boards and styluses, the classes were carried out with lots of teacher talking and students listening and writing.

Our next course will be a different story altogether!

We are busy producing posters, flashcards, bingo games, song lyric worksheets, even dominoes. Braille dominoes – can't you just imagine the fun of learning numbers with a game of good old fashioned dominoes!

Our students are in for such a treat, sincere thanks to you B!

And thank you to all ACCV supporters, we really are indebted to you all.


Kind regards
Alison & Rose


TO MAKE A DONATION

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(please send us a quick email if you make a donation so that we can acknowledge your kindness - thank you)

ACCV Pilot English Language Course.....

A while ago I blogged about the ACCV English language course for blind students finally getting off the ground. Well, the first course has now been completed, and very successfully too!

You never know how a pilot anything will go, let alone an educational course for disabled people, in a foreign land, in a foreign language, with very limited resources! I am so delighted and proud to be able to say it has been completed with results beyond our expectations.

Juliette as course coordinator along with teachers Birgit and Hai have done a truly amazing job – the adaptations, adjustments and challenges that faced them weekly have been quite interesting to say the least :) And they have graciously dealt with each of them and delivered a wonderful programme for the students.

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I would like to add that Juliette came on board as Course Coordinator, which is a big job in and of itself …… she also morphed into a teacher at a minute’s notice and did that job very well too – we are indeed very fortunate to have her on board. ….. Thanks Juls x

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We have also benefited from the additional support of very keen young Vietnamese Teachers Aides/Translators Van, Thuy, Hieu, Phuc and Khanh. They really are quite a remarkable team.
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The course is a whole lot of fun, even a little singing and dancing :)

The students have gained so much from this course, apart from the obvious educational benefits, the social side of getting together for classes has been wonderful. The photos tell the story.

Young Toan has been helping out and getting to know the students.

While the coordinator and teachers enjoy a well earned summer break, the students are very keen for classes to begin again :) Fortunately one of the teachers Aides, Khanh is kindly spending time with them over the summer to keep them a little up to date on their language skills – thanks Khanh

ACCV English language course for blind students has always been a very long term project, we’re not going anywhere! We expect this course to go from strength to strength and to be reproduced many times to benefit the young blind community in Hanoi.

The students are very thankful for the opportunities that come their way, Juliette and the teachers & TA’s are making such a wonderful contribution to these young lives.

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Kind Regards

Alison & Rose

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TO MAKE A DONATION

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(please send us a quick email if you make a donation so that we can acknowledge your kindness - thank you)