| Q |
How long
has SCC been working in Vietnam? |
| A |
We were registered as a charity in the UK in 1992 and have been working in Vietnam ever since then. We received our full Vietnamese licence in 1996 and our US affiliate received 501 (c) (3) status in 1999. |
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| Q |
What does SCC do? |
| A |
Saigon
Children's Charity helps educate poor, disabled and vulnerable children. We build schools, provide scholarships and vocational training to enable the poorest children to gain a basic education and equip themselves with the skills necessary to work their way out of poverty. |
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| Q |
Where does SCC work? |
| A |
We work in and around Ho Chi Minh City, mainly in the rural fringes such as Can Gio and Cu Chi but also in difficult central areas like District 4. In addition we work in 5 provinces surrounding HCMC. Currently these provinces are Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh and in the northern provinces of the Mekong Delta, Tien Giang and Tra Vinh. |
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| Q |
How does SCC choose
the children for its programmes? |
| A |
This is done carefully and objectively to ensure that we help those most genuinely in need. We visit children at home to assess the poverty and circumstances of their family. We tend to choose younger children as the poor drop out of school early in order to work. Many of the children we help are blind, deaf, disabled or missing one or both parents. We do not positively discriminate in favour of girls as there is, unlike many other countries, very little discrimination like this in Vietnam. |
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| Q |
Do SCC's programmes
work? |
| A |
We can confidently reply yes, they do. We monitor our work closely to ensure that we achieve our targets and evaluate projects at regular intervals. We have seen our children pass exams and have their work exhibited. We have watched as they grow in confidence and knowledge better able to face the challenges of the world and fend for themselves. Each year we place older students in hotels, shops and offices in Ho Chi Minh City for on-the-job training. Some of the children now qualify for a place at University – so we are sure something is working! |
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| Q |
How many people work
for Saigon Children's Charity? |
| A |
Altogether around 15 people work full-time for SCC. Some are responsible for individual programmes, some are teachers. All are dedicated and committed people. We also rely on a great group of volunteers around the world who help to do many things for us – from helping to spread the word and fundraising to supporting our English tuition. |
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| Q |
Can I volunteer? |
| A |
Please
see the volunteering section of this
site for more information. |
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| Q |
Can I visit the Charity? |
| A |
We are happy to help where we can with this but are too small to be able to respond to all requests. If you have a particular reason for wanting to visit a project please let us know and we’ll see what we can do. |
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