8.Xmas for the CHIA children, and the grown up children too!

Xmas is not a bank holiday for Vietnam, however there are decorations and seasonal tunes blasting out from the shops everywhere!  A hotel group arranged a dinner party for CHIA children and their families, complete with a balloon artist, magician, Santa (one of our own volunteers Peter that all the children recognised!)  and a traditional dragon dance, and I was happy to be invited, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed!  Earlier in the afternoon a backpacker hostel decided to hold a Santa run for CHIA and 30 people signed up, although with the heat and the free shots there was more walking or hitching a motorbike ride than running but the thoughts, laughs and funds raised are what counts.








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9.It's not Goodbye...

Image
So my time volunteering for CHIA has sadly come to an end and it's really been a truly amazing experience in so many ways that I did not expect.  Whilst I hope I've achieved my aim to provide some guidance and support, they have also given me so much. I've learnt a lot about how a charity is organised.  Funding in the not-for-profit sector is obviously very much a constant concern, and in the two weeks I worked at CHIA it was so heartening to hear of all the volunteer applications, organisations that get in touch out of the blue wanting to fund-raise, and all the people that are just interested in the great work they do and become such generous benefactors.   My volunteer certificate from CHIA will take pride of place in my home. I've had a taster for the local life, with hopefully a better appreciation of working for a different country and their culture and being more mindful for the things one might take for granted. I was privileged to be invited to people's h...
Read more

1.Welcome to CHIA - in a flooded Hoi An

Image
After weeks of anticipation, I have finally touched down in central Vietnam for a voluntary assignment that I obtained through AFID   https://www.afid.org.uk/page/1/About  i.e. Accounting for International Development.  They are a UK-based social enterprise that organise vital financial capacity management to  various non-profit organisations.  Since 2007 they have   placed over 1250 accountants from more than 50 countries from 2 weeks to several months in around 500 non-profit partners globally, that's beyond  250,000 hours.   I am hoping to add 70 hours to that number! It's Day 1 of my two weeks at CHIA  -  http://www.childrenshopeinaction.org/ .   This inspiring NGO offers life-saving programs on health, disability, housing, and water and sanitation to  disadvantaged children and families in the Quang Nam province that are barely surviving on less than $3USD a day. My usual London train commute is great...
Read more