VIETNAM

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Xuan Hiep Parish in Vietnam held a Christmas Fair for the 700 poor students attending parish school and oratory as well as children from the Salesian Bac Ha Parish. Several Salesians also attended the event including Father Joseph Le Ngoc Anh, rector of Philip Rinaldi Xuan Hiep Theological community, Father Peter Tran Anh Tu, in charge of Don Bosco Xuan Hiep School, and Father Daminh Tran Quang Hien, in charge of the vocational group of aspirants.

The fair began with a blessing from Fr. Le Ngoc Anh. He also told the children to have fun and to remember the reason for Christmas. The children were then able to enjoy the fair which included games, gifts and food.

One Salesian said, “Children left the fair happy and with meaningful gifts that they themselves exchanged for winning the games. There were many wishes of good cheer that all enjoyed a Christmas season filled with joy and peace.”

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Vietnam – Don Bosco Xuan Hiep: Christmas Fair 2022 for disadvantaged students

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Students in need enjoy fair first appeared on MissionNewswire.

VIETNAM

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Vietnam were able to assist more than 3,000 families with much-needed food essentials such as rice, noodles, cooking oil, sauces and milk thanks to the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund. The people receiving food aid live in remote areas and face many economic difficulties including unemployment.

Many seniors in the region live in dilapidated houses and are faced with poverty and medical conditions. With the funding, individuals received wheelchairs and walkers, cataract operations, and heart disease treatment. One patient was supplied with prosthetic legs.

Funding has also provided clean drinking water, and five homes were provided for very poor families. In addition, funding supported 250 scholarships. Many youth in the region are not able to go to school because their families cannot afford the school fees.

In the Diocese of Dalat, a typhoon destroyed walls and roofs of several structures. After 12 months, repair work was completed with the help of donor funding. The support given to these essential relief projects is much appreciated by those in Vietnam.

“Many poor families in Vietnam don’t have even their most basic needs met,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “While Salesians are primarily focused on education, they also provide feeding programs, offer scholarships, and help to meet needs like shelter and medical support.”

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Families receive food, medical and other support first appeared on MissionNewswire.

VIETNAM

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Ben Cat Youth Center, located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, launched its summer 2022 basketball tournament in May. This tournament brings together 38 teams and more than 300 young players who show off their skills during the competition. Salesian schools and youth centers value sports education to help youth on and off the playing field.

“Sports programs are important for social integration and the promotion of values like teamwork, communication, respect, and team spirit,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Learning and playing team sports encourage leadership skills as well as teach youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Vietnam are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many young people hope for a more positive and productive future. Salesian vocational and technical schools equip students with the skills they need to compete in the local labor market by offering courses that lead to employment in construction, hotel management, electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science, and other fields. Many Salesian students are school dropouts seeking a second chance.

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Vietnam – Over 300 young players participate in “Don Bosco Ben Cat” Youth Center Basketball Tournament

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Sports program promotes values first appeared on MissionNewswire.

VIETNAM

(MissionNewswire) Villages in Vietnam have clean water access thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The projects, part of the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative,” provided water purification systems and water tanks for the Hoa An Parish in Bac Giang, the Khop village and Thanh Binh Parish in Kon Tum, and the Tac Van Oratory in Tac Van.

The Hoa An Parish has a supply of fresh water for more than 1,000 people. The new water system will also ensure clean water for the 100 children at the Salesian oratory and 20 boarders from the boarding school. Around the parish, there are many poor households with workers staying in rental houses. Ngo Thi Man, a factory worker, is benefiting from this project. With the money she saves on water, she can spend her salary on other basic needs and help support her family back home.

In Kon Tum, more than 1,147 people are benefiting from the water supply in the Khop village where there are poor families working as farmers. Mr. Rhađê, a farmer employed part-time to protect the forest, draws potable water for his family instead of having to get it from streams which are unsafe. He is supplying fresh water to his family and the crops while saving money that he once spent on water containers. There are also 2,700 people benefiting in the Thanh Binh Parish.

At the Tac Van Oratory, there are 500 people in the local parish and 80 boys at the oratory who are benefiting from this new water supply. Around the community there are many poor families who make their living by fishing. Tran Van Ngoc, a fisherman, has an unstable income and is able to draw water for free instead of purchasing water canisters to provide clean water for his family.

“From safe drinking water and healthy sanitation to agriculture, water is essential for life,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Water projects in Vietnam and around the globe ensure people coming to Salesian parishes, schools and centers have access to the water they need. This brings a sense of hope and dignity to the people Salesians serve.”

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Villages have clean water access thanks to the Salesian Missions ‘Clean Water Initiative’ first appeared on MissionNewswire.

VIETNAM

(MissionNewswire)  Don Bosco My Thuan Center, located in Vinh Long, Vietnam, organized a sports festival to celebrate spring 2022. The event, titled “Spring of love – Spring of gratitude,” was attended by 265 students from the technical school who competed in nine sports.

Salesian missionaries see value in sports education and programming. Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field. Learning and playing team sports encourage leadership skills as well as teach youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.

Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Vietnam are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many young people hope for a more positive and productive future. Salesian vocational and technical schools equip students with the skills they need to compete in the local labor market by offering courses that lead to employment in construction, hotel management, electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science, and other fields. Many Salesian students are school dropouts seeking a second chance.

“Salesian education responds to market demand, ensuring that youth have access to the education that will help them find employment,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students in these programs have a real opportunity to enter the workforce prepared both in terms of the skills they have learned and in their social development, ensuring a lifelong ability to retain livable wage employment.”

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Vietnam – Sports Festival at Don Bosco My Thuan center

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Students learn on and off the field first appeared on MissionNewswire.

VIETNAM

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Vietnam have been working to address the increasing needs of people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting crisis of rising numbers of infected people has taken its toll on the country as the government has initiated more lockdowns to cities and urged residents to remain indoors to prevent the ongoing spread of the virus.

In Ho Chi Minh City, immigrant workers from other cities and provinces cannot go to work in the factories or companies due to the pandemic. They have no money to pay for food, rent and daily expenses. Many of them have tried to return to their areas of origin by motorbike, despite the distance from Ho Chi Minh City, while others have tried to continue living in the city, but the situation has become increasingly difficult.

Salesian missionaries have been responding with a number of initiatives. In Tam Hai, Salesians have helped poor families with food rations and direct financial assistance. In Xuan Hiep, Salesians have provided clean water and food for families in isolation. Salesians have also focused on migrant populations and provided food rations and direct financial payments in Tan Cang.

A Salesian home for orphans in the St. Joseph Parish on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City shared rice, sugar and oil with local families in need. The Salesian home for children is poor and has few resources but shared what it could, while the Salesian Vocational Training Center in Dong Thuan donated $850 to help poor families in the region. Salesians also run agriculture programs and farms and have distributed vegetables and fruit with families in need living in communities in Dalat, K’Long and Tan Ha.

“Migrant workers and those relying on daily wage work have struggled financially during the lockdowns in Vietnam and in countries around the globe,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Instead of being able to make just enough to support themselves, all sources of revenue have been cut off. People are left with no food or ability to pay rent and other expenses. Salesians in these communities have been a critical resource making sure that people have shelter and enough food to eat.”

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) 

ANS – Vietnam – Aid from Salesians in pandemic times

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Initiatives for vulnerable increase with lockdowns first appeared on MissionNewswire.

VIETNAM

(MissionNewswire) Donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has provided 17 poor students with school fees and boarding in Ia Krel, in the Gia Lai province of Vietnam. Remaining funds are being used for children’s activities in the village of Pnuk.

The students live at three boarding houses run by Sister of St. Paul and Sister of the Holy Cross. The donor funding is ensuring that each child is able to attend school and have a safe place to live. Children also have access to tutoring classes in math and the Vietnamese language, lunch, toys, and games.

Rolan H’Tieu is one of the children who benefited from the donation. She is in the first grade and lives with her sister. H’Tieu has been a part of the Salesian summer class and enjoys the friendships with her peers that she has developed. Through the funding, she is now boarding at Sister of St. Paul and enrolled in elementary school.

“We are grateful to our donors who provide funding so young children living in poverty have an opportunity to gain an education,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Students gain an education and then can advance on to skills training. Then they have a real opportunity to enter the workforce prepared both in terms of the skills they have learned and in their social development, ensuring a lifelong ability to retain livable wage employment.”

Rolan H’Tieu is one of the children who benefited from the donation in Vietnam.

Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Vietnam are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many young people hope for a more positive and productive future. Salesian vocational and technical schools equip students with the skills they need to compete in the local labor market by offering courses that lead to employment in construction, hotel management, electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science, and other fields. Many Salesian students are school dropouts seeking a second chance.

According to the World Bank, Vietnam has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years, when the poverty rate was close to 70 percent. Today, poverty stands closer to 6 percent. The vast majority of Vietnam’s poor people—86 percent—are ethnic minorities. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Donor funding from Salesian Missions supports 17 students with school fees and boarding first appeared on MissionNewswire.

VIETNAM

(MissionNewswire) Salesian parishes in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, have set up transit stations to distribute water and other necessities for people in lockdown during a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted the city in recent weeks. Those who have been quarantined have no way to provide for their families, and many are relying on the assistance of Salesians to get by during this time.

When a special quarantine order was issued in Ho Chi Minh City on July 9, Salesian priests and younger confreres with the Rinaldi Theologate community brought drinking water to families. They worked in collaboration with young migrants and the Pastoral Council of the Don Bosco Xuan Hiep Parish.

Three large water tanks were transported to isolated areas, where families took the water from the tanks and transferred it to special containers. In addition, basic necessities were also distributed. Other Salesian parishes in Ho Chi Minh City, including Ben Cat and Ba Thon, have also carried out the same initiative.

Salesians in the city of Da Lat and in the communities of K’Long contacted garden owners to collect vegetables and send them to Ho Chi Minh City. To date, vegetables have been sent to the Rinaldi Theologate community and the Don Bosco Xuan Hiep Parish where Salesians have been distributing them to people in need.

The pandemic situation in Vietnam remains serious. According to the Ministry of Health, since the end of April the number of infections in Vietnam has risen to 59,165 with Ho Chi Minh City having the highest rate of infection. Over the past week, Ho Chi Minh City has registered between 1,000 and 5,000 new cases every day. With the new quarantine, traditional markets are temporarily closed and entry and exit from the city is tightly controlled. Many workers and poor people are in extremely difficult situations.

The Archdiocese of Saigon sent a letter inviting the religious communities in Ho Chi Minh City to volunteer, especially to help the health sector. There are already 531 people registered to participate. They will be trained and vaccinated before working in hospitals and health facilities.

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Vietnam – Salesian parishes become “transit stations of love”

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Transit stations help distribute water and food to people in need first appeared on MissionNewswire.

VIETNAM

(MissionNewswire) Although bordering China, Vietnam has had only 332 coronavirus infections and no deaths to date. Restrictions in the country have eased. Salesian missionaries were ready for the worst and their actions to set up prevention and relief efforts were embraced by the community. Saint John Bosco Province, located in Ho Chi Minh City, launched the “Ban COVID-19” campaign.

As part of the campaign, the Provincial Council set up a special committee to manage the initiative. The provincial sent a letter to all Salesian centers in the country asking each to help at least 50 families in its neighborhood. The special committee called for the collection of local funds, and without any aid from abroad, aimed to collect the equivalent of 60,000 euros in donations to help at least 1,500 needy people. The solidarity campaign lasted a month.

Besides bringing relief to people in difficult situations, the campaign also worked to foster more collaboration among Salesian programs in different parts of Vietnam. Overall, 138 Salesian missionaries, 92 collaborators, 35 benefactors and 41 friends of Salesian programs contributed to the campaign.

The campaign had more success than the initial goal. Salesian centers raised the equivalent of 74,000 euros and helped more than 7,300 people. In addition, four Salesian communities did not count the number of people they supported. Work in times of crisis like this is only a small part of the impact that Salesians have across the country.

Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Vietnam are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many young people hope for a more positive and productive future. Salesian vocational and technical schools equip students with the skills they need to compete in the local labor market by offering courses that lead to employment in construction, hotel management, electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science and other fields. Many Salesian students are school dropouts seeking a second chance.

“Salesian education responds to market demand, ensuring that youth have access to the education that will help them find employment,” says Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students in these programs have a real opportunity to enter the workforce prepared both in terms of the skills they have learned and in their social development, ensuring a lifelong ability to retain livable wage employment.”

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photos (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) 

ANS – Vietnam – Double Vietnamese “miracle” against Covid-19: prevention and solidarity

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Salesian campaign “Ban COVID-19” helps provide relief to more than 7,300 people in need first appeared on MissionNewswire.

VIETNAM

(MissionNewswire) The Salesian-run Tan Tien Intermediate Vocational Training School, located in Bao Loc, Vietnam, was selected as a model school for 2019 for its development and academic performance in the province of Lam Dong. On Nov. 5, the Executive Committee of the Province of Lam Dong went to the vocational training school to record various lessons to highlight the education that the students are receiving.

The school is directed by Father Nguyen Anh Tuan and is operated by seven Salesian missionaries and 24 lay staff in cooperation with the local Salesian sisters’ community. More than 300 students each year gain an education at the school. From its start in 1991, the Tan Tien Vocational School has trained more than 3,000 youth.

More than 10 percent of the students are from ethnic minority families and have financial challenges paying for school. Nearly all of the students board at the school. At the end of the 2017 school year, 100 percent of the students graduated with high enough scores to be able to further advance their studies at the university level or find stable employment.

Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Vietnam are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many young people hope for a more positive and productive future. Salesian vocational and technical schools equip students with the skills they need to compete in the local labor market by offering courses that lead to employment in construction, hotel management, electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science and other fields. Many Salesian students are school dropouts seeking a second chance.

“Salesian education responds to market demand, ensuring that youth have access to the education that will help them find employment,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Students in these programs have a real opportunity to enter the workforce prepared both in terms of the skills they have learned and in their social development, ensuring a lifelong ability to retain livable wage employment.”

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.

Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country. Salesian programs give impoverished children and families opportunities that are typically only available to the middle and upper classes so that all people can have hope for a better future.

###

Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Vietnam – “Don Bosco Tan Tien Vocational School”, a model school

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: Salesian-run Tan Tien Intermediate Vocational Training School selected as model school for 2019 for its development and academic performance first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The recent shipments included new desks, chairs, tables, bookcases and filing cabinets donated by IRN to five Salesian institutions in Vietnam including the Ky Anh Vocational Training School, the Dong Thuan Vocational Training Center, the Tan Tien Intermediate Skills Training School, the Phuoc Loc Vocational Training Center and the Theological Institute and Provincial House.

“On behalf of all the students in the Dong Thuan Center, we are very grateful for the new school furniture,” says Pham Van Giau, a student at the Dong Thuan Vocational Training Center. “The new desks and chairs we received will replace the older furniture we had been using and will enable us to be better prepared for class and study more effectively.”

The Institution Recycling Network was started in 1999 to match surplus items that need to be recycled with organizations and people who need them. Every educational, commercial and healthcare organization in the U.S. has surplus furniture and equipment. Hundreds of millions of people living in poverty or recovering from natural disasters worldwide are in desperate need of the kinds of surplus goods these very organizations are discarding. IRN makes the match and facilitates the distribution of the surplus into the hands of the organizations and people who need it most.

IRN partners with nonprofits who are known to be reputable and effective providers of relief and development assistance, and who are able to use the types of surplus that IRN can provide. The organization has a “wish list” from each of its nonprofit partners of the types and quantities of surplus they can use.

When a project comes to IRN, it makes a match against these wish lists and offers the surplus to the most appropriate nonprofits. At this point, surplus is offered on a first-come-first-served basis; the first nonprofit(s) to express interest in the surplus, receives it. In many cases, a single nonprofit will claim the entire project but in some cases, the surplus will be split among two or more organizations.

Salesian schools, services and programs throughout Vietnam are helping to break the cycle of poverty while giving many young people hope for a more positive and productive future. Salesian vocational and technical schools equip students with the skills they need to compete in the local labor market by offering courses that lead to employment in construction, hotel management, electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science and other fields. Many Salesian students are school dropouts seeking a second chance.

According to the World Bank, close to 14 percent of Vietnam’s population lives in conditions of poverty. The country has seen a drastic reduction of poverty over the last 20 years when the poverty rate was close to 60 percent. Vietnam has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for those in poverty have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively. Rising levels of education and diversification into off-farm activities, such as working in construction, factories or domestic housework have also contributed to reducing poverty in the country.

While nearly 30 million Vietnamese have been lifted out of poverty in the past 20 years, challenges remain. According to the World Bank, although Vietnam’s 53 ethnic minority groups make up less than 15 percent of the population, they accounted for nearly 50 percent of the poor in 2010. Most minorities continue to reside in more isolated and less productive regions of Vietnam. Rapid economic transformation and growth have contributed to rising inequality in income and opportunities. Some of the poor, especially those living in rural areas or small cities, have limited access to high quality education and health services and limited long-term well-paying jobs.

###

Sources:

Institution Recycling Center

Salesian Missions – Vietnam

World Bank – Vietnam

The post VIETNAM: More Than 1,500 Salesian Students and Teachers Have New School and Office Furniture first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The study entitled Child Poverty in East Asia and the Pacific: Deprivations and Disparities noted that family poverty often affects children most directly through their access to shelter, food, water, sanitation, education, health and information. When a child is deprived of one or more of these essential services, their experience of poverty deepens.

Analysing the situation of children living in seven East Asia and Pacific countries with a child population over 93 million, the report found over 30 million suffered from at least one form of severe deprivation, such as the inability to go to school, or access basic health care, safe drinking water, a sanitary toilet or adequate nutrition – and more than 13 million suffered from two or more forms of severe deprivation.

“The study demonstrates that income gains, including in middle income countries in the region, have not necessarily translated into gains for all children,” said Mahesh Patel, UNICEF Regional Advisor for Social Policy. “Any national equity and disparity reduction policy must start with child poverty reduction at its centre.”

The report reviews child poverty studies carried out in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vanuatu and Vietnam from 2007 to 2010.

“The thorough analysis presented in these national studies will help countries target programmes and policies to better reach the most vulnerable in society and to use resources most efficiently,” said Anupama Rao Singh, UNICEF regional director for East Asia and the Pacific.

The seven Asia-Pacific countries were among 53 worldwide that participated in UNICEF’s Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparity, which draws attention to the daily deprivations suffered by children and their negative impact on national development.

In Lao PDR, for example, while 38 per cent of children are assessed as income poor, as many as 75 per cent are assessed as living in poverty based on this broader – and increasingly recognized – measure of child poverty.

In Vietnam, children from ethnic minority groups are 11 times more likely to suffer from multiple severe deprivations than children from ethnic majority groups – a pattern found in many other countries.

In Vanuatu, nearly one in five children suffers from severe health deprivation.

The report also underlines that much more needs to be done to reduce the disparities that impede the development of large numbers of children in East Asia and the Pacific. Inequity is rampant, with income inequality either remaining stagnant or increasing in all seven countries despite significant GDP growth over much of the last decade. Deprivations and disparities faced by children must feature prominently in national development and poverty alleviation plans in the region and inform how resources are allocated. Child-sensitive social protection policies that address the needs of the most vulnerable children will also be essential to reducing the deprivations children face in the region.

Gaps between rural and urban areas, different ethnic groups, geographic areas, and households headed by well-educated versus poorly educated adults were among the most notable disparities across the seven countries.

“Clearly the challenge now facing us in East Asia and the Pacific is to address the additional dimensions of child poverty revealed in this study, building on, but going beyond the foundation of economic growth in the region,” Rao Singh said.

The report also revealed the following trends:

Rural versus urban – child poverty was 30 per cent higher in rural Cambodia than in urban areas, 60 per cent higher in rural Thailand, 130 per cent higher in rural Philippines and 180 per cent higher in rural Vietnam;

Geographic disparities – sub-national disparities within countries are, in some instances, more pronounced than the disparities between lower- and middle-income countries in the region– for example, the number of children suffering from severe deprivation in Vietnam was more than six times higher in the north-west region than the Red River Delta; and 50 per cent higher in southern Thailand than the North;

Disparities among ethnic minorities – disproportionately high levels of poverty and deprivation are evident among some ethnic minority children. This is an issue in almost all seven countries surveyed in the region. For example, the number of severely deprived ethnic minority children was about 60 per cent higher than the number of severely deprived children from dominant ethnic groups in both Lao PDR and Mongolia, 9 times as large in the Philippines and nearly 15 times larger in Thailand;

Education of household head– severe deprivation more than doubled in households where the household head had only a primary-school education or less, compared to households where the household head had secondary or higher education;

Family size – the incidence of severe deprivation in Mongolia and Vietnam almost doubled in households with more than seven members, compared to those with four or fewer. In Thailand, the incidence more than tripled under these conditions.

UN Photo/Kibae Park

###

Salesian Missions works with UNICEF in countries around the globe.

The post UNICEF: Study Provides New Insight Into How Poverty Affects Children first appeared on MissionNewswire.