Key Points
- The Hue English Language Summer Camp enhances English skills and empowers disadvantaged youth.
- The VNF plans to establish a long-term scholarship fund, ensuring education for financially challenged students.
- The Foundation has replaced 13 unsafe 'monkey' bridges with secure concrete footbridges, improving safety and accessibility for local communities.
In December 1995, a group of former Colombo Plan scholars, including Dr Dương Tan Trung; Le Ngoc Lan; Mai-Viet Thanh Tâm; Dr Mai-Viet Thuy; Dr Tran Kim Hoa; and Tran Van Quan, came together to establish the Vietnam Foundation (VNF).
Since its inception and with the motto of "Helping Hands From Australia", the VNF has been a reliable conduit between Australia and Vietnam, dedicated to extending a helping hand to impoverished communities in rural Vietnam.
VNF President, Dr Lý Gia Nhẫn, said, "Over the years, VNF's commitment to its mission has been unwavering, and its impact continues to grow."
He said the organisation not only provided essential funds for aid projects and programs in Vietnam but has also played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting Vietnamese culture and heritage in Australia.
"VNF's dedication to bridging the gap between these two nations is exemplified by its diverse range of activities and initiatives," Dr Nhẫn said.
The Vietnamese Students Association (VSA) at Monash University recently raised funds for the VNF through a charity volleyball day. Credit: Vietnam Foundation
Hue English Language Summer Camp
A flagship VNF initiative is the Hue English Language Summer Camp, which directly aligns with the organisation's mission to improve the lives of disadvantaged youth.
Program Director, Khoa Ho-le, said the outcomes of the camp continued to impress.
"Students' speaking and conversation skills improved significantly as did their confidence," he said.
"Over the next year, we will add a cutting-edge career counselling and employability program."
In collaboration with the VNF, members of the VSA at Monash University volunteer to teach English to disadvantaged high school students in Central Vietnam. Credit: Vietnam Foundation
Scholarship scheme
The partnership between VNF and the Rotary Club of Saigon is another noteworthy example of collaboration that transcends borders.
Our values align with VNF’s. Watching young lives being transformed before your eyes is what delivering the Rotary mission is all about.Kieu Vuong Nguyen, President of the Rotary Club of Saigon
This collaboration has been instrumental in selecting scholarship recipients, organising events including the Hue summer camp, and driving positive change in the lives of disadvantaged youth.
The VNF plans to raise substantial funds for a long-term Build A Future (BAF) scholarship fund, ensuring the sustainability of educational opportunities for financially challenged students.
As Dr Nguyen Thien Tong, a retired aviation engineering expert from Ho Chi Minh University of Technology, emphasises, "BAF’s value proposition is combining strategic financial support to keep poor students in education with innovative English and employability skills programs to 'change their mindsets'."
Building bridges ... literally
As an integral component of its ongoing initiative to foster connections, the VNF has embarked on a program of bridge building and replacement in Vietnam.
Between 2021 and 2023, 13 precarious "monkey" bridges were replaced with durable and more secure concrete footbridges.
These concrete structures, with a width of 2m and lengths ranging from 16m to 42m, provide safe passage for motorcyclists and pedestrians alike.
In the two years from 2021 to 2023, the VNF has built 13 bridges in the Mekong Delta, replacing potentially dangerous "monkey bridges" and uplifting local community spirits in the process. Credit: Vietnam Foundation
I was inspired to become a VNF Ambassador to help create different opportunities for and with others, deepen my understanding of transnational relationships and maintain a connection with Vietnam.Mai Nguyen-Long, Vice-President of Vietnam Centre Australia
"This is the spirit of (the) Vietnam Foundation, which continues to build bridges of opportunity, understanding, and cooperation between Australia and Vietnam, ultimately transforming lives on both sides," Mr Nhẫn said.
As Mai Nguyen-Long, a visual artist and Vice-President of Vietnam Centre Australia, aptly sums it up, "(The) Vietnam Foundation's tireless efforts have not only made a difference in individual lives but have also strengthened the bond between Vietnam and Australia."
"Through education and empowerment, (the) VNF is shaping a brighter future for us all."
The Mekong-Australia Partnership fosters food, water and human security cooperation
The Mekong-Australia Partnership fosters food, water and human security cooperation
