Because of poverty, abandonment, death of parents, criminal activity, divorce, prostitution and childhood illnesses there are over 1,800,000 orphans in Vietnam right now. Most of these orphans have to fend for themselves, often working as street peddlers, beggars, prostitutes or criminals. Your gift can turn these children’s lives around by providing them with basic necessities such as food, shelter, education and much more. We have many programs to serve the poor and the orphans. Messengers of Love’s three main areas of support have been very fruitful and we thank our supporters for helping make this possible.
- Education Support: through our Scholarships for a Poor Student, Free English and Computer Class programs
- Emotional and Physical Health Support: through our Christmas Care Package, Sponsor a Child, and Daily Lunches for the Poor (Quán Cơm Nhân Ái), Medical Service programs
- Environment and Safety Support: through our Building a New Home for the Poor and Clean Water Systems programs.
Below is a listing of our programs:
Summer School & Character Building
Over 800 underprivileged and ethic minority children of Vietnam, age range: 7 - 18 from 8 villages in north and central Vietnam were taught English, various school subjects, Character Building, Workforce skills, provided role model, hope and vision. All children attended free of charge. The ethnic minority children also receive free daily breakfast and lunch. These classes are taught by volunteers from both the US and Vietnam who are given the opportunity to experience the rewards of teaching and engage in the joys of cultural exchanges. This past summer 2019, a total of 9 volunteer teachers traveled to Vietnam to teach in this program. Most of the children in the Kontum villages cannot speak Vietnamese and have a difficult time at the mainstream school. We help by teaching the Vietnamese language and through intensive tutoring in different classroom subjects. MOL provided teachers, classroom equipment and furniture, school supplies, laptops, as well as breakfast and lunch for the children. The results exceeded our expectation in that the students were eager to learn and made significant progress in all areas.
Medical Mission
Our “Medical Mission” program was successfully added with our first Medical mission trip made in May 2019 where teams of doctors and nurses from both the USA and Vietnam provided free treatment and medical services to over 100 poor patients who traveling from various villages to the clinic in Saigon. A mobile clinic was purchased in 2019 to provide medical services to those who are homebound and cannot travel. Medicine and nutritious food and supplements were given to over 2500 patients this past year alone.
Virtual Online English Class
Our Virtual Class website is currently being built with complete tools and lessons required to successfully teach online via the Internet. Audio/video equipment for our first class had been purchased and delivered to Vietnam and plan for installation is within the next month. We plan to open our first class in Thanh Hoa by the end of January 2020.
Daily Meal for a Poor
Headed by our MOL’s board director member father Le Van Nghiem, over 100 nutritious meals are served daily to the poor and hospital patients at our “Quán Cơm Nhân Ái” charity restaurant in Hue. We have several local volunteers helping with cooking, cleaning and delivering the meals.
Sponsor a Child Program
Each year, there are thousands of children abandoned by their parents for various reasons: economics, illness, death, out of wedlock childbirth. These children end up on the streets or in orphanages and never experience the love of a mother and father.
We would like to extend an invitation to all of you to reach out, and sponsor a child to love and support. Your financial gifts will improve their nutritional, educational, and physical needs, and your personal attention will allow the children to experience the love and attention they deserve. $15 support per month will buy basic essentials such as nutritional food, milk, books, clothing, and school tuition. The child will also receive a gift, cake, and their favorite food on his/her birthday, as well as a Christmas and New Year gift. We organize trips to the orphanages and invite sponsors to come along if they can.
Holiday Gift Giving for an Orphan Program
Holidays can be a very lonely time of the year for those who have no family. If you cannot commit to sponsoring a child, you can always help through donations to support our Christmas/New Year/Trung Thu and other Holiday gift programs. The gift will not only include basic necessity such as nutritional food, rice, milk, clothing, toiletries, but also Holiday special treats.
For Christmas, they also include fun items such as toys and candies. The gifts are wrapped in special gift wrap and delivered by the nuns and volunteers dressing up as Snow White and Santa Claus to spread the Holiday spirit and to give the children a happy time.
Since Lunar New Year (Tet) is a culturally important occasion in Vietnam, we also give li xi or so called lucky money and treat them to a sumptuous Tet dinner. They will get to celebrate Tet like other kids who have families.
For August Moon Festival, the children would be treated to a nice dinner, receive decorative lanterns (long den) and moon cake.
For the Children End of the School Year Holiday, they get treated to a picnic at a park with nice food and drinks. They also get new uniforms and books to prepare for the next school year at the end of the summer.
For only $10 per child for each Holiday, you can bring many moments of happiness, laughter, and childhood holiday memories. Through your gifts and love you are actually making a positive impact on the children’s lives and brightening up their future. This attention will help to lay down a secure emotional and psychological foundation that will stay with them as they grow up.
Holiday Gift Giving Program for the Poor and Handicapped Program
For only $10 per family ($5 for individual) for each Holiday, you can bring many moments of happiness, laughter, and holiday memories to a poor family. The gifts usually include food, rice, cooking oil, blanket, warm clothing etc. to help provide the poor family with meals during the Holiday and to stay warm.
School Remodeling Program
Many schools in the rural areas are run down and unsafe for the students. The roofs leak, the beams, windows and doors are rotted, the paint is peeling, and there are no fans to cool off the summer heat. By fixing up their schools, the children can learn in a safe and comfortable environment. For a mere $2000, we can completely fix up and remodel a stand alone school/classroom with the capacity of up to 40 students.
For another $3000, we can add a brand new dining hall, a bathroom and a playground for each 40 student capacity.
For poor parents who work in the rice field from morning to evening, we also provide free daily lunches so their children are able to go to school and stay through lunch.
Orphanage Remodeling Program
Many orphanages are run down and the living conditions pose health hazards for the children. We provide a safe living environment by fixing up and remodeling their orphanages, and providing better amenities. For a mere $2000, we can completely fix up and remodel an orphanage, improve their living standards, and provide safe, clean, sanitary conditions for the children.
Building a Home for the Poor Program
There are many poor families in Vietnam who are homeless or live in run down huts that are very unsanitary. Many of these people are ex-lepers (nguoi cui) and are outcast by society. Some have legs and arms that have been amputated because of the disease. They live on the streets or in leper colonies and often beg for food. Currently, the local government does not have any programs to help these families with shelters or food. For a mere $1000, we can build a small two-room cement home for a family of four. For another $200, we can have a well dug to provide clean water for the family. These people will not have to live on the street anymore. They will finally feel the love and dignity that they deserve as a human being, and will forever be grateful to those who helped turn their lives around.
Educational Assistance for a Poor Student Program
We also provide educational assistance to poor students who have a desire to continue with their education but cannot afford to. For a mere $15 per month donation, we can provide tuition, books and uniform for one child and allow the child the opportunity to continue with his/her education. We follow through with each child and continue our support after high school to ensure that they will be able to continue with higher education and obtain a college degree at a quality school.
Medical and Health Services to the Poor and Orphans Program
We provide medical and health services to the poor and orphans by involving member doctors, dentists, optometrists, and other health professionals to travel with us in our trips to Vietnam to give lectures at local hospitals, to provide medical treatments and to give medicines to the poor and the orphans. We also bring severely burned and handicapped children to the USA to obtain surgery and treatments that are not otherwise available in Vietnam.
Local Community Service Program
Besides helping the orphans, the poor and the handicapped of Vietnam, we regularly serve the local community in Houston, Texas by visiting nursing home, feed the homeless, providing Christmas gifts for the homeless and the poor children, and volunteering in charity organizations and projects.
Visit the Disadvantaged Program
Messengers of Love members, sponsors and guests make regular trips Vietnam to visit the orphans and the poor, and to oversee the building and remodeling of schools and orphanages. Our local Vietnam Messengers of Love group also makes many trips per year to the poor and handicapped in various locations throughout Vietnam to give food, gifts, and medicine.
Read about MOL past projects and accomplishments.
