I'm sharing this because I like it. I like what Pam Sweester founder of the Vietnamese Heritage Camps in Colorado says here about listening to our children. Our family loves to go to her Heritage Camp each summer. 

http://www.heritagecamps.org/

I once heard an "expert" in the field of adoption talk about Mother's Day as a time to sit with your children and talk about their birth mother, and about how much she sacrificed for them, and must have loved them to be able to give them up.  So, being the young, impressionable mother that I was at the time, I gave it a shot with my kids.  Whoa, did that ever NOT work!  My daughter looked at me like I was crazy, and said, "I don't want to talk about this," storming off in a huff. My son burst into tears and informed me I ruined Mother's Day for him, and he wasn't about to give me the construction paper flower he made for me at school!

Here, I really thought I was going to open up all kinds of wonderful dialog with my kids about their birth mother, after learning from the "expert" that it was the perfect time to do so! Instead, it seemed to take away their chance to just be "normal," and give their mom a construction paper flower.  I have learned a great deal since then...not from any "expert," but from my children. They talked about their birth parents when THEY wanted to, when THEY were ready, not when I sat them down for a forced conversation.  I am sure there are still experts out there saying Mother's Day is a good time to open up this conversation and I also have no doubt that for some families, it really does work in the best way. I only want to offer another point of view based on experience. A very wise and wonderful Korean adult adoptee once said to me, "It is THEIR journey, not yours....let them take it and feel glad when they ask you to join them."  Both of my kids have taken me on their journeys now and then, in their own very different ways, and for that I am indeed glad. Nothing makes me happier in the world than being their mother!

Lift Up the Children of Lang Son

How can we lift the children? Education, nutrition, hope and a plan. 

Every Child's Dream...

With the help of donors we provided 14 bikes to our school. The bikes are loaned to students who need them to get to and from school. When they graduate from 5th grade they will turn them back in for the next student in need. 

In addition 2 of our sponsors provided bikes to the students they sponsor. Sweet!

L2R, me, Tami, Natalie, Steve, Student Ling, Lacey behind her, Lelan, & Les receiving gifts of Thank You Drawings from LS students!!! 

Here's a video of photos bringing us almost up to date.
Photos include trip to Lang Son, the school, our volunteers, school kitchen for the Food for Thought Lunch Program, students, chickens for the Lay it Forward Chicken Project, the new school chicken coop being built, sponsored students and more.
For more photos and videos go to http://www.facebook.com/charitabledreams
                                                    http://www.facebook.com/familiesinVN
To contribute: http://www.familiesinvietnam.org/rural-lang-song/the-5le-fund   
 (scroll down, on left to donate! thanks!)

How's that for joy! Diu's happiness lights up her home as she opens gifts her sponsor sent her. Her home cannot compare to ours. We have glass in our windows, refrigerators, indoor bathrooms that flush...the differences are many. In addition to these gifts Diu's family received 30 chickens and starter feed,  oil to cook and fish sauce too. Diu and her sister are sponsored to help them attend our school. We also gave them a little cash gift too from the sponsors.

We opened one suitcase and blew up a beach ball. This is what the kids did when we threw it up in the air.

They were all into it. I loved seeing them be excited and happy and eager to play! This is from one beach ball!

Imagine what a real playground would do.

Sunday- the students at school

Les is having fun with the kids. They gather around and are just so much fun. To accommodate our schedule the school was closed Friday. The staff and students came on Sunday, the first day we could see them. It was heartwarming. 

charitable dreams

charitable dreams

We're on the move to Lang Son. Here is Lelan and our friend and host, Khue bringing gifts and donations from friends in Hanoi. Please join us on facebook at charitable dreams and at families in vietnam.
https://www.facebook.com/charitabledreams     and        http://www.facebook.com/familiesinvietnam

Spirit of Compassion...recently a dear friend HoanDoanMinh 
shared with me her courage to speak to a group about our work. Listeners responded and our students received socks, warm socks, lots of socks and more.
  Even better this inspired her friend to fund raise for poor children in the North. And he is sharing our photos with others to inspire their compassion. Some of this activity will come through our fund and some of it won't because these friends live in VN and can visit our school and other places too where children hope for warmth and kindness. 
Here is the heart of the matter: together we've inspired others, like we were inspired to reach out and deliver love.

Reality Check

Please take a look at this article. It gives you an idea 
 of what it takes to attend school in Lang Son

Thank you for taking a look. If you want to help 
one way is to click on this link- scroll down on left
help the children of Lang Son

     Lang Son Love Education Projects 
  http://familiesinvietnam.org/rural-lang-son/the-5le-fund/

We can call it a reality check.

Bonnie

Schooling in Vietnam: a stark contrast (photos included)

TUOITRENEWS

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Updated : Tue, January 3, 2012,5:29 PM (GMT+0700)

This photo shows a mother carrying her children to a preschool in the northern province of Lang Son.

Photo: Vietnamnet

Some children are born rich and some are born poor. This is an undeniable fact of life in countries across the world, and there is little humans can do to alter it.

However, this inequality in social status should never be allowed to morph into an ugly inequality of educational opportunities, since education is, by far, the most effective way to help a poor person escape the poverty imposed on him by the circumstances of his birth.

In a remote area of the nothern province of Lang Son, two students are crossing a river unaided to get to their school, Tinh Bac Elementary School located in Loc Binh District. Hundreds of others like them have to cross the river, be it low or high tide, to go to school every day.

This little first-grader, like many others in the northern province of Quang Ninh, rows her boat to school daily.

In the northern province of Lang Son, a group of students paddle a half-floating, half-sinking bamboo raft to school. No accompanying adult and, even worse, no lifebuoy!

These elementary students have to walk through the forests and climb the mountains for 2 hours each day to go to Lung Ca Elementary School in the northern province of Thai Nguyen.

In the meantime, this little girl is hopping from one pointed mountain rock to another to get to Lung Ca.

To these children, schooling is a risky adventure.      
you can find complete article at TUOITRENEWS

TUOI TRE 

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Updated : Wed, January 25, 2012,11:37 AM (GMT+0700)

Due to an intensifying cold front, from 1-7am today morning (Wednesday), temperatures at the Mau Son tourism zone in the northern mountainous province of Lang Son dropped to minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.

The area is enveloped in snow and winds blowing at force 6.

Ha Van Tien, director of the local weather forecasting agency said that in the past three days, temperatures in Mau Son have continuously dropped by 0.2 to 1 degree Celsius per day.

Snow covers the bushes, walkways, and grass.

74-year-old local man Dang Tang Phuc told Tuoi Tre that such snow is very rare.

The mercury is forecast to drop further, especially at night in the next few days.

For other areas in Lang Son province, the temperatures stay very low, fluctuating from 4-9 degrees Celsius.

Despite the cold, many various activities are being held to celebrate Tet.

WEATHER

Saturday, Dec 03, 2011, Posted at: 14:25(GMT+7)

Northern region reeling under cold spell

The northern region of Vietnam is reeling under extreme cold weather conditions with temperatures dropping to 3 degrees Celsius since Thursday, as a result of the cold front.

Blankets for home, coats, boots and shoes!!!!!!!!

letter to sponsor

OUR SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM:

  For those of you who are thinking about sponsoring a child in Lang Son I've included a copy of one of my most recent sponsor letters. There are pictures that go along with this letter that I am not publishing plus I've changed the names of this family. Still this can help give a good idea of you can do if you are inclined. There are children who need to be sponsored in Lang Son. We are working with the school to gather information and visit the students in their homes. Once that's done if you are ready, we'll be ready.

The student you and your husband are helping is 10 years old. He was born in 2002 ( I am still waiting for his month and day). He attends Tan Lien Primary School, currently in the 4th grade. It takes him 1 hour to walk to school because of the terrain and the distance. This means he's walked this way to and from school for 5 years, counting kindergarten. I can hardly imagine how he did this when we was so young.

  He lives at home with his mother Ba, age 52 and father, Van age 48 plus their blind grandfather. It is unclear to me if both of his older brothers live with them too. His oldest brother Van is 26 years old, married to Bich who is 21. They have a little girl around 2 or 3 years old. Their blind grandfather helps to watch her during the day when everyone else is working in the fields. They are all farmers. His 2nd brother, Son is 18, no longer in school. I don't know yet how many years his older brothers attended school.

  Son and the school reported this family is very poor and hungry throughout the year. The newest poverty levels set by the government agency MOLISA state if a family's income is less than 20usd per person per month they are poor.. They are considered "near poor" if the income per person per month is more than 20usd but less than 25usd.  I think that helps paint a clearer picture of the positive effects your decision to sponsor Khue can have for his whole family.

   Through your caring and actions Khue will have a nutritious lunch 5 days a week. He'll join nearly 60 other children who stay at the school for lunch due to the long distance they walk and the fact there is not enough food available to them at home. Viet Nam is working hard to limit the percent of children who are malnourished. The rural ethnic minority child, like Khue are the last ones  on the list to begin to receive government help. I think over the next few years a lot will change for the better for the children of Lang Son province.  Meanwhile, the children are waiting for some one like you, me and others to reach out now. 

    Son visited this family in October. We were concerned about Khue's welfare since the recent weather changes in Lang Son. For the past 2 years it snowed in Lang Son and stayed so cold. It's so humid there- even in the winter - it snows at 2 degrees F higher than in the states. Can you imagine what a cold one chilling winter it is there?

  When you look at the pictures of Khue's home you'll see there is no glass in his windows. They do have shutters- not ones that close well- though much better than none at all! Khue and his family received a blanket too to help with the coming predicted cold winter. This weather change is making life more difficult for families and for animals. Last year over 7,000 livestock froze to death in Linh's province alone.  

   You provided them with 30 chicks and starter feed! When the chicks grow they will have eggs to eat and the occasional chicken too- plus they can sell some at the market once they get to laying and hatching eggs. To help teach the families better ways to care and raise the chickens we are building a chicken coop for the school. There the students will learn about the care and raising of chickens, how to detect disease, how to prevent or treat it plus have more chickens and eggs to eat. Studies in Viet Nam showed when students where taught how to better care for livestock they passed on the information successfully to their parents. So, Lisa, we are hopeful for their future through your intervention. 

   Son plans on delivering a bike for Khue to make his way to and from school better.. I'll check on this info in the next week. I mentioned to you that when Son steps in like that I know the life is difficult for the student- even beyond what photos can show.

   You also provided food - rice, sauce, oil for cooking. Khue received clothes too. Before Son traveled to see these poor rural families he emailed his friends to collect children's clothes. Son brought them to several students and of course Khue was one of them. 

   We recently had the school give nice jackets and blankets to the 20 poorest/neediest students. All the children at the school are going to receive new boots or good solid sneakers and socks for the winter. As soon as that happens I will send you the photos too. 

 I think that catches you up on Khue for now. Les and I will visit him when we go to Viet Nam this Spring. You can send gifts to him through us- I will save room in one of our suitcases if you like. If you want to help him more we can help you to do that. Please know you have already made a world of difference in his life and his families too. 

Many many thanks

Bonnie

The Children are Cold in Lang Son

I'm worried about the students in Lang Son. We received a beautiful video of the primary school students doing their morning exercises. I watched happy until I noticed how many of them were barefoot. Winter begins in November. Please consider donating to help us purchase more coats, sweaters, scarves and most importantly socks, shoes and boots. A donation of 30usd will provide one child with all of the above. Please give what you can, every bit counts.
http://www.familiesinvietnam.org/love_education_fund.shtml
scroll down to Food for Thought to make a donation now.
Many thanks for your attention and kindness.

The winters are colder in Lang Son. The past 2 years it snowed. It is such a wet cold, in fact it is so wet/cold it snows in Lang Son at 2degrees F warmer there than in the USA.
The follow article reports on the effects of the unusually cold winter in Lang Son.

Updated : 5:15 PM, 02/02/2011

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More than 50,000 heads of cattle died of severe cold weather

(VOV) - As of 4pm on February 2, a total of 50,000 heads of cattle have died because of the recent long cold spell in some northern provinces, according to the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Son La province suffered the greatest loss of over 9,300 heads of cattle, followed by Lang Son (7,500) and Cao Bang (6,800).

Apart from the buffalos and cows died of the severe cold weather, horses, pigs, goats and giraffes were also lost.

The Veterinary Department appointed delegations to cities and provinces coordinate local animal health departments to fight against the dangers of hunger and cold for cattle during the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

http://english.vov.vn/Home/More-than-50000-heads-of-cattle-died-of-severe-cold-weather/20112/123622.vov

1,2,3 there are the old beds at the school for nap time- they were not big enough. then with the help of donors we built new beds and now 3. the children napping.

Nutritional Gifts Given

    After speaking with some friends I saw how our important it is to convey the success we did have with our first round of the Food for Thought Chicken Project. 600 chickens were delivered to families that did not have any. Let me say that again. 600 chickens were delivered to families that did not have any chickens. Maybe I should shout it out- it's such good news- and how often do we get good news???
    Chickens were sent back to the lunch program to share with all the poor children we now feed. So many chickens were sent in and at the same time chicken prices went up we all agreed the families could sell chickens at the higher price and send money to the lunch program. Pork and yogurt were purchased with the extra money. This meant that the 55 children we provide lunch for had wonderful nutritious lunches.
     Food for Thought Chicken Project began in the fall of 2009. We started giving chickens to a few families in the spring of 2010. We started small to monitor the program and see if it would work. It did and we added families. Most of these families gave food back to the lunch program. Through our Food for Thought Lunch Project and our Chicken Project from 2009 we have served over 18,000 lunches to the children of Lang Son!
    We need support for our Chicken Project and for our Food for Thought Lunch Project- there is also a garden project. We are providing cooked lunches and at the same time growing a garden, growing the chicken project one family at a time and looking forward to the sustainability of the these projects! The garden and the chickens can give forward - and the nourished educated students in Lang Son can also give forward for a finer future for all of us.

FYI
The following words are about chickens and the Vietnam people- :I share them so you can appreciate the many many thank yous that are given for your generosity and caring from the students and their families and all of us at the Lelean and Lacey  Love Education Fund.
                                                            lớn tuyệt vời cảm ơn bạn!!!!
                                                                 (a great big thank you!!!)

      Marketing poultry products  

Egg and meat products are used to fill household needs. Some of the products are sold to
markets or neighbours. Poultry is sold live. Poultry products serve as credit for households.
When farmers need cash for medical services, medicine, school fees, and children books,
etc., they sell eggs or chickens. Poultry is slaughtered when guests visit. Frozen chicken
meat is not popular for rural people. It is considered unfresh or less tasty. Other hand,
without the necessary infrastructure and equipment, frozen chicken meat cannot reach the
rural areas

The relationship between poultry and Vietnamese society  

Poultry industry has one of the longest histories of the different animal husbandry systems.
It contributes approximately 30 percent of farmers’ total income. It is a very important
resource for farmers’ living conditions and culture.

The cultural associations of poultry products 

One beautiful Vietnamese tradition is bringing eggs to neighbours, to the sick, or to pregnant
women as a gift.
 If the poultry herd of a farmer dies from disease, their relatives bring him or her some
poultries to replace those lost. Sometimes, children receive poultry as birthday gifts.

According to legend  

Four thousand years ago, My Nuong, the daughter of Hung King, was proposed to by both
Mountain King and River King. Hung King ordered a betrothal gift that included nine elephant
tusks, nine cock spurs and nine horses’ manes.

  Folk paintings and poetry 

Paintings of poultry have been popular for hundreds of years in Viet Nam. The most popular one is of a Ho chicken herd, which includes a hen and an intelligent baby chick setting on her back while looking for food in the garden. In the Tet holiday (the Lunar New Year), people buy this painting to signify a fortunate,
successful and healthy New Year.
 Chicken herds symbolize peacefulness in rural areas, as in a famous poem by Hoang Cam.
From:
FAO. 2008. Poultry production systems in Viet Nam. Prepared by Nguyen Van Duc and T. Long.
GCP/RAS/228/GER Working Paper No. 4. Rome 

      Providing chickens for poor families in Lang Son province touches their lives in practical and emotional ways. This is what you did when you provided hundreds and hundreds of chickens to the families of Lang Son. Your gift touched them in practical and emotional ways. Please help us help them help each other through our give forward shared resources Food for Thought Project. To donate, click the link below:
   http://familiesinvietnam.org/love_education_fund.shtml