Spring Issue XV April 2009

VietHope is a non-profit
organization dedicated to Word from Board
Vietnam’s socioeconomic by Nam Tran Nguyen
development. We at VietHope
In February 2009, VietHope ventured to Santa Cruz, California for its 8th annual retreat. In addition to
believe that the wealth of the team in the U.S., the VietHope team in Vietnam participated in the retreat via conference call. The
Vietnam lies in its human conference call enabled both teams to “meet” one another, celebrate our accomplishments, and share
capital and its prosperity ideas and goals for 2009 and the next three years. The VietHope team is extremely proud of having
depends on whether we helped more than 2,000 students in Vietnam through investments of more than $200,000 over the
harness this human capital. As past several years!
such, we believe that good
education is indispensable to In 2008, we continue to improve and expand our programs and lay the foundation for further
development:
Vietnam’s growth and its
future. ● Continued project expansions
VietHope is a 501(c)3 non- ◦ University Scholarship Program (USP) = 305 awards
profit. We are a volunteer- ◦ Merit Scholarship Program (Merit) = 256 awards
based organization with 20 ◦ Community Scholarship Program (CSP) = 548 students
active team members.
● Initiated the Youth Development Program (YDP), a program to help students and
youth in Vietnam develop critical skills and become active in community service
Contributing
● Raised $50,000+ in 2008, with donor commitments for 2009 of $70,000+, including
Writers:
a grant from uNAVSA (Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations)
Patrick Curley
Cao Thi Huong
Anh Le In 2009, VietHope intends to continue to build from the improvements achieved in 2008. In particularly,
the team is excited to implement our first annual Youth Development Summit this summer as
Eoin Matthews
part of our kick-off to the Youth Development Program. The Summit will involve VietHope's University
Nam Tran Nguyen Scholars and 10 VSA leaders from the uNAVSA network. The Summit's participants will receive
Van Nguyen training in teambuilding,project management and an opportunity to work on a community service
Uyen-Khanh Quang-Dang project.
Quang Tran
Editor: Phong Nguyen, VietHope’s Executive Director in Vietnam, continues to lead our extraordinary team of
Jennifer Lou volunteers in Vietnam to expand and improve all aspects of program reach and implementation. In the
Thu Yen Mac U.S., we are excited to announce that Van Nguyen has joined the Board of Directors.
As VietHope reaches a greater number of deserving students, VietHope will need the continued support
of its current supporters, as well as reaching out to new donors. If you have any ideas to help spread the
In This Issue VietHope word and reach, please contact me directly at nam-tran@viethope.org. Again, thank you to
everyone for your support, time and effort. The VietHope team is excited for 2009!
Word From Board
1
VietHope Annual Retreat
2
Letters of Hope
3
Monitoring and Evaluation/
Third Annual Benefit Dinner
4
Vietnam VH Team US VH Team
Note from Patrick Curley
5

VietHope ~ 423 Brookline Avenue #199 Boston, MA 02215 ~ info@VietHope.org ~ www.VietHope.org

Spring Issue XV April 2009

Ways to Support VietHope’s 2009 Annual Retreat

VietHope by Eoin Matthews & Uyen-Khanh Quang-Dang

The 7th VietHope Annual Retreat took place on the weekend of February 13-16, 2009 in Santa Cruz,
VietHope welcomes anyone
California. This event brings the VietHope team members together to review the past year’s progress,
who believes in our mission. plan for the year ahead, and consume enormous amounts of home-cooked Vietnamese food. We were
There are a number of ways in fortunate that 18 colleagues from Boston, Baltimore, New Haven, New York, Michigan, North
which you can support Carolina, Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Francisco were able to attend.
VietHope:
At the retreat, each committee presented an analysis of their work in the prior year and successes
measured by key performance indicators the team had set. Discussions, like in previous years,
• Sponsor a student were engaging and inspiring; VietHope’s affinity for uncovering problems and proposing creative
through one of solutions proved stronger than ever as meetings ran as long as seven hours. Early Sunday morning, the
VietHope’s 3 VietHope’s Vietnam Team connected with the US Team via Skype for a four-hour conference call,
Scholarship where many exciting ideas were thrown around for the coming year.
Programs
The VietHope Annual Retreat gives us a rare chance to celebrate our friendships (new and old) as well
• Donate to as our 7-year VietHope collaboration. This year’s big news award was reserved for VietHope’s
VietHope’s President, Nam Tran Nguyen, who will give birth to her first child later this year. Congratulations Nam!
infrastructure
investment In its concluding moments, the team committed to rigorous fundraising efforts in 2009 in the face of a
program more challenging economy. Perhaps more urgently than ever, we need your support. VietHope will
continue to make sure that every dollar you donate is used efficiently and effectively to provide
• Spread awareness deserving students in Vietnam the education that they need. Thank you for being a part of VietHope.
about VietHope
and VietHope’s
mission
• Donate time and
energy by
becoming a
VietHope volunteer

VietHope ~ 423 Brookline Avenue #199 Boston, MA 02215 ~ info@VietHope.org ~ www.VietHope.org

Spring Issue XV
Scholarship
Programs
Merit Scholarship
Program: Provide access to
education for poor students
in rural areas from grade 6-
12 ($150/student/year).
Merit is a renewal
scholarship program where-
by scholarships are renewed
on a yearly basis until
students finish grade 12, or
fail to meet VietHope
criteria.
University Scholarship
Program (USP): Provide
access to education for
disadvantaged students at the
university level
($150/student/year). USP
aims to develop a network of
university students and
potential community
leaders. Summer activities
are organized for USP
scholars to engage in
community service
activities.
Community Scholarship
Program: Provide
monetary support for
uniforms and school supplies
for the least well-off students
in Vietnam in K-5.
VietHope ~ 423 Brookline Avenue #199 Boston, MA 02215 ~ info@VietHope.org ~ www.VietHope.org
Letters of Hope
Cao Thi Huong
Merit Student Graduate
Hong Duc University, Thanh Hoa
I will always remember the feeling when my
mother told me that I should stop my studies
because my family doesn’t have enough
money for me to go to high school. It was a
summer day a year ago. I cried so much and
my mother also cried – tears of shame
because she is not capable of sending me to
school.
It ended my hope of attending university.
Everyday I watched my friends go to school,
then I would cry alone. I couldn’t believe
my ears when I heard that my mother said
that I received a scholarship and would
return to school. My mother held me in her
arms and cried, but this time we cried tears
of happiness. I was crazy with happiness
when I learned that I can continue to carry
out my dream.
I asked my mother “Who helped our family,
mom?” My mother smiled and said to me:
“They are angels, my daughter.” Thanks to
you, I can return to school. Thanks to the
scholarship, children like me have happy
eyes, dreams of a good future, houses with
red tile, streets with bright lights. We have
strength in order to overcome difficulties and
we know that there are kind people besides
us, ready to help us, lead us to a happy life.
One year has passed with good results and
in my heart I always remember that
assistance. Now in this central area with sun
and wind, people smile and communicate
together about the song of angels. I
believe that children like me will promise to
try much more in order to repay that
assistance. Finally, I thank vicar for helping
us get this scholarship.
April 2009
Anh Le
Student Volunteer
Northeastern University, Boston
I started volunteering for VietHope in
November 2008. VietHope was going to
have a fundraising dinner at Northeastern so
I decided to help set up the event. After
dinner, the presentation began. The whole
room was stunned when watching a short
video of poor children in Vietnam. They
were the recipients of the VietHope
scholarship program. There were elementary,
middle school, high school and college
students talking about their dreams and how
the scholarships had helped them take closer
steps to achieve those dreams.
I could understand their feelings well
because I grew up in Vietnam where
education is not free. I am fortunate enough
to be able to go to school. Some aren’t. Their
parents couldn’t afford the highly cost of
education. Some children have to work to
help their family earn a living. Others
wander on the streets asking for money or
even steal food and other stuff from stores.
Watching the video, I realized how
meaningful the scholarships are to those
financially disadvantaged students. I
looked at their smiling faces; I saw hopes
and dreams in their eyes. I wanted to do
something, just anything and everything I
could to help them. And I knew that
volunteering for VietHope to raise more
funds to provide scholarships and build
infrastructure in Vietnam would be the best
way to do it.
There are not so many volunteers for
VietHope right now but each person who has
committed to it is pouring his/her heart out
for a great cause. I feel so inspired
volunteering with such enthusiastic and
passionate people who try their best to create
more educational opportunities for the
children, the promising future leaders of a
developing country.
Spring Issue XV April 2009

VietHope Monitoring and The Impact You Make

Executive Committee
Nam Tran Nguyen
Evaluation One student wrote, “Receiving USP
President by Quang Tran scholarship gave hope and self-confidence
for me and poor students like me” while
Lynn Huynh another student felt “motivated to believe
How Many You Have Helped
VP & Scholarship Program Chair Based on the data,even wemore can phrase
in [her] USP’s
dreams and current Outcom
aspirations”.
As one student wrote, “I have gotten to meet
Phong Nguyen following
Since VietHope started in 2003, it awarded
new friends who share my poverty, but also
Executive Director (Vietnam) over 3,600 scholarships. Today, VietHope
my dreams.” That truly sums up the
helps students from grade school through
VietHope mission! From Open Question
Chau Nguyen university in 24 provinces and major cities in
Administrative Chair/Treasurer Vietnam.
•Students report low USP’s Impact on •Will enable my academic i
likelihood of dropout from Students by increasing my ability to
Minh Phuong Dang Scholarships Awarded college studies
USP Co-Chair CSP Merit
•Students USP
have strong support A significantly •Pay tuition, fees, supplies
Total 2,345 from parents to729
587 finish college better opportunity
Oanh Nguyen •For students, financial to learn
USP Member
2008 548 burdens250 are the 305
greatest •Gave me greater belief in
•Gave me greater hope, pe
2007 356 worries150in their 226
college life
More confidence to confidence to achieve my g
Quang Duong 2006 624 93 153 achieve life goals university
USP Co-Chair 2005 362 50 40 and futures •Gave me confidence and
and my future aspirations
2004 373 25 5
Minh Trang Nguyen 2003 82 19 n/a A path toward
Merit Chair broader community •Gave me opportunities to
mindset other poor students, learn f
•Knowledge that others in
Tiffany Phan Who You Are Helping and help me; touched by th
CSP Co-Chair that young VN people hav
Scholarship recipients share two •Gave me a community far
My Hue Nguyen distinguishing characteristics – they live in home; I am not alone in the
CSP Co-Chair poverty and are high achievers Nearly half of
our students live under the poverty line
Third Annual
Van Nguyen
Fundraising Chair
defined by the Vietnamese government, set at Benefit Dinner
$200,000 VND per person per month
(consider that one bowl of phở costs $20,000 By Van Nguyen
Quang Tran
Monitoring & Evaluation Chair VND). The remaining income comes from VietHope held its 3rd annual benefit dinner
farming households. In this context of on Sunday, December 14, 2008, raising not
Alan Tu poverty, an education full of cost and only a net of more than five thousand
Public Relations and Finance Chair opportunity cost would be easy to forgo. Yet dollars but also awareness of our work and
the students and their families do not forgo an the progress of the scholarship programs’
Uyen-Khanh Quang Dang education opportunity. achievements.
PR Co-Chair

Thu Yen Mac 2008 Scholarship Cohort

Newsletter Editor Merit USP
Poverty
Tai Phan % under rural poverty line 46% 41%
Director of Communications % from farming households 83% 80%
% whose father completed only
Jen Lou middle school or below 63% 40%
Director of Donors Relation High achieving
% with an "A" GPA 70% 49%
% with a "B" GPA or above 99% 95% Attendees of VH Benefit Dinner

VietHope ~ 423 Brookline Avenue #199 Boston, MA 02215 ~ info@VietHope.org ~ www.VietHope.org

Spring Issue XV April 2009

Vi Nguyen
Youth Development Some 150 friends of the VietHope VietHope
Coordinator/uNAVSA
representative
community attended the dinner, which was
held at the McLeod Suite of Northeastern
Donation Form
University. We hope that the guests of the Online Donations Accepted
Dang Tran benefit dinner left with a smile on their faces via www.viethope.org
Webmaster and in their hearts knowing that they helped
make a difference in the lives of the students The objective of VietHope’s Scholarship &
Duc Le in Vietnam. Again, thank you to all Friends University programs is to provide financial
Webmaster of VietHope for your attendance in making assistance to children in poor rural areas in
the 3rd annual benefit dinner a big success. Vietnam who cannot afford the costs of
We hope that you will continue to support us continuing their education. The students are
Y Nhu Nguyen
selected on the basis of financial need,
Vietnam PR Leader with your attendance at the 4th annual benefit
performance in school, and their motivation to
dinner sometime in the fall of 2009. Thank
Tu Anh Nguyen excel. Your contribution will directly support the
you! education costs for these children.
Hanoi Team Leader

Thu Hue Nguyen

Note from Name:________________________________
Hue Team Leader
Patrick Curley Address:______________________________
~~~~~~ Host of VietHope Benefit Dinner Email:________________________________
VietHope Good Will Ambassador
Upcoming Please check one or several of the boxes
VietHope Events! “I spent two months traveling and  I wish to sponsor a child through
volunteering in Vietnam in 2001 and my VietHope's Merit Scholarship
Mark Your experience there left a lasting impression on Program. With my support of $120/
me. When I heard about the first VietHope year, I will help children in Vietnam
Calendars! benefit dinner in Boston, I thought it would attain a higher level of education
be a great way for me to continue to honor my
 I wish to make a contribution of
May 30, 2009 experience with the people of Vietnam.
$______ towards the University
Cocktails for Education At that first benefit, I was impressed by how Scholarship Program
Fuji 1546 Restaurant much the young VietHope organization had
accomplished already. VietHope was having a  I wish to support and become more
1546 Hancock Street, involved in VietHope's work by
direct positive impact on these students and
Quincy, MA becoming a member for $25
showed us how a relatively small amount
Sushi Bar - Music of money could help a student afford an  I wish to make a general donation
Drinks - Raffle tickets education in Vietnam. At a time when the to VietHope in the amount of
$20/ticket economy is suffering, it is more important $______
9-11pm then ever to continue to support charities that
directly improve the lives of young people in Please make checks payable to
July 12-18, 2009 the world. Thank you VietHope for all that
you do.” VietHope, Inc.
VietHope 1st Annual 423 Brookline Avenue, #199
Youth Boston, MA 02215
Development Summit
Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam Donations From Corporations
VietHope would like to acknowledge the generous donations from its corporate supporters.
Please visit
www.viethope.org
for more details on upcoming
events and activities

VietHope ~ 423 Brookline Avenue #199 Boston, MA 02215 ~ info@VietHope.org ~ www.VietHope.org