Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why do you concentrate on education for girls?
A. In rural Vietnam Taoist and Confucian philosophies stress the need for males to be well educated and if a family can afford to do this, then education for males is given priority. But because females in Vietnam assume the main responsibility for raising children and often provide a significant part of the family income it is important for girls from poor families to receive an education so that they can fulfill this role in the best way possible. A full education to the end of high school is crucial for young women. They are then better able to value and support the education of their children and to have greater choices in the work arena. An educated woman has greater choice and power to effect change in her culture.
Most children trafficked are from poor farming and fishing communities. A girl in school is less likely to be trafficked. Young women who have received a full education are unlikely to choose prostitution or lowly paid factory work as a way of supporting their family.
Q. How many of the CEF students are boys?
A. We assist boys if they are orphaned or in a very challenging situation. We help up to a maximum of 5% boys of the total number of our students.
Q. Where in Vietnam do the children live that you have organized sponsorships for?
A. At present CEF has children in education programs and in Quang Nam province and Da Nang City in central Vietnam. Until recently we also had an education program in Thai Binh Province on the Red River Delta in the north.
Q. How do you decide who to help?
A. Our charity in Vietnam has a list of criteria the child and family have to meet. Some examples follow. We conduct a full assessment and then their case is considered carefully before help is given.
The child has to be referred to us by a government department, another charity, by a nun, a priest or a neighbor of the child. They have to provide a letter from a local government authority proving that they are poor. Children who are given priority are either orphans, come from single parent families or have a disabled or ill parent. They always come from a family who is struggling to make ends meet. They have to live in Quang Nam province or Da Nang City, these being the areas we have permission to work in at present.
Q. How much does CEF plan to grow?
A. We only plan on growing a little each year, so that we can continue to maintain a close relationship with our children and families and provide them with the best educational support we can. Also we need to stay small to be able to provide sponsors and donors with updates.
Q. How much do the poorest Vietnamese earn?
A. Their incomes vary dramatically. Some earn nothing, others use the food they grow to barter for what they need. Incomes vary from $10 to $300 a month. Higher incomes are from seasonal employment leaving families with little to no income for many months of the year.
Q. What is the income of the families you help?
A. We have grandparents looking after children who grow food and barter. We have a single mother earning $10 a month selling betel nuts. We have some with seasonal incomes of up to $300 a month, for example from planting trees in forests, cutting and loading trees and harvesting rice for other farmers. When there is no work they have no income.
Q. What other support does CEF give to school students?
A. Each child has a unique situation, so support varies from child to child. All students receive the support they need to ensure their main education costs are covered.
Some students receive:
A bike to get to school
Food support
Tet food parcels
Medical support
Reimbursement of travel costs to come and see us at our Hoi An office
A second-hand computer if this would be of benefit for them to carry out their course work (year 12 and tertiary students)
We may also give medical support to the child’s main care-giver
High school students receive mentoring
Some students attend annual workshops such as Budgeting, Life Skills Workshops, Girls to Women ~ Female Health and Hygiene, Water Safety Day, Human Trafficking, Child Labor and Child Abuse Education.
Q. What other support do you give to tertiary students?
A. All of CEF's tertiary students receive mentoring support including help with budgeting.
Wherever a student’s financial resources are insufficient we also provide:
Food support
Accommodation support
Reimbursement of transport costs to come meet with us
Second hand computers
Academic materials
English lessons in the summer holidays
Fees for essential additional courses a student was not notified of before commencing studies
Special educational materials and books they may need in order to be able to pass exams
The tertiary students in Da Nang and Quang Nam also attend our workshops such as Budgeting, Life Skills and Girls to Women workshops and other workshops we run.
Q. What are you doing about human trafficking in Viet Nam as I hear it is a serious problem?
A. Our staff have been training on this subject. Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, an education and anti-trafficking NGO, have taught the staff about the latest methods used by traffickers to traffic girls for sex and forced labor both domestically and internationally. We also include this topic in workshops we give to our high school and university students. Our staff run local sessions to bring to the attention of those who live in Quang Nam and Da Nang what trafficking is, how to recognize it and what to do about it.
Q. What training do you provide your staff?
A. Our staff fulfill many roles at CEF: they visit children and their families and write up reports, have input into workshops we run for the girls in our programs, write reports in English and translate letters from children, which are sent to sponsors, talk to visitors about CEF and their roles and much more. To help them perform these many roles effectively we provide them with training. For example, they have attended sessions on human trafficking, child sexual abuse, paediatric first aid, HIV and AIDS. They also have weekly English classes most of the year which are practically relevant to their work requirements as well as exploring the most recent articles in the media which relate to their work, such as female health, human trafficking, forced labor, child development and mental health.
Q. How does CEF fund a child's education costs?
A. Our non profit in Vietnam finds one sponsor for each child. The sponsor undertakes to pay an annual sponsorship fee which covers the child's core education costs, for example, compulsory school contributions (fees), insurance and compulsory extra tuition. We ask sponsors to commit to funding each child until they have completed their high school education.
Q. I would like to sponsor a child and want to know if I will be paying the same cost each year for their whole education?
A. The sponsorships are not the same amount each year. Education costs go up as the child progresses from grade 1 to 12 and on to university. We also sometimes pay a food supplement on top of school costs for families who are struggling to feed their children sufficiently. Due to inflation we also increase costs every 3 years in accordance with inflation, with the next increase being for the 2023-2024 year.
Q. I am interested in sponsoring a child and at present I can afford $400 a year.
A. We always have children in need of sponsorship. If you have $400 a year available then you would be able to afford to sponsor any child in primary or secondary school.
Q. I would like to know if I get an annual report on the child I sponsor?
A. Yes you will receive an annual report on the child you sponsor including their school results, a few photos of the child, and a letter or drawing (depending on the age of the child). Reporting is completed once we have their end of year results which we receive between July and October each year, with most updates being sent out between August and the end of December each year.
Q. Can I sponsor a child for just one year?
A. CEF makes a commitment to a child and her family that we will support her until she completes her high school education. We ask sponsors to join us in this commitment. We have a scholarship program and that just requires a commitment for one year.
Q. I am interested in sponsoring a child and would like to know how much it costs per year.
A.Q. Can you tell me where I can make donations or education payments?
A. EVERY.ORG can be used. Link follows.
http://www.every.org/childrens-education-foundation-vietnam?utm_campaign=donate-link#/donate
Using the above link the following can be used: Credit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, DAF, stocks, mutual fund and crypto donations
Our bank account also can be used:
Account name: Children's Education Foundation - Vietnam
Bank: Citibank
Bank Branch: 250 Broadway, NY, NY 10007
Routing number: 021000089
Account number: 9953683921
SWIFT CODE: CITIUS33ADR
Q. Why does CEF concentrate on education for girls?
A. In rural Vietnam Taoist and Confucian philosophies stress the need for males to be well educated and if a family can afford to do this, then education for males is given priority. But because females in Vietnam assume the main responsibility for raising children and often provide a significant part of the family income it is important for girls from poor families to receive an education so that they can fulfill this role in the best way possible. A full education to the end of high school is crucial and empowering for young women. They are then better able to value and support the education of their children and to have greater choice in the work arena. An educated woman has greater choice and power to effect change in her culture.
Most children trafficked are from poor farming and fishing communities. A girl in school is less likely to be trafficked. Young women who have received a full education are unlikely to choose prostitution or lowly paid factory work as a way of supporting their family.
Q. How many of the students are boys?
A. We assist boys who are orphaned or if they are in a very challenging situation to a maximum of 5% of the total number of students. At present there is one nearing the end of university.
Q. Where in Vietnam do the children live that you have organized sponsorships for?
A. CEF has children in education projects in Quang Nam province, in central Vietnam. We had projects in Da Nang and in Thai Binh province in the Red River delta in northern Vietnam until recently, and those program are complete now.
Q. How do you decide who to help?
A. We have a list of criteria the child and family have to meet. Some examples follow. We conduct a full assessment, and then their case is considered carefully before help is given.
The child has to be referred to us. In the past they were referred to us by another charity, by a nun, a priest or a neighbor of the child. These days most are referred to us by our government partner organizations. The family also have to provide a letter from a local government authority proving that they are poor. Children who are given priority are either orphans, come from single parent families or have a disabled or ill parent. They always come from a family who is struggling to make ends meet. They have to live in Quang Nam province, this being the area we have permission to work in at present.
Q. How much does CEF plan to grow?
A. Over the last few years we planned on staying around the same size each year. We wish to stay small enough to maintain a close relationship with our children and families and provide them with the best support we can.
Q. How much do the poorest Vietnamese earn?
A. Their incomes vary dramatically. Some earn nothing, others use the food they grow to barter for what they need. Incomes vary from nothing with some with just $15 income, where others are earning much more, around $400 a month. Higher incomes are from seasonal employment leaving families with little to no income for many months of the year.
Q. What is the income of the families you help?
A. We have grandparents looking after children who grow food and barter, we have some too old and weak with no homegrown food or income. We have a single mother earning $15 a month selling betel nuts. We have others with seasonal incomes each year of up to $400 a month, for example planting trees in forests, cutting and loading trees and harvesting rice for other farmers.
Q. What other support does CEF give to school students?
A. Each child has a unique situation, so support varies from child to child. All students receive the support they need to ensure their main education costs are covered.
Some students receive:
A bike to get to school
Food support
Medical support
Reimbursement of travel costs to come and see us at our Hoi An office
A second-hand computer if this would be of benefit for their course work (year 12 and university)
We may also give medical support to the child’s main care-giver
High school students receive mentoring
And some parents receive medical insurance due to poor health and the inability to afford medical care
Q. What other support do you give to tertiary students?
A. All of our tertiary students receive mentoring support including help with budgeting.
Wherever a student’s financial resources are insufficient we also provide:
Food support
Accommodation support
Reimbursement of transport costs to come meet with us
Secondhand computers
Academic materials
English lessons in the summer holidays
Online English conversation sessions
Fees for essential additional courses a student was not notified of before commencing studies
Special educational materials and books they may need in order to be able to pass exams
The tertiary students in Quang Nam also attend our workshops, such as Budgeting, Life Skills and Girls to Women Workshops and other workshops we run
Q. What are you doing about human trafficking in Viet Nam as I hear it is a serious problem?
A. Our staff have received training on this subject. Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, who are an anti-trafficking NGO, teach the staff about the latest methods used by traffickers to traffic girls for sex and forced labor both domestically and internationally. We also include this topic in workshops for our high school and university students. Our staff run local sessions to bring to the attention of those who live in Quang Nam what trafficking is, how to recognize it and what to do about it.
We run this course more often for our ethnic students as they are most vulnerable.
Q. What training do the staff in Vietnam receive?
A. The staff in Vietnam fulfill many roles at CEF: talks on Human Trafficking and Child Labor and Child Sexual Abuse, attend to all NGO related paperwork for the government partners (local, provincial and national), they visit children and their families and write up reports, have input into workshops we run for the girls in our programs, write reports in English and translate letters from children, which are sent to sponsors, talk to visitors about CEF and their roles, and much more. To help them perform these many roles effectively we provide them with any essential training. For example, they have attended sessions on human trafficking, child sexual abuse, pediatric first aid, HIV and AIDS. They also have weekly English classes which are practically relevant to their work requirements as well as exploring the most recent articles in the media which relate to their work, such as female health, human trafficking, forced labor, child development and mental health.
Staff are encouraged to study further. At present two are attending part time courses.
Q. How does CEF - Vietnam fund a child's education costs?
A. We help find one sponsor for each child. The sponsor undertakes to pay an annual sponsorship fee which covers the child's core education costs, for example, compulsory school contributions (fees), insurance, compulsory extra tuition, school uniforms and school supplies. We ask sponsors to commit to funding each child until they have completed their high school education.
Q. Does Children's Education Foundation - Vietnam (CEF-Vietnam) have 501(c)(3) status?
A. Yes we have 501(c)(3) status. Please consult your accountant regarding the tax-deductible eligibility of your gift.
Q. I would like to sponsor a child and want to know if I will be paying the same cost each year for their whole education?
A. The sponsorships are not the same amount each year. Education costs go up as the child progresses from grade 1 to 12 and on to university. We also sometimes pay a food supplement on top of school costs for families who are struggling to feed their children sufficiently. Due to inflation we also increase costs every three to four years in accordance with inflation.
Q. I would like to know if I get an annual report on the child I sponsor?
A. Yes, you will receive an annual report on the child you sponsor including their school results, a few photos of the child, and a message or drawing (depending on the age of the child). We apologize in advance, but you may not receive it exactly at the same time of year, each year, as we have many sponsors to update.
Q. Can I sponsor a child for just one year?
A. CEF makes a commitment to a child and her family that we will support her to complete her high school education. We ask sponsors to join us in this commitment. Therefor they might need support for three years of five years.
We have two scholarship programs and are developing a third (two are well established, and one we are just starting up) for girls from ethnic communities. Scholarships are just for one year at a time and we help ethnic students for two years of high school, therefore we ask that there is a commitment to support a student for two years if they are going into grade 11 and one year if they are going into grade 12 . Some are capable of university and if so we will ask if you can help them if they get into university.
Q. I am interested in sponsoring a child and would like to know how much it costs per year.
A. The cost of our sponsorships varies according to which class a child is in. There are also extra costs in certain cases. For example, we provide a food supplement to families who are struggling to feed their children.
The sponsorship costs for the school year 2024-2025 are:
US$380 for classes 6-9
US$440 for classes 10-12
US$150 - $240 for a food supplement per academic year, according to needs / when required
US$500 - $1000 on average for each year of university depending on the subject, where they study and the student's circumstances (if there is no one in the family to help with any costs, then it could be as much as $1200 a year). Most university courses are four years.
US$350 for an annual scholarship
For the 2027-2028 academic year the sponsorships will increase:
US$400 for classes 6-9 for the academic year
US$460 for classes 10-14 for the academic year
US$200 - US$300 Food support during the academic year according to needs
US$550-US$1250 on average for each year of university depending on the student's circumstances (for example no one in the family to help with education costs), and the course and where they study. Over the last two years fees have been increasing by 10% a year, therefore the university sponsorship will not be able to remain the same for each of their years in university. Most course are 4 years.
US$380 for an annual scholarship
Q. Why are the sponsorship costs in USD?
A. In Vietnam we work in Vietnam dong and USD. USD is the second currency here.
Q. How do a I pay in USD as I am an Australian living in Australia?
A. When you go to the bank tell them you wish to make a payment that is US$380 / US$440 / US$300, and ask that they tell you the Australian dollar amount. That is the payment amount to make. If you make the payment by PayPal first use a currency converter program and it will give you today's exchange rate. That is the payment amount. We use this currency converter: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/
Q. How many sponsored students has CEF got in the current school year?
A. CEF has 124 sponsorship students in school and university at present. We also have 57 scholarship students.
Q. How many children does CEF have in college or university at present?
A. For the 2022-2023 year it was 38 students. This is very exciting to see many of our high school graduates become university students. Back in 2016-2017 we only had 16 students in university.
Q. Who manages CEF?
A. CEF's Founding Director, Linda Burn, is also CEF's In-Country Manager in Vietnam. The management in Australia is by Graeme Burn. We also have a board of directors in Australia. There are seven people on our board including myself; all bringing a variety of life and work experience to CEF.
Q. Does Children's Education Foundation have DGR status?
A. Financial donations made in Australia over $2 can be claimed against tax you have paid.
Q. Where do CEF funds come from?
A. CEF is supported entirely by donations from individuals, NGOs and companies. CEF does not receive grants from any government or religious bodies.
Q. I would like to visit the child I will be sponsoring. Is this possible?
A. We do what we can to make it possible for sponsors to meet the child they sponsor. It is possible most of the time, but we do need plenty of notice to make sure that the child is available. Children are usually at school 6 - 6 1/2 days per week and most are free most of Sunday. If we can get them to come to the CEF office we do this and reimburse their travel costs. If you wish to visit their home and they live far away it will involve some costs as you will need to hire a car and driver and take a staff member who is available. This rarely is possible due to our work schedule, but it frequently works for the child and a family member to come to Hoi An to meet their sponsor.
We have students as little as 10 minutes away from our office, but many are considerably further away. We suggest that if you know you will be coming to Vietnam and wish to meet the child you sponsor you let us know when you make your request to sponsor. We will then organize for you to sponsor a child who is not too far away from our office.
Q. Can I give a present to the child when I meet them? What is best to give?
A. The children love to receive gifts from their sponsors. We suggest inexpensive and useful presents, but what to give depends on the age of the child and their needs at the time. If they are interested in art, then inexpensive art materials from overseas womake them happy. Examples of suitable gifts are: school supplies, good quality school satchels, or treats for personal use such as hair slides and hair ties. All the required school supplies can be bought locally.
Q. Can I communicate directly with the child I will be sponsoring?
A. Communication with and from the child you are helping comes through CEF. If you'd like to write letters to the child we will translate them and deliver them to the child. We work this way to protect both the child and the sponsor.
Q. Can I visit the child whenever I want?
A. All meetings between sponsors and children are in the company of CEF staff and are organized so that the family has plenty of notice. Meetings take place when it is convenient for the child and their family and when the CEF staff member who is responsible for the child is available. Meetings are in working hours and not after sunset. We do whatever we can not to interrupt their daily lives and to leave their evenings free for home work, meals and family time. We also believe it feels safer for the children and families to have our visits during daylight.
Q. What is your wish list?
A. That's always a hard question to answer as we are a small NGO with many needs. As with all NGO's we can not do our work without funds for non-direct education costs, such as transport to see our children and wages, printer and ink and an office space. Some of the support we would appreciate follows:
Funds for a tertiary education fund, as we have many graduating from high school each year
Support our Trafficking and Child Labor education program
Funding of our workshops such as Girls to Women ~ Female Health and Hygiene, Water Safety Day and Life Skills workshops
Funding for a promotional video about CEF
Funding for a part-time social worker we wish to have in the near future
Annual office rental
And
Funds for laptops for university students, so we can get them here
This information is being updated and we apologize if anything is not up to date at the time of you reading this.
A. In rural Vietnam Taoist and Confucian philosophies stress the need for males to be well educated and if a family can afford to do this, then education for males is given priority. But because females in Vietnam assume the main responsibility for raising children and often provide a significant part of the family income it is important for girls from poor families to receive an education so that they can fulfill this role in the best way possible. A full education to the end of high school is crucial for young women. They are then better able to value and support the education of their children and to have greater choices in the work arena. An educated woman has greater choice and power to effect change in her culture.
Most children trafficked are from poor farming and fishing communities. A girl in school is less likely to be trafficked. Young women who have received a full education are unlikely to choose prostitution or lowly paid factory work as a way of supporting their family.
Q. How many of the CEF students are boys?
A. We assist boys if they are orphaned or in a very challenging situation. We help up to a maximum of 5% boys of the total number of our students.
Q. Where in Vietnam do the children live that you have organized sponsorships for?
A. At present CEF has children in education programs and in Quang Nam province and Da Nang City in central Vietnam. Until recently we also had an education program in Thai Binh Province on the Red River Delta in the north.
Q. How do you decide who to help?
A. Our charity in Vietnam has a list of criteria the child and family have to meet. Some examples follow. We conduct a full assessment and then their case is considered carefully before help is given.
The child has to be referred to us by a government department, another charity, by a nun, a priest or a neighbor of the child. They have to provide a letter from a local government authority proving that they are poor. Children who are given priority are either orphans, come from single parent families or have a disabled or ill parent. They always come from a family who is struggling to make ends meet. They have to live in Quang Nam province or Da Nang City, these being the areas we have permission to work in at present.
Q. How much does CEF plan to grow?
A. We only plan on growing a little each year, so that we can continue to maintain a close relationship with our children and families and provide them with the best educational support we can. Also we need to stay small to be able to provide sponsors and donors with updates.
Q. How much do the poorest Vietnamese earn?
A. Their incomes vary dramatically. Some earn nothing, others use the food they grow to barter for what they need. Incomes vary from $10 to $300 a month. Higher incomes are from seasonal employment leaving families with little to no income for many months of the year.
Q. What is the income of the families you help?
A. We have grandparents looking after children who grow food and barter. We have a single mother earning $10 a month selling betel nuts. We have some with seasonal incomes of up to $300 a month, for example from planting trees in forests, cutting and loading trees and harvesting rice for other farmers. When there is no work they have no income.
Q. What other support does CEF give to school students?
A. Each child has a unique situation, so support varies from child to child. All students receive the support they need to ensure their main education costs are covered.
Some students receive:
A bike to get to school
Food support
Tet food parcels
Medical support
Reimbursement of travel costs to come and see us at our Hoi An office
A second-hand computer if this would be of benefit for them to carry out their course work (year 12 and tertiary students)
We may also give medical support to the child’s main care-giver
High school students receive mentoring
Some students attend annual workshops such as Budgeting, Life Skills Workshops, Girls to Women ~ Female Health and Hygiene, Water Safety Day, Human Trafficking, Child Labor and Child Abuse Education.
Q. What other support do you give to tertiary students?
A. All of CEF's tertiary students receive mentoring support including help with budgeting.
Wherever a student’s financial resources are insufficient we also provide:
Food support
Accommodation support
Reimbursement of transport costs to come meet with us
Second hand computers
Academic materials
English lessons in the summer holidays
Fees for essential additional courses a student was not notified of before commencing studies
Special educational materials and books they may need in order to be able to pass exams
The tertiary students in Da Nang and Quang Nam also attend our workshops such as Budgeting, Life Skills and Girls to Women workshops and other workshops we run.
Q. What are you doing about human trafficking in Viet Nam as I hear it is a serious problem?
A. Our staff have been training on this subject. Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, an education and anti-trafficking NGO, have taught the staff about the latest methods used by traffickers to traffic girls for sex and forced labor both domestically and internationally. We also include this topic in workshops we give to our high school and university students. Our staff run local sessions to bring to the attention of those who live in Quang Nam and Da Nang what trafficking is, how to recognize it and what to do about it.
Q. What training do you provide your staff?
A. Our staff fulfill many roles at CEF: they visit children and their families and write up reports, have input into workshops we run for the girls in our programs, write reports in English and translate letters from children, which are sent to sponsors, talk to visitors about CEF and their roles and much more. To help them perform these many roles effectively we provide them with training. For example, they have attended sessions on human trafficking, child sexual abuse, paediatric first aid, HIV and AIDS. They also have weekly English classes most of the year which are practically relevant to their work requirements as well as exploring the most recent articles in the media which relate to their work, such as female health, human trafficking, forced labor, child development and mental health.
Q. How does CEF fund a child's education costs?
A. Our non profit in Vietnam finds one sponsor for each child. The sponsor undertakes to pay an annual sponsorship fee which covers the child's core education costs, for example, compulsory school contributions (fees), insurance and compulsory extra tuition. We ask sponsors to commit to funding each child until they have completed their high school education.
Q. I would like to sponsor a child and want to know if I will be paying the same cost each year for their whole education?
A. The sponsorships are not the same amount each year. Education costs go up as the child progresses from grade 1 to 12 and on to university. We also sometimes pay a food supplement on top of school costs for families who are struggling to feed their children sufficiently. Due to inflation we also increase costs every 3 years in accordance with inflation, with the next increase being for the 2023-2024 year.
Q. I am interested in sponsoring a child and at present I can afford $400 a year.
A. We always have children in need of sponsorship. If you have $400 a year available then you would be able to afford to sponsor any child in primary or secondary school.
Q. I would like to know if I get an annual report on the child I sponsor?
A. Yes you will receive an annual report on the child you sponsor including their school results, a few photos of the child, and a letter or drawing (depending on the age of the child). Reporting is completed once we have their end of year results which we receive between July and October each year, with most updates being sent out between August and the end of December each year.
Q. Can I sponsor a child for just one year?
A. CEF makes a commitment to a child and her family that we will support her until she completes her high school education. We ask sponsors to join us in this commitment. We have a scholarship program and that just requires a commitment for one year.
Q. I am interested in sponsoring a child and would like to know how much it costs per year.
A.Q. Can you tell me where I can make donations or education payments?
A. EVERY.ORG can be used. Link follows.
http://www.every.org/childrens-education-foundation-vietnam?utm_campaign=donate-link#/donate
Using the above link the following can be used: Credit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, DAF, stocks, mutual fund and crypto donations
Our bank account also can be used:
Account name: Children's Education Foundation - Vietnam
Bank: Citibank
Bank Branch: 250 Broadway, NY, NY 10007
Routing number: 021000089
Account number: 9953683921
SWIFT CODE: CITIUS33ADR
Q. Why does CEF concentrate on education for girls?
A. In rural Vietnam Taoist and Confucian philosophies stress the need for males to be well educated and if a family can afford to do this, then education for males is given priority. But because females in Vietnam assume the main responsibility for raising children and often provide a significant part of the family income it is important for girls from poor families to receive an education so that they can fulfill this role in the best way possible. A full education to the end of high school is crucial and empowering for young women. They are then better able to value and support the education of their children and to have greater choice in the work arena. An educated woman has greater choice and power to effect change in her culture.
Most children trafficked are from poor farming and fishing communities. A girl in school is less likely to be trafficked. Young women who have received a full education are unlikely to choose prostitution or lowly paid factory work as a way of supporting their family.
Q. How many of the students are boys?
A. We assist boys who are orphaned or if they are in a very challenging situation to a maximum of 5% of the total number of students. At present there is one nearing the end of university.
Q. Where in Vietnam do the children live that you have organized sponsorships for?
A. CEF has children in education projects in Quang Nam province, in central Vietnam. We had projects in Da Nang and in Thai Binh province in the Red River delta in northern Vietnam until recently, and those program are complete now.
Q. How do you decide who to help?
A. We have a list of criteria the child and family have to meet. Some examples follow. We conduct a full assessment, and then their case is considered carefully before help is given.
The child has to be referred to us. In the past they were referred to us by another charity, by a nun, a priest or a neighbor of the child. These days most are referred to us by our government partner organizations. The family also have to provide a letter from a local government authority proving that they are poor. Children who are given priority are either orphans, come from single parent families or have a disabled or ill parent. They always come from a family who is struggling to make ends meet. They have to live in Quang Nam province, this being the area we have permission to work in at present.
Q. How much does CEF plan to grow?
A. Over the last few years we planned on staying around the same size each year. We wish to stay small enough to maintain a close relationship with our children and families and provide them with the best support we can.
Q. How much do the poorest Vietnamese earn?
A. Their incomes vary dramatically. Some earn nothing, others use the food they grow to barter for what they need. Incomes vary from nothing with some with just $15 income, where others are earning much more, around $400 a month. Higher incomes are from seasonal employment leaving families with little to no income for many months of the year.
Q. What is the income of the families you help?
A. We have grandparents looking after children who grow food and barter, we have some too old and weak with no homegrown food or income. We have a single mother earning $15 a month selling betel nuts. We have others with seasonal incomes each year of up to $400 a month, for example planting trees in forests, cutting and loading trees and harvesting rice for other farmers.
Q. What other support does CEF give to school students?
A. Each child has a unique situation, so support varies from child to child. All students receive the support they need to ensure their main education costs are covered.
Some students receive:
A bike to get to school
Food support
Medical support
Reimbursement of travel costs to come and see us at our Hoi An office
A second-hand computer if this would be of benefit for their course work (year 12 and university)
We may also give medical support to the child’s main care-giver
High school students receive mentoring
And some parents receive medical insurance due to poor health and the inability to afford medical care
Q. What other support do you give to tertiary students?
A. All of our tertiary students receive mentoring support including help with budgeting.
Wherever a student’s financial resources are insufficient we also provide:
Food support
Accommodation support
Reimbursement of transport costs to come meet with us
Secondhand computers
Academic materials
English lessons in the summer holidays
Online English conversation sessions
Fees for essential additional courses a student was not notified of before commencing studies
Special educational materials and books they may need in order to be able to pass exams
The tertiary students in Quang Nam also attend our workshops, such as Budgeting, Life Skills and Girls to Women Workshops and other workshops we run
Q. What are you doing about human trafficking in Viet Nam as I hear it is a serious problem?
A. Our staff have received training on this subject. Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, who are an anti-trafficking NGO, teach the staff about the latest methods used by traffickers to traffic girls for sex and forced labor both domestically and internationally. We also include this topic in workshops for our high school and university students. Our staff run local sessions to bring to the attention of those who live in Quang Nam what trafficking is, how to recognize it and what to do about it.
We run this course more often for our ethnic students as they are most vulnerable.
Q. What training do the staff in Vietnam receive?
A. The staff in Vietnam fulfill many roles at CEF: talks on Human Trafficking and Child Labor and Child Sexual Abuse, attend to all NGO related paperwork for the government partners (local, provincial and national), they visit children and their families and write up reports, have input into workshops we run for the girls in our programs, write reports in English and translate letters from children, which are sent to sponsors, talk to visitors about CEF and their roles, and much more. To help them perform these many roles effectively we provide them with any essential training. For example, they have attended sessions on human trafficking, child sexual abuse, pediatric first aid, HIV and AIDS. They also have weekly English classes which are practically relevant to their work requirements as well as exploring the most recent articles in the media which relate to their work, such as female health, human trafficking, forced labor, child development and mental health.
Staff are encouraged to study further. At present two are attending part time courses.
Q. How does CEF - Vietnam fund a child's education costs?
A. We help find one sponsor for each child. The sponsor undertakes to pay an annual sponsorship fee which covers the child's core education costs, for example, compulsory school contributions (fees), insurance, compulsory extra tuition, school uniforms and school supplies. We ask sponsors to commit to funding each child until they have completed their high school education.
Q. Does Children's Education Foundation - Vietnam (CEF-Vietnam) have 501(c)(3) status?
A. Yes we have 501(c)(3) status. Please consult your accountant regarding the tax-deductible eligibility of your gift.
Q. I would like to sponsor a child and want to know if I will be paying the same cost each year for their whole education?
A. The sponsorships are not the same amount each year. Education costs go up as the child progresses from grade 1 to 12 and on to university. We also sometimes pay a food supplement on top of school costs for families who are struggling to feed their children sufficiently. Due to inflation we also increase costs every three to four years in accordance with inflation.
Q. I would like to know if I get an annual report on the child I sponsor?
A. Yes, you will receive an annual report on the child you sponsor including their school results, a few photos of the child, and a message or drawing (depending on the age of the child). We apologize in advance, but you may not receive it exactly at the same time of year, each year, as we have many sponsors to update.
Q. Can I sponsor a child for just one year?
A. CEF makes a commitment to a child and her family that we will support her to complete her high school education. We ask sponsors to join us in this commitment. Therefor they might need support for three years of five years.
We have two scholarship programs and are developing a third (two are well established, and one we are just starting up) for girls from ethnic communities. Scholarships are just for one year at a time and we help ethnic students for two years of high school, therefore we ask that there is a commitment to support a student for two years if they are going into grade 11 and one year if they are going into grade 12 . Some are capable of university and if so we will ask if you can help them if they get into university.
Q. I am interested in sponsoring a child and would like to know how much it costs per year.
A. The cost of our sponsorships varies according to which class a child is in. There are also extra costs in certain cases. For example, we provide a food supplement to families who are struggling to feed their children.
The sponsorship costs for the school year 2024-2025 are:
US$380 for classes 6-9
US$440 for classes 10-12
US$150 - $240 for a food supplement per academic year, according to needs / when required
US$500 - $1000 on average for each year of university depending on the subject, where they study and the student's circumstances (if there is no one in the family to help with any costs, then it could be as much as $1200 a year). Most university courses are four years.
US$350 for an annual scholarship
For the 2027-2028 academic year the sponsorships will increase:
US$400 for classes 6-9 for the academic year
US$460 for classes 10-14 for the academic year
US$200 - US$300 Food support during the academic year according to needs
US$550-US$1250 on average for each year of university depending on the student's circumstances (for example no one in the family to help with education costs), and the course and where they study. Over the last two years fees have been increasing by 10% a year, therefore the university sponsorship will not be able to remain the same for each of their years in university. Most course are 4 years.
US$380 for an annual scholarship
Q. Why are the sponsorship costs in USD?
A. In Vietnam we work in Vietnam dong and USD. USD is the second currency here.
Q. How do a I pay in USD as I am an Australian living in Australia?
A. When you go to the bank tell them you wish to make a payment that is US$380 / US$440 / US$300, and ask that they tell you the Australian dollar amount. That is the payment amount to make. If you make the payment by PayPal first use a currency converter program and it will give you today's exchange rate. That is the payment amount. We use this currency converter: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/
Q. How many sponsored students has CEF got in the current school year?
A. CEF has 124 sponsorship students in school and university at present. We also have 57 scholarship students.
Q. How many children does CEF have in college or university at present?
A. For the 2022-2023 year it was 38 students. This is very exciting to see many of our high school graduates become university students. Back in 2016-2017 we only had 16 students in university.
Q. Who manages CEF?
A. CEF's Founding Director, Linda Burn, is also CEF's In-Country Manager in Vietnam. The management in Australia is by Graeme Burn. We also have a board of directors in Australia. There are seven people on our board including myself; all bringing a variety of life and work experience to CEF.
Q. Does Children's Education Foundation have DGR status?
A. Financial donations made in Australia over $2 can be claimed against tax you have paid.
Q. Where do CEF funds come from?
A. CEF is supported entirely by donations from individuals, NGOs and companies. CEF does not receive grants from any government or religious bodies.
Q. I would like to visit the child I will be sponsoring. Is this possible?
A. We do what we can to make it possible for sponsors to meet the child they sponsor. It is possible most of the time, but we do need plenty of notice to make sure that the child is available. Children are usually at school 6 - 6 1/2 days per week and most are free most of Sunday. If we can get them to come to the CEF office we do this and reimburse their travel costs. If you wish to visit their home and they live far away it will involve some costs as you will need to hire a car and driver and take a staff member who is available. This rarely is possible due to our work schedule, but it frequently works for the child and a family member to come to Hoi An to meet their sponsor.
We have students as little as 10 minutes away from our office, but many are considerably further away. We suggest that if you know you will be coming to Vietnam and wish to meet the child you sponsor you let us know when you make your request to sponsor. We will then organize for you to sponsor a child who is not too far away from our office.
Q. Can I give a present to the child when I meet them? What is best to give?
A. The children love to receive gifts from their sponsors. We suggest inexpensive and useful presents, but what to give depends on the age of the child and their needs at the time. If they are interested in art, then inexpensive art materials from overseas womake them happy. Examples of suitable gifts are: school supplies, good quality school satchels, or treats for personal use such as hair slides and hair ties. All the required school supplies can be bought locally.
Q. Can I communicate directly with the child I will be sponsoring?
A. Communication with and from the child you are helping comes through CEF. If you'd like to write letters to the child we will translate them and deliver them to the child. We work this way to protect both the child and the sponsor.
Q. Can I visit the child whenever I want?
A. All meetings between sponsors and children are in the company of CEF staff and are organized so that the family has plenty of notice. Meetings take place when it is convenient for the child and their family and when the CEF staff member who is responsible for the child is available. Meetings are in working hours and not after sunset. We do whatever we can not to interrupt their daily lives and to leave their evenings free for home work, meals and family time. We also believe it feels safer for the children and families to have our visits during daylight.
Q. What is your wish list?
A. That's always a hard question to answer as we are a small NGO with many needs. As with all NGO's we can not do our work without funds for non-direct education costs, such as transport to see our children and wages, printer and ink and an office space. Some of the support we would appreciate follows:
Funds for a tertiary education fund, as we have many graduating from high school each year
Support our Trafficking and Child Labor education program
Funding of our workshops such as Girls to Women ~ Female Health and Hygiene, Water Safety Day and Life Skills workshops
Funding for a promotional video about CEF
Funding for a part-time social worker we wish to have in the near future
Annual office rental
And
Funds for laptops for university students, so we can get them here
This information is being updated and we apologize if anything is not up to date at the time of you reading this.
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