Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Two years ago I came to Vietnam to teach and I've had two of the best years of my life. To say thank you I've decided to cycle from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City for Saigon Children's Charity. 2100km over 1 month!!
February 2012 is going to be one hell of a month for me, but it'll be worth it if I can reach my target. From the charity work I've been doing out here I know what a difference this money can make to so many children's lives over here.
Please help out if you can.
Love x
More information on H2H....
H2H stands for Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon's official name.) The H2H Charity Ride was founded in 2008 by a group of English teachers who wanted to give something back by helping those who needed it the most, the poorest children and youth of Viet Nam. The inaugural ride was in 2009, followed by one in 2010, with the next scheduled for February of 2012.
More information on the causes...
In 2012, H2H has 3 charitable partners, all committed to supporting Vietnam’s poorest children through education and healthcare. H2H donations will be used in the following ways:
Saigon Children’s Charity www.saigonchidren.com
SCC was founded to help disadvantaged Vietnamese children to get an education and a fairer start in life. Its key activities include educational scholarships, building schools, vocational training and working with other like-minded organizations. Its area of operation is in the south of Vietnam, around HCMC, the Mekong Delta and extending to the Cambodian border.
The 2012 H2H funds will support the following:
- Thang Long Vocational School, HCMC, is run by SCC in partnership with the local Government and currently has around 300 children between the ages of 12 and 19 who either cannot or do not attend mainstream public school and are directly affected by poverty. The school offers training in IT, hairdressing, office administration, English and opportunities to pursue photography, art, motorbike repair, florist training, accounting and hospitality. H2H funds will be supporting this vital ongoing work, creating opportunities, choices and brighter futures.
- School scholarship urgent support fund. SCC currently enables around 3000 children to have access to school by providing the resources they need for themselves and their families. The urgent support fund provides extra support to the poorest of these children in the event of a crisis or special need. The funds will support school materials, bicycles to get to school, family provisions, uniforms, reading glasses, wheelchairs, extra tuition, whatever is needed to ensure they can maintain their schooling and learn to their full potential.
H2H pledged donation to SCC: 50% of total net income (minus the donation for ILACN)
The Children’s Initiative www.childrensinitiative.org
The Children’s Initiative is dedicated to improving the lives of children in Vietnam through strategic, long-term investments in community-based projects and programs. TCI works in partnership with local communities to help them realize their aspirations for their children. Its area of operation is in the north of Vietnam, based around Catdang village near Hanoi.
The 2012 H2H funds will be supporting the following:
- Catdang community kindergarden project. The construction of a new kindergarden facility to enable all under 5’s in Catdang community to learn in a safe, well equipped, child-friendly environment. H2H funds will support the
construction of a new building by local workers and resources for the school, such as books, stationery, toys, playground equipment, blankets, mats and cooking equipment.
- Catdang community family micro credit project. TCI empowers families with small business loans of $250 combined with training and support, e.g. a piggery or bamboo cutting machines. These target parents of the poorest students at the school. The positive impact on household incomes has particular benefits on health and education for the women and children within the families. H2H funds will contribute towards the growth of this project.
- Catdang community library project. Completion of the library project that H2H has been funding for 2 years, serving 800 students in the community. This will go towards more books, audio-visual equipment, DVD’s, shelving and storage as well as a librarian stipend. In Catdang, $50 can buy 25 books, 1 month’s pay for a librarian or a 1-year scholarship for a student.
H2H pledged donation to TCI: 50% of total net income (minus the donation for ILACN)
ILACN www.discovereltvietnam.com/page.php?p=197
The ILA Community Network (ILACN) aims to make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged children in the communities in which ILA operates, in and around HCMC.
The 2012 H2H funds will mainly support the following:
- Go Vap Orphanage Khiem Thi project
Go Vap orphanage cares for over 200 orphaned children, mainly with disabilities. The Khiem Thi facility provides specialist care and training for visually impaired children at the orphanage. Funds will support equipment such as tables, chairs, beds and mats, the specialist staff required, massage training for the children as an income generating skill as well as therapy and enable necessary hospital visits for the children.
The remaining funds will be used for essential needs at the other ILACN-supported centres:
- Green Bamboo Shelter (ex-street boys aged 8 – 16)
- Ung Buou Cancer Hospital (Children’s ward, 150+ patients)
- Little Rose Warm Shelter (vulnerable girls, aged 11 – 18)
- Bung Sang Shelter for the visually impaired
ILACN supports the centres through regular trips out, teaching English, funding essential equipment, improvements and repairs, projects that improve the environments and prospects of disadvantaged children, enabling access to education and vocational training, raise awareness both in Vietnam and overseas.
If you would like to know more about the ride, you can check out our website, H2H Charity Ride. You could also keep track of how our training rides are going by reading our H2H blog. Be sure to check it out in February as we will be updating with posts, pics, and videos of our ride.