2006 Vietnam Aid Expedition Begins in 2 Months!
We are exactly two months away from the 5th Aid Expedition! WOW! We've got a great team this year and it's our biggest one ever! We are all busy fundraising $40,000! We have ambitious goals this year - but we know that we can meet them with support from all of you!
Here are our plans for the 2006 Vietnam Aid Expedition:
Spring Camp - $12,500
Fund and sponsor four days of deserving playful memories that will show 250 children (100 girls from our Scholarship/Micro Loan Program, 100 children from orphanages, 50 children living in shelters for street children in Saigon), that they are loved and not forgotten by society. Camp activities include games, arts and crafts, field trips and even a campfire. Each child will receive two outfits, sandals, and basic toiletries. Three meals a day will be served, hotel lodging along the Ha Tien beach and clean facilities will be made available for every child. Over 50 Vietnamese social workers, volunteers, and over 50 Catalyst Foundation Vietnam Aid Expedition volunteers will staff the camp.
My Vietnam Photography (MVP) Project - $7000
Photographic art has the power to do many things: express, captivate, empower, and even inspire. Photography is a means to capture the imaginations of the children, empower them, and to build their confidence, self-esteem, and hope. With this in mind, the MVP Project will be a weeklong workshop that incorporates basic photography, writing, classroom participation and after-class assignments. to twenty (20) young girls living in Dong Thap Province, Vietnam. Our goal is to offer these young girls a way to continue their education and build pride in their culture and individual talents. We will work to establish ties with local labs and photography studios for internships or employment. Catalyst will offer students the opportunity to market and sell their work through the Catalyst Foundation website, fundraisers, and to the general public in order to help supplement their education and living expenses.
Kindergarten Tan Hoi Trung - $4,500
Local education departments build schools according to their ability. But with a steadily increasing population and higher enrolment rates each year, especially in rural areas, the provision of classrooms stays behind the growing need. As a result, education departments tend to build large schools in the main centers of population. This leaves the remote inaccessible areas with no or insufficient classrooms. In the poor districts and communes there are either no schools within walking distance, or insufficient numbers of usable classrooms to cater for the growing educational needs. Catalyst Foundation will build one new kindergarten in the village of Tan Hoi Trung for about 100 children. We will be there to break ground and start construction, in March 2006, of the new building. Parents, teachers, and community members will complete it so that they have a true sense of ownership to their new school.
Home Renovations - $5000
Her family’s two-room home, situated along the earthen banks of a slow-flowing river canal, is nearly devoid of furniture, with little more than cracked dirt floors, a leaky thatched roof, and flimsy reed walls lined with old newspapers. A team of Catalyst Foundation Vietnam Aid Expedition volunteers will travel to homes of the fifty (50) poorest children in the villages to “renovate” their existing dwelling with a much-needed kitchen, bathroom, roof or clean water unit. They struggle each day to gather food or clean water; these “quick fixes” will be life changing.
New Bikes - $4000
Every kid loves a bike, but these ones aren’t just for fun. In remote villages, bikes are a vital form of transportation for poor families. A bike will enable a child to go to school and her family to go to market or the nearest health clinic. These locally made bikes can carry heavy loads and will enable a child to travel much longer distances than on foot. Instead of giving them small toys and things that would be of no practical use , we will be collecting donations to purchase 100 new bikes for the 100 girls in our scholarship program.
Rice Distribution - $4000
A family's nutritional well-being depends on adequate food supplies, especially for the healthy growth and development of children. Food is made up of nutrients; nutrients are needed for energy (for activities such as working and playing) and for growth (building and maintaining the body) and for protection against infection. Catalyst Foundation will distribute 80 kg of rice to one hundred (100) families to alleviate some of the struggles a family faces when trying to supply food for the family. This will allow the family to concentrate on other expenses, including schooling for the children, clothing and other food basics.
6th Annual My Vietnam Art Contest Scholarships - $2500
A scholarship program has been developed to help impoverished children in Vietnam continue their education and build pride in their culture and individual talents. We believe that creativity should be nurtured and celebrated from a very young age. Through a series of art contests for children ages 5 to 18, we seek to provide a level playing field where talent, not economic or social position, prevails. Thanks to generous donations from our sponsors, we are able to offer 21 scholarship prizes to help the children continue their education and achieve their dreams. Over the past five years, the contests have resulted in over 2000 entries, with scholarships awarded to top entries. Children of Vietnam have responded with revealing, uplifting and inspiring art. We believe that this positive expression through the arts will help young people to avoid the negative aspects of their daily life.
Basic Health Exams - $500
Despite remarkable achievement in controlling the risk of epidemics in polio and tuberculosis, healthcare at local level - especially in remote areas - is still very poor in terms of quantity and quality. Health insurance for the poor was adopted several years ago but access to healthcare for those groups has remained modest at best. To be a part of a more concerted effort to address child health problems and malnutrition a team of doctors, nurses and medical volunteers from Catalyst Foundation will basic medical and dental exams to over 600 children in three days including the 250 children attending camp.
Our team will also be collecting medical supplies and medicines to donate to Dong Thap/Mekong Delta hospital boats to provide free health services. Annual flooding in the Mekong Delta area regularly threatens the lives and livelihoods of the people of this region. Serious diseases carried by water and mosquitoes threaten many people, particularly the vulnerable young. The most common illnesses are acute respiratory infections and ailments from drinking poor quality water.
Please consider making a donation to meet our goals at www.catalystfoundation.org or call us at 507-664-9558. Every dollar will make a difference!
Thank you once again for helping us make positive change for the children of Vietnam.
Peace,
Caroline Ticarro-Parker
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Catalyst Foundation
Here are our plans for the 2006 Vietnam Aid Expedition:
Spring Camp - $12,500
Fund and sponsor four days of deserving playful memories that will show 250 children (100 girls from our Scholarship/Micro Loan Program, 100 children from orphanages, 50 children living in shelters for street children in Saigon), that they are loved and not forgotten by society. Camp activities include games, arts and crafts, field trips and even a campfire. Each child will receive two outfits, sandals, and basic toiletries. Three meals a day will be served, hotel lodging along the Ha Tien beach and clean facilities will be made available for every child. Over 50 Vietnamese social workers, volunteers, and over 50 Catalyst Foundation Vietnam Aid Expedition volunteers will staff the camp.
My Vietnam Photography (MVP) Project - $7000
Photographic art has the power to do many things: express, captivate, empower, and even inspire. Photography is a means to capture the imaginations of the children, empower them, and to build their confidence, self-esteem, and hope. With this in mind, the MVP Project will be a weeklong workshop that incorporates basic photography, writing, classroom participation and after-class assignments. to twenty (20) young girls living in Dong Thap Province, Vietnam. Our goal is to offer these young girls a way to continue their education and build pride in their culture and individual talents. We will work to establish ties with local labs and photography studios for internships or employment. Catalyst will offer students the opportunity to market and sell their work through the Catalyst Foundation website, fundraisers, and to the general public in order to help supplement their education and living expenses.
Kindergarten Tan Hoi Trung - $4,500
Local education departments build schools according to their ability. But with a steadily increasing population and higher enrolment rates each year, especially in rural areas, the provision of classrooms stays behind the growing need. As a result, education departments tend to build large schools in the main centers of population. This leaves the remote inaccessible areas with no or insufficient classrooms. In the poor districts and communes there are either no schools within walking distance, or insufficient numbers of usable classrooms to cater for the growing educational needs. Catalyst Foundation will build one new kindergarten in the village of Tan Hoi Trung for about 100 children. We will be there to break ground and start construction, in March 2006, of the new building. Parents, teachers, and community members will complete it so that they have a true sense of ownership to their new school.
Home Renovations - $5000
Her family’s two-room home, situated along the earthen banks of a slow-flowing river canal, is nearly devoid of furniture, with little more than cracked dirt floors, a leaky thatched roof, and flimsy reed walls lined with old newspapers. A team of Catalyst Foundation Vietnam Aid Expedition volunteers will travel to homes of the fifty (50) poorest children in the villages to “renovate” their existing dwelling with a much-needed kitchen, bathroom, roof or clean water unit. They struggle each day to gather food or clean water; these “quick fixes” will be life changing.
New Bikes - $4000
Every kid loves a bike, but these ones aren’t just for fun. In remote villages, bikes are a vital form of transportation for poor families. A bike will enable a child to go to school and her family to go to market or the nearest health clinic. These locally made bikes can carry heavy loads and will enable a child to travel much longer distances than on foot. Instead of giving them small toys and things that would be of no practical use , we will be collecting donations to purchase 100 new bikes for the 100 girls in our scholarship program.
Rice Distribution - $4000
A family's nutritional well-being depends on adequate food supplies, especially for the healthy growth and development of children. Food is made up of nutrients; nutrients are needed for energy (for activities such as working and playing) and for growth (building and maintaining the body) and for protection against infection. Catalyst Foundation will distribute 80 kg of rice to one hundred (100) families to alleviate some of the struggles a family faces when trying to supply food for the family. This will allow the family to concentrate on other expenses, including schooling for the children, clothing and other food basics.
6th Annual My Vietnam Art Contest Scholarships - $2500
A scholarship program has been developed to help impoverished children in Vietnam continue their education and build pride in their culture and individual talents. We believe that creativity should be nurtured and celebrated from a very young age. Through a series of art contests for children ages 5 to 18, we seek to provide a level playing field where talent, not economic or social position, prevails. Thanks to generous donations from our sponsors, we are able to offer 21 scholarship prizes to help the children continue their education and achieve their dreams. Over the past five years, the contests have resulted in over 2000 entries, with scholarships awarded to top entries. Children of Vietnam have responded with revealing, uplifting and inspiring art. We believe that this positive expression through the arts will help young people to avoid the negative aspects of their daily life.
Basic Health Exams - $500
Despite remarkable achievement in controlling the risk of epidemics in polio and tuberculosis, healthcare at local level - especially in remote areas - is still very poor in terms of quantity and quality. Health insurance for the poor was adopted several years ago but access to healthcare for those groups has remained modest at best. To be a part of a more concerted effort to address child health problems and malnutrition a team of doctors, nurses and medical volunteers from Catalyst Foundation will basic medical and dental exams to over 600 children in three days including the 250 children attending camp.
Our team will also be collecting medical supplies and medicines to donate to Dong Thap/Mekong Delta hospital boats to provide free health services. Annual flooding in the Mekong Delta area regularly threatens the lives and livelihoods of the people of this region. Serious diseases carried by water and mosquitoes threaten many people, particularly the vulnerable young. The most common illnesses are acute respiratory infections and ailments from drinking poor quality water.
Please consider making a donation to meet our goals at www.catalystfoundation.org or call us at 507-664-9558. Every dollar will make a difference!
Thank you once again for helping us make positive change for the children of Vietnam.
Peace,
Caroline Ticarro-Parker
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Catalyst Foundation
posted by Catalyst Foundation at
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
