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6
GIVING FROM
THE HEART:
Vietnam alumni
help kids in need
By Amy Watari
Winston Churchill once
said, “We make a living by
what we get, but we make
a life by what we give.”
Alumni of the Vietnam
Executive MBA (VEMBA)
program are shining
examples of those who are
truly making a difference in
the lives of others.
The VEMBA 5 (2010) class in Hanoi has launched an
important community initiative that helps hundreds of Vietnam’s
underprivileged kids. Since 2009, the VEMBA Charity Fund (VCF)
has been supporting kindergarten students in Ban Khoang, one of
northern Vietnam’s poorest villages. Thanks to the hard work and
generosity of the VEMBA 5 group, to-date over 245 million VND
(~11,800 USD) has been collected with more donations arriving
every day.
Located in the rural province of Lao Cai, Ban Khoang and its
surrounding areas have a poverty rate of over 70 percent. Resources
in the region are scarce, education is limited and children often have
little to eat. With a reported average monthly income per capita of
about 369,000 VND (~17 USD)*, it’s easy to understand why the
group's donations have had such a tremendous impact. By providing
funds for nutritional food, warm clothing and other much needed
supplies, malnutrition rates among students have decreased,
the quality of school lunches has improved greatly and school
attendance has risen in the community.
The idea for the initiative first came about when the VEMBA
5 class decided that they wanted to unite as a group and give back
to the community. “As businessmen, helping those who are less
fortunate is our obligation,” explained VEMBA 5 alumnus Ngo
Trong Thanh. “The VEMBA Charity Fund supports those in need
while also keeping our classmates connected to one another.” Ngo,
who is the founder of the popular restaurant chain Vietmac, was
one of the students who first came up with the charity fund concept
while attending summer classes at the Shidler campus in Honolulu.
After a few months of initial planning and coordination, the
project took off and donations began to roll in. “We first started in
May of 2010 by helping a class of 52 children,” said Ngo. “We were
able to provide 2,000 VND (~0.10 USD) per meal per child. In