It is with great sadness that I am writing of the sudden, tragic passing of one of our GFF representatives, Thanh Vu a few weeks ago. She was a kind, giving, beautiful soul who touched the lives of everyone she encountered. Thanh had the challenging task of initiating GFF’s work in Vietnam and despite many obstacles she encountered along the way, through her sheer determination, she always found a way to drive the project forwards. She had such a big heart and wanted to help make the opportunities she had available from her education in Sydney, more accessible to other children in her home city of Ho Chi Minh.
Vietnam
Vietnam
GFF HELPS projects span two locations in Vietnam; Ho Chi Minh City and the small rural community of Dien Bien in the north.
GFF Representative Thanh Vu grew up in Vietnam and studied in Sydney. She returned for the opportunity to give back to her community. We have partnered with E-Share, a local NGO that offers sponsorships to children who cannot afford to go to school. GFF HELPS has started its own scholarship, this year supporting children with school fees, uniforms, stationery and books. Thanh also developed a teaching course in consultation with E-Share and other local experts to encourage critical thinking and helping children play a more active role in their own learning.
Meanwhile in Dien Bien, engineer Helen Nguyen has identified the need for sanitation infrastructure in a rural school. The school and surrounding households do not have access to toilets and Helen has done a lot of research and worked with local builders to build 10 toilets and two washrooms to service 500 children and the nearby households. She is also testing out how the children respond to technology and online apps to supplement their learning.
We look forward to hearing what they discovered and expanding our work.