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)