Son Meets with CF in Orlando Apr10 – Here Son and another international visitor meet with the leaders of the Community Foundation of Orlando, Florida

[INTRODUCTION: In April, LIN’s Community Liaison, Mr. Pham Truong Son, joined a three-week study tour in the U.S., which was designed to examine the impact of volunteerism on the volunteers themselves and on the communities they serve. “Volunteerism: United We Serve,” part of the U.S. Government’s International Visitors Leadership Program, brought together 102 participants, from around the world, to meet and engage with their professional counterparts. What follows are Son’s thoughts and impressions after returning to Vietnam.]

Over the years, I observed many youth from America and other Western countries coming to Vietnam to volunteer. Some volunteered to take care of children or teach English; some helped not profit organizations with office administration or event logistics; and some participated in trips to rural areas to provide health care or build houses for the poor… When I heard about these volunteers, I often wondered: Why do they do it? What encourages them to participate like this?

During my time in the U.S., it became clear that the U.S. Government and many U.S. Presidents play a key role in motivating and appealing to citizens to support their communities and society. This high level call for engagement in volunteerism is further facilitated by U.S. not-for-profit organizations, which provide opportunities for all types of people to volunteer from young children and businesspeople to the elderly and underemployed.

After visiting volunteer host organizations in the US, I saw that they have good volunteer management systems. The advantages, they tell us is that these systems help with management of volunteers but they also help with reporting outcomes as well as fundraising for the organization. I know that this practice is still new in Vietnam – many Vietnamese NPOs, groups and clubs have not yet professionalized their volunteer engagement though many are getting better and better each year.

Pro Bono Volunteerism

Before I joined LIN, I did not know about pro bono volunteerism. It is a new concept in Vietnam as it is in many Asian countries. After joining the team at LIN Center last year, I gradually began to understand the importance and potential benefits that skilled volunteers can offer to not-for-profit organizations in Vietnam. My three-week exchange program on volunteerism in the U.S., helped to build and reinforce my understanding as well as give me an opportunity to learn about the tools and best practices that are used by U.S not-for-profit organizations to employ these volunteers to benefit their communities.

In the United States, effective not-for-profit organizations (NPO) have found ways to promote volunteerism among the local business community. Volunteering has provided an opportunity for employee team building and socializing outside the workplace. It also provides companies with an opportunity for employees to build skill sets and improve their image within the community. Perhaps because of the growing importance of CSR among US consumers and companies, there has been an upsurge in the number of individuals and corporate volunteer programs that serve not-for-profit organizations in the US.

Despite this growth, I was interested to learn that matching and managing skilled volunteers has proven to be a challenging job. My counterparts in the US explained that it requires patience and innovation in order to improve awareness and promote good practices by the stakeholders involved, which includes corporations, professionals and NPOs.

On the business side, there is work to be done to ensure that businesspeople, Directors and/or Human Resource Officers understand the goals, objectives, and responsibilities that are involved in encouraging and engaging employees to support the community through the provision of professional services to NPOs. On the NPO side, there needs to be clear communication before engaging a pro bono volunteer and mutual understanding about the services that will be provided (and those that will not) with a vision towards how this work will support the mission of the organization.

In the U.S. there are several intermediary organizations that facilitate the process of matching skilled volunteers to NPOs. These organizations create opportunities for both parties to meet, exchange information and form relationships. Organizations like Taproot Foundation, Points of Light Foundation are just two examples. We learned that companies like Deloitte and Baker Hughes Corporation have partnered with intermediary organizations to help connect their employees to community service opportunities.

Lessons Learned

I could see that there is a strong system to promote and facilitate volunteerism in U.S. communities. Government, not-for-profits, businesses and schools, all work together to promote and engage people in volunteer programs. Like in the US, volunteer programs in Vietnam help government and not-for-profit organizations to raise awareness about community challenges and to attract much needed human resource support and skills necessary to implement programs that address these challenges. They also help people that want to volunteer to find meaningful ways to support their communities.

Although there did not seem to be many organizations in the US that introduce skilled volunteers to NPOs, those organizations that are providing this service are very professional. They help enterprises identify skilled volunteer opportunities for their employees while they work with local NPOs to help them identify skilled volunteers to support their organizations.

As I was meeting with these intermediary organizations in the US, I was thinking about how I could apply some of their best practices to my work with the LIN Center and what advice I could share with our partner organizations who work with skilled volunteers. For example, I thought about the following opportunities:

• Attract companies and professionals to the idea of skilled volunteerism by providing examples of successful volunteer – NPO matches.
• Inform and introduce companies to the roles, responsibilities and benefits of facilitating and enabling employees to volunteer with local NPOs. Show examples of how corporate volunteer programs have helped to empower staff, build professional or life skills and/or strengthen the community.
• Help organizations think about ways to show their appreciation to volunteers (i.e., effective use of volunteer time, T-shirts or badges; volunteer certificates)
• Identify companies that might be interested and most suited to this type of volunteerism. Companies that provide consulting services (e.g., law, accounting, advertising, education) are often more interested in skilled volunteer programs compared with other businesses.
• Raise awareness about the potential benefits of corporate volunteer and pro bono volunteer programs. (For example, many companies feel that such programs are part and parcel of their corporate social responsibility programs. Other companies say that these programs help to empower employees, promote leadership skills and ensure balance between work and life for their employees. Not to mention the important impact skilled volunteers can have in improving NPOs impact among the communities in which they work.)

Son Volunteers in Houston Apr10 – Here Son is put to work organizing furniture and housewares at a market for poor and low income households

In Vietnam, I think it is compelling to offer a service that matches individuals with knowledge, skills and experience to local NPOs to support the organization and strengthen the capacity of the team. Especially now, with many NPOs facing limited budgets and a shortage of trained staff (two important challenges that seem to constantly reinforce one another.), NPOs need to find a way out of this cycle and pro bono volunteers might very well offer such opportunity. They can help organizations to become more efficient, for example, by training up and retaining staff members.

Among the business sector in Vietnam, volunteer activities and corporate social responsibility is still a rather vague concept. Even among foreign businesses that have formal CSR programs, lower and mid-level staff may not receive briefings on the company’s perspective on CSR and relevant programs. Therefore, information and awareness raising on this topic will be necessary for the time being in order to get more individuals and organizations to participate.

In HCMC, the LIN Center for Community Development is working to introduce this concept of skilled volunteers to businesses and NPOs alike. We are working to provide information that will help to promote mutually beneficial relationships between the business sector and local not-for-profit organizations. Our goal is to offer more opportunities for individuals that want to contribute their skills and experiences and for companies that want to enhance their role in the community by making a difference for their employees, for the people in the community and for Vietnamese society, as a whole.

To hear more about Son’s experiences and lessons learned, please visit LIN’s page on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/LINCenter, where you can freely share your thoughts, comparisons and other comments.

Photobucket - Dang Thiep

The legacy of Agent Orange is still very much alive today.   While the war ended many decades ago, its chilling aftermath still lingers today and affects over 150,000 children in Vietnam.  To refresh your knowledge about this harmful chemical, please read the article Understanding Agent Orange.

While VTP has published numerous articles describing Agent Orange,  a common question (and debate) has surfaced time and again regarding how to address the Agent Orange legacy.  Today’s article will review current approaches to this problem while offering a historical perspective on the progress made thus far.

The following information reflects the efforts of the Ford Foundation and its many partners.

The First Phase – Test and Contain

The Ford Foundation and its grantees developed “a multifaceted approach to test and contain dioxin-contaminated soils, restore landscapes, develop treatments and support centers for affected Vietnamese, and educate the US public and policymakers.  Towards these efforts, the Ford Foundation has since 2000 brought in new supporters and foundations and has committed $12 million.

Most importantly, the initial phase called for collaborative efforts between the US and Vietnam to identify, contain, and clean-up dioxin “hot spots”.  The story begins in 2000.

A grant of $150,000 made to the Vietnam Red Cross Agent Orange Victims Fund provided a valuable opportunity to obtain an “on-the-ground” perspective of the “profound impact of Agent Orange and how much remained to be done”.

Around this time, a study released by the Vietnam Ministry of Health-Hatfield environmental consulting firm showed that “high levels of dioxin remains at former US military bases”.  This suggested that dioxin was “principally a point-source pollutant” and that an effective containment strategy would focus on these “hot spots”.

To test this “hot spot hypothesis”, the Ford Foundation granted $289,000 to the Vietnam Ministry of Health and Hatfield to survey former US military bases.  The study, conducted between 2002-2005, showed that 28 military sites contained significant amount of dioxin. The results of these studies provided an opportunity to engage the US government.

The Next Step – Diplomatic Breakthroughs

In 2003, Ford funded a conference held in Washington D.C.  on “The Future of the US-Vietnam Relationship”.  The conference involved dialogues among “senior officials of both governments” and “academics, NGOs, and the business community” on topics of trade agreements, etc.  The conference also addressed the “most difficult subject of all” – the legacies of war and Agent Orange.  The outcome of this conference helped propel the Agent Orange issue into “international politics and diplomatic arena”.

In November of 2006, a diplomatic breakthrough occurred when President George W. Bush and President Nguyen Minh Triet issued a joint statement on Agent Orange stating that both nations acknowledged the dioxin problem and agreed to address this issue in order to continue “development of [US-VN] bilateral relationship”.

In February of 2007, former US Ambassador to Vietnam, Michael Marine, secured $400,000 in government funding for “remediation at Da Nang”, an area heavily affected by Agent Orange.  The Ford Foundation contributed an additional $1.3 million to this project.

Current Strategy – Engage the Public

While Ford and its partners have been successful in many projects in the past, the future of “effective and sustainable programs over time would require more than the support of two governments and courageous grantees”.  The current strategy has been to initiate a “citizen-to-citizen dialogue to raise awareness of people in the US” including officials and business leaders.

In 2007, the US-VN Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/Dioxin met “to advance a humanitarian approach”.  The group made a significant impact by briefing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and State Department officials in addition to testifying at Congressional hearings.  The result of such lobbying efforts led Congress to appropriate $3 million for Agent Orange/dioxin work in Vietnam for the fiscal years 2007, 2009, 2010.

Ford and 4 other foundations will continue to support the Dialogue Group and its mission to “address the health and environmental consequences of Agent Orange”.  The Dialogue Group has contributed to “strengthening health services for people with disabilities, helped upgrade medical facilities, trained healthcare workers, and provided surgeries, therapy, education and job opportunities”.

Other efforts include an innovative case-management system in Da Nang which promotes “equal opportunities for young adults with disabilities, support self-help groups, challenged the stigma and discrimination, and continue public education in the US and Vietnam.”

Social Media, Web 2.0 and the World

Any movement towards a noble cause requires a strong focus on public outreach and education.  The legacy of Agent Orange and the future of remediation efforts by foundations and non-profit groups must focus on ways (and venues) to reach out to the public.

The phenomenon of the web 2.0 and the popularity of social media has become the prime vehicle for news delivery and social awareness.  OneVietnam Network is committed to educating and engaging the public about the impact of Agent Orange and current efforts to help victims of this toxic chemical.

For more stories about Agent Orange, please read our other features on VTP.

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Last time, we’ve talked about different methods of transportation in Vietnam.  One of the many ways to travel throughout Vietnam, the S-shape country, is to ride the Thong Nhat train from the North to the South. The train spands from Hanoi station to HCMC (Saigon) station.

1. Hanoi Station

1. Many people still prefer to call Hanoi station by its old name of Hang Co station. Hang Co station was built in 1902 but its original architecture had been destroyed during the Vietnam war. This train station was then rebuilt in December 1976 and renamed as Hanoi station. Hanoi station is known as the largest railroad station in Vietnam.

2. Song Lam

2. After one day of travel, you will reach Lam River and be able to enjoy the tranquility of this sight through the train’s window. Lam River begins in Laos and runs through Nghe An province. Toward the end of its current, Lam River merges with La River, and the combined rivers detach itself from the land before running into the ocean through the gate of Hoi.

3. Song Lam

3. Lam River got its name because of its vibrant shade of blue. Both sides of the river are full of alluvium.  Lam River divides the land between Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces. For this reason, Lam River and Hong Mountain have been known as the shared symbols of Nghe An and Ha Tinh because they stand between the two lands.

4. Green Fields of the Countryside in Vietnam

4.  In the early morning when the dews haven’t yet settled, the hard-working farmers awaken to start their day on the fields. According to the farmers who work in Dong Xuan rice field, the changes in climate will help them predict the year’s harvest. When the winter is at its coldest, the farmers predict a successful harvest. If the winter is only moderately cold, the harvest will be even more successful.  Conversely, a warm winter indicates an unsuccessful harvest.

5. Brick Furncae Image 1

5. Look! There is an old brick furnace…. Many people may not have seen it in real life but only read about it through the literature works of Nam Cao, a legendary Vietnamese writer. Brick furnace is such an old artifact that only exists on certain rice fields.

Brick Furnace Image 2

6. This is another brick furnace, but a more often used version. These hand-made brick furnaces are still very popular in Vietnam despite them not being environmentally friendly.

There exists new variety of brick furnaces are called “tuynel”, a type of furnace that was imported from Germany since 1976 with enhanced technology for the environment. Since it is much more costly to purchase and maintain these new furnaces, the big old hand-made ones are more prefered.

7. Cemented Road of Vietnam's Countryside

7. The roads in the countryside have been coated with cement.

8. White Sand and Soil

8. As soon as we pass Quang Binh, we can see many vast fields with white sand and soil. The soil in these fields can grow melaleuca trees but not much else.

9. Parallel

9. It is interesting to note that the power cable and the rail road are almost parallel with each other. After the Vietnam War, Thong Nhat rail road, 1A highway, and the 500 Kilo Volt power system from North to South have been the top priorities of the country’s construction plan. The 500 KV power system had officially launched in late May 1994. It eliminated the painful power outage problem in southern Vietnam. In 2010, the electricity price increased by 6.8% due to the increase in cost of all resources that are used to produce electricity.

10. Thach Han River

10. The Thach Han River’s name comes from the belief that there is a series of rocks that lay across the bottom of the river. This river does not have much alluvium due to its limited length. Even though during the Spring, the river holds the most water, but it is still not as full when compared to the other rivers. During the dry seasons, many parts of the river dry up, and people can easily walk across to the other side.

11. Truoi Bridge Watch House

11. Truoi Bridge watch house was built during the French colony. Because of its rigid structure, the watch house is standing still throughout many violent wars of this country.

12. Lang Co Pond

12. Lang Co Pond.

13. Lang Co Bridge

13. Lang Co Bridge connects the road into the tunnel of Hai Van trail.

14. Lang Co Bay

14. A corner of Lang Co Bay looking down from the Hai Van trail.

15. Ox

15. During holidays away from school, the village children tend to take care of the ox, the most valuable property their family owns.

16. Buffalos

16. The image of a buffalo and a plow is still considered to be very unique to the Vietnamese farmers.

17. Pumpkin Fields

17. Pumpkin field. The soil in the Central Vietnam is not as rich when compared to other regions of the country and the world. The people who live in Central of Vietnam are known to have the most struggles. Due to this reason, many Central citizens move to the cities in search of jobs.

18. Non Nuoc Huu Tinh

18. Vietnam is a friendly country with very friendly citizens. However, the tourism industry in Vietnam has not yet developed fully because the lack of skills in organizing events and utilizing the country’s resources. This gives the country’s tourism a disadvantage in competing with its neighboring countries even though Vietnam has the most potential. Allow me to quote a few words from the article “Penguin Traveling” of the Thanh Nien magazine: “Vietnam Traveling is like a penguin, which has a pair of feet but without a pair of flying wings; therefore, it can only toddle but cannot fly up high.”

19. Co Doi Chieu Ve

19. A group of white egrets is waiting for the sun set so they can take a rest on top of those bamboos behind the village.

20. Sunset

20. When the evening comes, the train arrives at Phu Yen. There will be a long sleepless night that is full of loud noises from the train.

In the following morning, the train will reach its last destination, Saigon Station.  Here ends our travels from Hanoi to HCMC.

This article will generalize my point of view about Vietnamese men, and you can have your own opinions as you like.  Just leave a comment. There are no haters here!

It is very questionable that the Vietnamese literature only highly regards Vietnamese women, but not men.  Whenever a piece of work mentions some noble Vietnamese man (e.g: a king, a hero, or a legendary character), the author only sugarcoats the characteristics and personalities of that particular individual.  I have yet to see or read any writing that praises Vietnamese males in general.  Are we really that bad?  Well, let’s dissect this topic together.

A Bunch of Lazy Bums…

Yes, on top of my list is laziness.  Whenever I ask a Vietnamese female about what they think of Vietnamese men or their own men, the most likely answer I would get is “Lazy bums! They never do anything!”  Wow!  Indeed!

However, I believe this is only true for most men in Vietnam who live in the cities.  The majority of them basically do nothing.  Their wives take care of almost everything in the house, from cooking, to cleaning, to taking care of children — even after long hours at work.  These men usually spend their lives drinking beer with their buddies and talking loudly about random topics all day long. Of course, there are exceptions; there are men who actually work hard and are goal-oriented.

There are two things to blame for the problem of men being lazy bums:  (1) Traditional Vietnamese culture has imprinted in their brains the idea that “Husband is the King, Wife is the Slave”.  This idea was formed when men used to be the main providers of the family, giving him all the powers in the house.  However, as society modernized, it is much more difficult for men to be the only providers in the family.  This has forced women into the workforce, but men are having problems adjusting their living style to share chores in the home. Basically, women have moved forward along with modern society while their men are lagging behind.  (2)  The second reason could be explained by the following characteristic.

Big, Big, Big Ego!

Having an ego and feelings of self-importance are actually a must for everybody. It keeps us striving for a better life and a higher status.  However, it could also be viewed as an Achilles’ heel.   A man with too big of an ego can never get over himself.  Vietnamese men usually regard themselves very highly and always think that they are superior to others.  They cannot easily accept the fact that their women are better than them.  They would rather spend their days outside of the house drinking beer than washing a basket of underwear for their wife and kids.  They want their friends to think that even though they are not the main providers of the household, they can still have the power; that power is being proven by the fact that they is out drinking with their buddies, and somebody else is doing the dirty work.  Their friends are probably on the same boat.  For that reason, they will all compete to see who can sit at the beer shop the longest to prove who is the most powerful man.

Gallant (Overdoing)

How many times do you go out with a Vietnamese man and he offers to pay for you?  How many times do you go out with that same Vietnamese man and he offers to pay for you again?  I don’t know how lucky you are, but I rarely had to pay for anything when I visited Vietnam.  Yes, I’m a guy, not a beautiful girl as you would imagine.  Most Vietnamese men won’t let you pay if you were to go out with them regardless of your gender, even if you have to throw a fist at them to pay for your own share.  A lot of people think that this is a very nice trait of a gentleman, but to me they are overdoing it.  Sometimes, they offer to cover your back when they don’t even have enough money for themselves!  Maybe we could link this trait to the big ego that I mentioned above and get a clearer picture of why Vietnamese men act like that.  Some people may say that Vietnamese men are more generous than other men.  That really depends on you.

Extraordinarily Smart

I think I have covered enough bad things about Vietnamese men in general.  Let’s go to some good stuff.  I have to admit that it is quite difficult to find a dumb Vietnamese man.  They are either very street-smart, academically intelligent, or sometimes both (the scary ones).  We have recently read about the infamous mathematician Ngo Bao Chau, who successfully proved the impossible Langlands’ Fundamental Lemma.  The world history has written about King Tran Hung Dao, who repeatedly defeated the unbeatable Mongol army under Kublai Khan by using clever military strategies.  The title of “the father of personal computer” belongs to Andre Truong Trong Thi, a Vietnamese engineer who invented the Micral microcomputer based on an Intel 8008 processor in 1973.  As you can see, our people are gifted with intelligent and powerful minds.  If Vietnamese men could get rid of their laziness, I believe that there will be even more famous people to name.

Dutiful

Whether it is a duty to protect his country from invasion or to take care of his aging parents, Vietnamese men will never shy away from their duties.  For more than 2,000 years, Vietnam has always gained back its land from the invaders regardless how powerful its enemies are.  Very different from European men, Vietnamese men will most likely live with their parents to take care of them as they age.  These familial values are explained by the Confucian ideas that have heavily influenced living standards in Vietnam.

Romantic

This trait can be well seen in almost many Vietnamese work of literature, from  poetry to music to novels.  Please keep in mind that most songwriters and composers in Vietnamese are males.  It is very difficult to find any Vietnamese song or poems that have upbeat and happy music, like R&B music.  The purpose of most songs or novels is to make the listeners cry as much as they can.  I’ll let you decide whether this is a good trait of the Vietnamese men.

Your thoughts…

The article is getting rather long, but I still have so many things to write about.  However, I would very love to hear what you have to say about Vietnamese men.  Let’s start a discussion!

In my last post, I discussed how to write a Personal Statement.  Knowing that many of you are currently facing the choice of which graduate school to attend, I want to focus today’s post on how to choose your graduate school.

I spent last weekend with bright-eyed admitted students visiting Harvard Law School, each grasping tightly onto their red folders and bursting with smiles.  Amidst the variety of questions circulating the conversations, one remained most salient: why did you choose to go to Harvard?

I wanted to give the simplest—and perhaps most honest—answer of “It just felt right,” but I knew that would be unsatisfying to the inquisitive students facing such tough decisions.  Let me start with this: 

 You are in a great position to have options and you can—and will—be successful regardless of which school you choose.  

 With that in mind, there are several factors I considered in making my decision that may be worth contemplating. 

  1.      Location

Do you prefer cities or suburbs?  Mom-and-pop or chain stores?  These questions may seem superficial at first, but they are crucial in shaping your graduate school experience.  For example, Stanford is in beautiful, sunny Palo Alto, away from the city and full of spacious roads to drive through.  Harvard, on the other hand, is in the vibrant city of Cambridge and a short subway-ride from Boston, one of the U.S.’s largest and most historic cities.  Ultimately, consider the impact of location on everything from jobs prospects in that area to even food and weather.  As one of my Californian classmates jokes, “Go to where the weather sucks the most – you’ll study more.” (Julia Choe, HLS ’12) 

Location, Reference: http://go.hrw.com/atlas/norm_map/usa.gif

2.      Size  

 Size matters!  You may want to have a tight, close-knit community, or you may want to have the opportunity to meet new people everyday.  In considering small class sizes, for example, picture yourself in your third or fourth year of graduate school.  Would you be tired of knowing everyone’s business or would you feel fortunate to have the support of your entire class?  With large class sizes, you may fear being lost in the crowd, or you may relish the opportunity to find friends form a greater pool of diverse students.  

Class Size, Reference: http://img.dailymail.co.uk/

 3.      Student Life  

Location and size impact student life more generally.  You should notice the atmosphere of the school both inside and outside the classroom.  Are students generally more collaborative or independent?  Friendly or aggressive?  What environment would suit your personality and bring out your best?  How diverse is the student body?  To be honest, you’ll face all types of personalities wherever you decide to go, so this may not necessarily be the dispositive factor.  Lastly, look to the types of student groups and activities available outside of the curriculum, making sure to find those with interests you share. 

Student Life, Reference: http://www.sa.ucsb.edu

 4.      Curriculum  

 Do the schools differ much in terms of curriculum, especially the variety of courses or style of teaching?  What is the grading system?  Would you prefer a quarter or semester system?  Although most schools probably offer the same “foundation” courses, some have more developed programs in certain areas of interest.  For example, one reason I chose Harvard was for its Program on Negotiation, which none of the other schools I considered offered.  Stanford, on the other hand, was quite appealing for its focus on a variety of law clinics. 5.      Faculty  

 I assume that most schools have outstanding faculty, so similar to curriculum considerations, faculty should factor into your decision if there are outstanding professors in particular areas in which you have a strong interest.  This may be especially important if you want to pursue academia. More generally, you may want to consider faculty diversity and accessibility. 

Faculty, http://www.independentschools.com

  6.      Financial Aid  

 My advice with financial aid is simple: unless you are facing serious financial concerns or you are considering a full ride scholarship, discrepancies with financial aid should not make or break your decision.  You can always try to negotiate with a comparable school that gives you less financial aid.  More importantly, what may seem to be a noticeable discrepancy in money now is actually not much of a difference when paying back loans over an extended period of time. 

With so many issues to consider, I understand that the decision you face may seem quite daunting.  However, I’m simply going to repeat myself: You are in a great position to have options and you can—and will—be successful regardless of which school you choose.  

At the end of the day, do what feels right.  Your intuition, above all else, may be the best advice to follow.

Participants at a March workshop designed to match career-oriented PWDs with mentors.

The Disabled in Vietnam

According to the Vietnam General Statistics Office, 15% of the population have a disability. Among them, less than 20% have a secondary or high school degree and less than 1% have studied or graduated from a college or university (MOLISA 2006). Although quite capable of learning, some people with disability (PWD) are prevented from obtaining an education due to poverty, attitudinal or physical barriers in the community, barriers within the school and, sometimes, even from within their own families.

Ms. Ngo Thi Ngan shares her story with prospective mentors

Take, for example, Ms. Ngo Thi Ngan who was diagnosed with polio at the age of 3. Initially, her parents did not want her to attend school but, with dreams of becoming a doctor, she eventually convinced them otherwise. After completing high school and passing the national exam to attend the University of Pharmacy, Nang was informed that she could not attend because she could not run 100 meters in 11 seconds, which was then a requirement. She tried again through the Department of Health and the Department of Education but was denied for the same reason. “My dream of becoming a doctor was destroyed.” Five years later, after moving to HCMC and working in various fields, Nang decided to try accounting. In her first year at University, she juggled both work and school but in her second year, she applied and received a scholarship, which gave her the flexibility to focus more on her studies.

The Role of Disability Resource and Development (DRD)

Disability Resource and Development (DRD), a not-for-profit organization based in Ho Chi Minh City, granted Nang that scholarship. According to DRD, people with disability face not only attitudinal and infrastructural barriers in Vietnam, but they often also lack confidence, basic education and life skills, all of which contribute to the difficulties they face when seeking work and moving out of poverty.

Ms. Huynh Ngoc Bich sharing her story with prospective mentors

Ms. Huynh Ngoc Bich, was diagnosed with polio early in her life. Although she had less trouble entering and graduating from University, Bich encountered difficulty in finding a job as an English teacher. Though she could not find a job, she found ways to earn money by tutoring young people. During this time, Bich became aware of DRD, and decided to volunteer as an English teacher for a class of people with different disabilities. “My life changed when I learned about DRD,” said Bich. “I became more confident and more aware about my disability.” In 2008, Bich became an employee of DRD and now works as their Employment Coordinator. In this role, she collaborates with both job seekers and employers and tries to find suitable matches.

Since 2005, DRD has been working to support and raise awareness about issues affecting PWDs in Vietnam. Located in District 10, DRD employs 15 staff (50% are themselves disabled) and two international volunteers. DRD collaborates with other organizations that support PWDs across Southern Vietnam and has contact with over 2,000 PWDs.  Individuals and organizations can access a range of services from DRD such as counseling and mentoring, vocational training and employment matching, scholarships, resources and more.

The organization is headed by the Director, Ms. Vo Thi Hoang Yen, who was struck with polio at an early age. Despite financial challenges, Yen’s family encouraged her education and she eventually obtained a Master’s Degree in Human Development from the United States. Upon returning to Vietnam, Yen was determined to change the way PWDs are viewed in Vietnam and ensure that the opportunities denied to her are made available to others.

DRD’s employment support services were developed in response to need and requests from the disabled population in HCMC. The employer network now exceeds 300 organizations, including both Vietnamese and foreign companies. Recently, DRD introduced a pilot mentoring program, which seeks to match successful professionals as mentors to PWDs, in an effort to help guide and support them in their desired career path.

Ms. Ngan is one prospective mentee. “I am looking forward to getting a job that is suitable with my health and ability,” she said. “I want to live independently by the money that I earn by myself. I do not want to depend on family members or charity organizations any more.”

In March, DRD opened Hoi Quan Doi Rat Dep (Life is Beautiful Club House). The first of its kind in Vietnam, the Club House provides a safe and convenient setting for vocational training, a showcase for awareness-raising about the talents and successes of PWDs as well as a warm place for meeting friends, developing life skills and enjoying a social life sometimes not otherwise available.

At the DRD Club House, young social work students team up to compare social work with charity work.

If you would like to learn more about DRD, feel free to drop by their Club House, located just fifteen minutes from central Ho Chi Minh City. For details, please visit: www.drdvietnam.com.

Interested to support DRD?  Here are a few things you can do:

• Become a Mentor: Would you like to become a mentor for a career-oriented PWD? DRD is looking for professionals that are willing to provide approximately 6 hours per month of one-on-one support aimed at developing business skills, life skills and/or career guidance. If interested, you can contact Ms. Bich (ngocbich@drdvietnam.com) or Ms. Caroline (caroline@drdvietnam.com).
• Volunteer: DRD welcomes and appreciates skilled volunteers. Among the skills sought are social work, fundraising, marketing and communications.
• Donate (In-Kind and/or Cash): DRD is looking for funds and/or in-kind contributions to help cover the cost of its various programs and services including:
  • Scholarship and Mentoring Program (VND 12 million ensures one scholarship per student per year)
  • Club House – DRD welcomes and appreciates equipment for the kitchen and workshop areas as well as funds to support on-going maintenance of the Club House.

Contact Details:

Disability Resources and Development (Ch??ng Trình Khuyêt T?t và Phát Triên)

Address: 91/6N Hoa Hung St., Ward 12, District10, H? Chí Minh City

Tel: 84-8-3868-2770

Fax: 84-8-3868-2771

Email: info@drdvietnam.com

Website: www.drdvietnam.com

Check out some of LIN’s videos:

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Manager of the Hoi Quan Doi Rat Dep, talks with LIN staff about current and planned activities at the Café.

A college student and first time visitor to the Hoi Quan Doi Rat Dep shares his feelings about the Café and it’s capacity building programs for social work students.

A participant in one of DRD’s weekend training programs shares her group’s comparison of social work and charity work

I’ve come out of my cave!

We are two months away from launch so I’ve been locked away coding and designing.  What we have so far is pretty exciting so I had to come out to give our readers the first glimpses of OneVietnam Network.  There are three core functionalities at beta launch:

1. Connect the community: For everyone who’s Vietnamese, lived in the country, or just love the culture, OVN is the place to share your common interest.  Connect with others through profiles, photos, videos, updates, and events.  Find the “influential Vietnamese” or become one yourself!
2. Learn what’s happening: There are many discussions happening that are shaping the future of our community.  OVn lets you discover the hot topics and join the conversation.  If you’re an expert, you get to own your own topic!
3. Do something: It’s spring time! Take the conversation beyond the web and get outside.  We’re working with community groups put together events and volunteer opportunities for us to enjoy.

We have some really cool stuff happening in the background too.  For one, OneVietnam Network will connect with all your social media networks, so there’s no need to manage multiple accounts!  In fact, if you have a Facebook account, you can log right in OVN.  I can’t leak pictures yet, but the interface is beautiful.  We hate how clutter and crowded Facebook has gotten so we emphasized simply and clean design.  It’s almost zen-like.

We’ve also recently gotten the mobile version working (that iPhone image is a live site!) as well as live feeds and XMPP notification.  What that means is if you get a new message on OVN, it can send a you a Google Chat notifying you of the message.  I simply cannot wait to release this into Beta in June!

Since I’m out of the cave, I’ll take questions. Leave a comment if you have a question about OneVietnam Network!

This article was written by Guest Blogger Dana R.H. Doan of the LIN Center for Community Development (LIN). LIN is a new resource for local not-for-profit groups, individuals and corporate philanthropists based in and around Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. You can see LIN’s other article on VTP about empowering Vietnamese women here.

As you may know, nonprofits in Vietnam are understaffed, underfunded and relatively new.  This limits their ability to expand and improve core programs and services.  LIN was founded to  provide much needed training, grants, volunteers & resources to these nonprofits.

LIN supports grassroots not-for-profit organizations in their efforts to effectively manage resources and provide programs and services to disadvantaged members of our community. LIN’s core services to NPOs include: targeted trainings, skilled volunteer matching, grantmaking, research and information sharing.

To date, LIN has formed strategic partnerships with forty NPOs addressing different community needs such as: basic needs (food & shelter), education, vocational training, sports initiatives, environmental protection, arts and culture programs and more. Our partners include the Audio Library for the Blind, Blue Dreams Volunteer Network, Disability Resource and Development, HCMC Child Welfare Foundation and the Hospitality School of HCMC. Although our target beneficiaries are local NPOs, LIN collaborates closely with the international NGO community and government agencies that work to achieve our shared goals.

Members of the North Star Donor Club (Cau Lac Bo Sao Bac Dau), which is hosted by LIN, discuss how to best invest their resources into the community.

Simultaneously, LIN offers local philanthropists, including individuals and businesses, a way in which to engage constructively and support local needs while providing a transparent mechanism through which their contributions can be tracked and monitored. LIN believes that the more informed donors are, the more likely we all are to effect lasting and positive changes in our community.

Whether they may be interested to volunteer their time and professional skills; donate products or services; and/or make a financial contribution LIN provides support services to help donors that want to meet the needs in the community. To date, LIN has provided donor advisory services to individuals, international donor organizations, international and domestic companies including Hamon Investment Group, EMpower, Megastar Media, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Irish Aid and many more.  Because we work closely with local not-for-profit organizations, we have an understanding about needs that are not currently being met and are therefore able to pass this knowledge along to prospective donors.

The LIN Center for Community Development is a licensed, Vietnamese, not-for-profit organization by authorization of Decision Number 741/QD-LHH of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association. LIN is an acronym for Listen, Inspire and Nurture.

Ms. Nghiem Hai Ly, CPA with an international accounting firm, takes time out of her weekend to train local NPO staff in financial accounting.

LIN CHALLENGE:

LIN is currently competing in GlobalGiving’s Global Open Challenge.  If we are able to raise at least $4,000 from 50 individual donors by April 26, we will be awarded an ongoing spot for our projects on GlobalGiving.org and have a chance to earn up to $6,000 in prize money for raising the most money during the challenge and attracting the greatest number of donors.

You can help us to raise money, earn a spot for our projects on GlobalGiving and earn GlobalGiving prize money just by spreading the word!  For example, you can:

1. Make a donation to LIN by going to our project on GlobalGiving here
2. Share LIN’s story and Global Giving fundraising to your friends, families and colleagues. It’s easy, just share with them this article’s link.
3. Post this information on your Facebook page or “Tweet” it using a short appeal and our abbreviated link (http://bit.ly/LINonGG).
4. Call your friends, send them a message by SMS, shout it from mountain tops (I think you are getting the idea by now…)

By just passing along this information, you are going to help the LIN Center because the only way we will get new supporters is if you help us to tell them about us. We sincerely thank you for your support!

In many societies, particularly developing countries, girls are perceived as less desirable than boys. For example, China’s one-child policy combined with a preference for boys has led to a substantial imbalance between the sexes. A report in the Economist states that in China, there are 108 boys to 100 girls for the generation born in the late 1980s and 124 to 100 in the early 2000s; the ratio is as high as 130 to 100 in some Chinese provinces. Vietnam also sees a growing difference in sex ratio, logging about 110 boys born to every 100 girls, according to a New York Times article in 2007. A United Nations report estimated that Asia was short 163 million females in 2005 when compared with overall population balances of men and women elsewhere in the world, where the sex ratio generally hover around 105 boys to 100 girls. As reported by OneVietnam, one unfortunate result of the sex imbalance is increased human trafficking, where many of the victims are women and children of average age between 15 and 17 years old. However, there is increasing recognition of sex bias at birth and there are programs designed to empower girls and women, better preparing them to defend against social biases.

Investment in Girls

The idea of investing in girls as a mean of combating social biases have been adopted by numerous humanitarians, including Greg Mortenson, a mountaineer turned humanitarian. Mortenson, who wrote about his experience in Three Cups of Tea, describes how his promise to build a school in the desolate region of Korakoram in Pakistan turned into a journey that resulted in the construction of 50 schools, particularly for girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan over a 10-year period. Mortenson reasons that while most schools are strictly for boys, who subsequently participate in the work force and spend less time at home than girls, girls are typically expected to attend to their household and, if women are educated, they are more likely to transfer their knowledge to their children.

Studies have found that in developing countries, the majority of girls reside in rural areas to support their household via farming, raise children and maintain their property. They get married at a younger age, resulting in fewer years of school and usually earlier pregnancies, which leads to more repeated pregnancies and a higher chance of death during childbirth. Women’s contributions are often essential to the national economy, but they are the most exploited and least privileged members of households. Investing in girls help break the cycle of poverty by delaying marriage, resulting in more education and higher literacy rates, and leading to perhaps fewer repeated pregnancies. Some theorize that such investments will lead to more women finding jobs and migrating from subsistence farming while still supporting their household. In addition, there may be slower population growth and fewer deaths at childbirth.

Battling Sex Trafficking with Education

In the case of human trafficking, the problem has many causes, including poverty, lack of education, lack of awareness of trafficking, and family conflict among others.  These causes are mostly preventable with increased education and training to empower women. An example showing the benefits of educating and empowering women is the Culinary Arts Program, a program jointly sponsored by LIN/ADAPT that provides scholarships to women who are most at risk of being trafficked. These women participate in a culinary arts program in Ho Chi Minh City, and with training and mentorship, they become self-sustainable and can save enough money for their future while remitting money to their family.

Investing in girls will result in numerous benefits that extend beyond the educated person into the household and community, thereby breaking the cycle of poverty. As one saying goes, “When you educate a boy, you educate an individual, when you educate a girl, you educate a nation.”

Now at the age of 22, she is a self-made businesswoman and beauty coach of Youtube, producing over 81 make-up tutorial videos totaling 119,090,450 views. Her most popular tutorials title, “Romantic Valentine Look”, “Brighter Larger Looking Eyes”, “Makeup For Glasses”, “Mysterious Masquerade Look”, and “Lady Gaga Poker Face Tutorial.” Her acclaimed success and popularity opened her into the spotlight of the fashion industry. Within the last year, Phan brought her talent backstage as a make-up artist for Chris Benz, New York Fashion Week 2009 and Michael Kors Spring 2010 Collection. Her vision also inspired a Canadian doctor and scientist to partner with her in the creation of her IQQU International Beauty skincare line.

Phan’s reputable image in the art and beauty industry has earned her a place in Vogue’s March issue celebrating the top web bloggers and sensations of our current day. Phan stands next to ten other self-made celebrities to share their story of passion, motivation, and inspiration. This was Vogues first-of-its-kind article featuring the fashion blogging world. Other Michelle Phan features include; Seventeen Magazine (August 2009), St. Petersburg Times (August 23, 2009), Sun Sentinel (August 24, 2009), popular blog BellaSuga (April 19, 2009), and Chilean newspaper for her Barbie video.

Michelle Phan stands as a proud Vietnamese American descent. But her story and pursuit of dreams reaches beyond the community to encourage all to never think small, but beyond.  In September of 2008, Phan took her career a step further by aiding a charity fashion show, “Fashion for Compassion” dedicated to raising awareness to a Tampa sexual assault case. Her philanthropic work leads an example of a giving and compassionate nature. For Michelle Phan the future only gets bigger and brighter.

Source: St. Petersburg Times.

A Classy Woman -A timeless Valentines Make-up Tutorial:

Rare look at Michelle showing her Vietnamese skills:

Did you also know that Natalie Tran, another Queen of Youtube is also Vietnamese?  For article, visit here.