A good night out in the city with dinner, drinks and dancing with friends will mean a whole lot more to orphans in Vietnam.
On May 24, local supporters of WISH (Women Inspired to Share Hope) packed the Carriage Room at the Royal Coachman Neighbourhood Pub for an evening of festivities to support the Vietnamese Children’s Projects operated through Compassion and Mercy Associates (CAMA).
“Everyone was amazing! We had great support,” said organizer Thanh Tazumi.
Last year WISH raised $2,200 that supported 10 Vietnamese orphans. This year’s goal was $3,000 and, naturally, the Campbell River faithful come through in flying colours – raising almost $4,500.
Compassion and Mercy Associates has been doing community transformational development in Vietnam since 1995. Along with several projects helping poor communities get access to safe water, they also support disadvantaged children and orphans as they pursue their schooling through high school.
Currently, the organization partners with nine pre-schools, helping about 800 children.
A mere $30 provides each child with a jacket, yearly medication and backpack. A gift of $230 includes tuition, school supplies and monthly rice supplements.
“Tonight’s fundraiser will go a long way towards sustaining some of this work, which certainly needs ongoing and long-term support to have a real and lasting impact,” said Naomi Wolfe.
In February 2011, Wolfe travelled with Tazumi to Hanoi to support the children’s project by working with English language teachers.
“It was a huge and new opportunity to work with two teachers who are themselves from the blind community,” said Wolfe. “As language teaching is usually very dependent on the use of visuals, we had to tweak many of the teacher training techniques to make them oral or tactile as well.
“This was a huge learning curve for me and made me aware of the need for inclusion of everyone. This is clearly part of CAMA’s mandate – to value everyone, and...support and empower them to achieve better lives.”
Learn more at www.camaservices.org/priority and click on “Vietnamese Children’s Projects.” To learn more about WISH in Campbell River, e-mail tttazumi@telus.net