After three months of hard work — come to think of it, it wasn’t really that hard! — myself and three other mums from Melbourne enjoyed an experience last September that we will never forget. We had decided earlier in the year to have a holiday together without our kids and husbands and thought that Vietnam would be just the ticket. I had read Christina’s story many years ago and also followed her inspirational journey of setting up the Christina Noble Childrens Foundation in Ho Chi Minh City. I had always wanted to try and help. We decided to fill our empty bags (we were planning on doing a bit of shopping, as you do!) with donations for the kids.The idea snowballed from there and ‘Mums Making a Difference’ was born. We set up a Facebook page and invited all our friends, friends of friends or anyone else, for that matter, to join. The response was overwhelming! It was heart-warming to see that people really do want to make a difference. Often, they just need a little guidance. So, with a little guidance and, in some cases, a little persuasion we raised over $4,000! We decided to support the Bicycle Program and were able to purchase 20 brand-spanking- new bikes and helmets for some very excited children. It was with great pride that we attended the Foundation on 11 September 2009 and presented on behalf of all of us, our families, friends and even, in some cases, complete strangers to us, these wonderful bikes and four huge bags of donations, including art supplies, medical equipment, toys and more. If you haven’t tried crying through an interpreter, I can highly recommend it! The emotions we felt that day will stay with us forever. We also had the opportunity to visit the Health and Wellbeing Centre, which produced more smiles and tears.The work that is being done there is amazing and the love palpable. We hope the bikes will help these children with their education. One day we would love to hear that a successful Vietnamese man or woman’s life was changed when four sobbing Aussie mums gave them a bike.... You just never know!
When I wrote this article for the Christina Noble Children's Foundation newsletter I never dreamed that I could perhaps become more involved with this amazing organisation. I look forward to re visiting when we arrive. We have packed up all of the kids toys and clothes that they no longer need and they are all boxed and ready to be delivered to the foundation. I can't wait to take the kids and Nick there so they too can see what an incredible job they do.
The Foundation's work in Vietnam is truly amazing and the Social and Medical Centre in HCMC a place of love, encouragement and hope for the future for the children who come under it's care. Long may it continue.
ReplyDelete