08/08/2007

Vets work with Viet Nam orphanage
By Jerry Harlowe

The Friends of the Central Highlands Viet Nam (FoCHVN) is a non-profit charitable organization that has been quietly working in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam for 13 years.

The organization was founded by combat veterans from the 4th Infantry Division stationed in the area during the war in Viet Nam. Four of these men returned to Viet Nam in 1992 and saw the desperate plight of the native minority peoples who the Americans knew by the French name of Montagnard.

From that first "re-contact" the group established a not-for-profit organization to assist these people in their poverty. The government of Viet Nam had an unkind policy towards these people as they had supported the U.S. military during the war and continued fighting the Vietnamese Communist government into the 1980s.

The ethnic minority people are composed of many tribes that are quite different from the majority of "kinh" people who are today's Vietnamese. There is a long history of discrimination and fighting between the groups.

FoCHVN operates strictly within the scope of its Articles of Incorporation, with mission goals to create programs, fund initiatives, stimulate self-help commercial enterprises, provide support and training, provide educational opportunities, and address health and well being concerns, as well as quality of life issues for all the peoples of the Central Highlands of Viet Nam. All of this is accomplished while being mindful of the cultural and political realities and in turn do nothing that would bring harm or dishonor to the people or their government. The organization is ever mindful that it is in a foreign country, respecting that country's laws and customs.

The group's main focus in Viet Nam currently is with the Vinh Son Orphanage located in the Central Highland town of Kon Tum. The Orphanage Project came about after visits by several members of FoCHVN over a period of years. The orphanage had been visited by Charles Burt, Arnold Waggoner, Don Sverchek and Les Caulfield throughout several years but the final decision was made when this writer asked FoCHVN, Inc. to accept a new challenge and to become involved with the orphanage as part of the mission of FoCH, Inc. It was finally approved as a project within FoCHVN in mid-2002 and the veterans have been there assisting since that time. Board directors Burt and Waggoner knew well of the plight of the orphanage and their answer to the author’s challenge was the simple statement, "...yes, we can help."

The children come to the orphanage mainly because of the death of their parents or dire poverty. Although there have been great strides taken by the government in Viet Nam, many problems remain in the Central Highlands. Unemployment is common, education is spotty, hygiene is primitive, infant mortality is high and one failed crop of rice can bring about death with ease. Every dollar spent at the orphanage is a gift to the children that is almost beyond Western comprehension.

In addition to the orphanage there are special projects that are funded through directed donations to support quality of life issues at the orphanage such as the June beach trips and the Christmas party, complete with wrapped presents, and cards for the orphans provided by children in the United States, and treats.

There is an "In-Country" office in Viet Nam with the director and two assistant directors conducting all business on a personal level and accounting for all monies spent.

Unfortunately there are "feel good" groups who will visit Viet Nam once a year, drop off big sums of donated money and then have no accounting of what is spent on what. FoCHVN does not operate that way and has taken the time to develop close personal relationships with the Vietnamese board members and to fully support their tireless efforts on behalf of FoCHVN's donor base.

All donations for the orphanage and for the Direct Sponsorship Program are spent through the Director of Viet Nam Operations, Viet Nam office, who is on-scene to account for every penny and to monitor the projects. All monies are used as directed.  It is not a case of dropping off a check and calling it a day.

The work at FoCHVN includes the Direct Sponsorship Project which allows a donor to directly sponsor a child at Vinh Son with as little as $100 a year; the Quality of Life Projects for the day to day needs of the children; and several other projects which can be found in more detail at the organization's website, www.fochvn.org. 

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