COUNTRY / PROBLEM
Vietnam is currently one of the fastest-developing Asian countries. Nevertheless, the effects of the armed conflict that ended more than 40 years ago are still visible today. The Vietnam War, which lasted from 1957 to 1975, ruined the country – thousands of people died, the infrastructure was destroyed, and farmlands were contaminated. As a result of the war, many children were orphaned and deprived of a roof over their heads.
In Vietnam, there are large economic disparities. People who live in rural areas struggle with poverty and often, in order to improve their fate, decide to move to cities, which usually does not solve their problem. In many cases, migrants in cities find themselves in a very difficult situation, and children are particularly at risk – often without medical care, adequate food, or access to education.
ORGANISATION
Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF) helps children in difficult life situations. Its activities include, above all, provision of medical care, food, and access to education. CNCH has been operating in Vietnam since 1991 and, since 1997, has also been helping in Mongolia.
The founder of CNFC is Christina Noble – an Irish woman who, after experiencing many tragedies in her life, devoted herself entirely to children in need. Her inspiration to help children in Vietnam came from a recurring dream, in which she saw naked Vietnamese children during the war, asking her to be rescued. Nearly 20 years after this dream, she decided to go to Vietnam for the first time, where she started helping children in need on her own and soon afterwards established the foundation with them in mind.
PROJECTS
Kulczyk Foundation provided financial support for:
- meals for all the beneficiaries of Sunshine Centre,
- the Sunshine Centre mobile clinic,
- the Sunshine School,
- a girls’ shelter run by CNCF,
- a boys’ shelter run by CNCF,
- educational programmes of CNCF.
