The Loreto Vietnam-Australia Program (LVAP)
- a children's charity operating in Vietnam.
LVAP is a NGO organisation based in southern Vietnam. Its aim is to assist the 'poorest of the poor' children primarily in the area of education. LVAP works closely with the government to build schools and to assist with the training of teachers to provide a sound education for children. Assistance is delivered not only in the provision of the school buildings, but also by providing students with bikes as a means of transportation to school, stationary packs and textbooks, extra nutrition, suppling Loreto schools with basic technology such as computers and electronic organs to develop school curriculum's, the training of teachers to assist those with special needs and providing opportunities to develop life long life skills necessary for survival to name but a few.
LVAP currently assists six schools in rural areas with a further three within Ho Chi Minh City.
The program's shelter and vocational training program for street children
in Ho Chi Minh City, Sunlight House for boys, takes in children from the
streets or unhappy family situations and provides them with a safe home.
The program helps to put these children into neighbouring schools to learn
to read and write or into vocational training centres, where they receive
training for future employment.
In the shelters the children experience a sense of security and receive counselling about health issues such as drugs and sexual transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS. Many of the children also suffer from the legacy of chemical warfare, medical problems during pregnancy, hereditary traits and unhygienic living conditions.
There are about 70,000 children who are blind in Vietnam and of the 5.2 million disabled people, many who have lost arms or legs or both to the unexploded landmines left after the war, about 22,000 disabled children live in Ho Chi Minh City. LVAP is involved in the Nguyen Dinh Chieu School where more than 200 blind children are taught life skills and English to help them increase their job prospects. LVAP also supports the Sunrise Special School in Ho Chi Minh City to help train teachers in theory-based disability studies, participatory approaches for children's learning and community based rehabilitation. The program also provides financial support for a music program and to train teachers at both the Blind School and Special School.
For more information on the work of this charity, follow this link...
