Blue Dragon Children's Foundation
Encyclopedia
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
based in Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Its mission is to help children escape from the poverty cycle
Cycle of poverty
In economics, the cycle of poverty is the "set of factors or events by which poverty, once started, is likely to continue unless there is outside intervention."...
by offering them chances at education and improved living conditions. It also helps children escape from slave labour, provides access to drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
programs and has raised money for storm damaged areas as the scope of its work has widened.
History
The foundation was begun by an Australian school teacher, Michael Brosowski. He visited Vietnam in 2002 to teach English at the university in HanoiHanoi University
Hanoi University is a university in Hanoi, that specializes in language teaching including English, Japanese, Chinese, German, French, Russian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian....
. While there he met many street children
Street children
A street child is a child who lives on the streets of a city, deprived of family care and protection. Most children on the streets are between the ages of about 5 and 17 years old.Street children live in junk boxes, parks or on the street itself...
.
At first Michael, along with one of his language students Pham Sy Chung, offered the children tuition in maths, English, yoga and art. They also formed a football team - "Real Betis Vietnam" which would later be sponsored by their Spanish namesake. The idea was to promote a sense of sportsmanship and teamwork while getting exercise. Initially 3 teenage boys turned up for these games.
By early 2003, Michael had quit his university job to concentrate full-time on the needs of the street children. Word had got round and more kept arriving to seek help. Medical problems, educational needs, somewhere to sleep... the problems were varied. In February 2003, work began on formalising the small group's efforts into a registered organisation.
The process wasn't a simple one, but in March 2004 Blue Dragon Children's Foundation was registered as an Incorporated Association in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In September 2004, it was registered as an Independent Non-Government Organisation in Vietnam.
During this period, on June 2, 2003, The Big Room was opened; essentially a residence for 6 former street kids. It was funded for its first year by a $5000 donation from two expatriate women. Also, a program was launched to try to help keep poor rural children in school and the group continued to reach out to other children in the Hanoi area.
Chung left to study in the US in early 2005, and Michael hired two full-time staff to replace him. With these two staff, a combined office and drop-in centre was opened in March of that year. This office was used until August 2007 when the foundation moved to larger premises to cope with its continued growth.
In late 2005, Michael and a Vietnamese law student - Ta Ngoc Van - rescued a child from central Vietnam who had been trafficked by slave labourers in Ho Chi Minh City. This was the start of another program dedicated to recovering many more children in the same situation. To do this, Michael hired Van and his wife full-time as Vietnam's only Child Care Advocates
Child advocacy
Child advocacy refers to a range of individuals, professionals and advocacy organizations who promote the optimal development of children. An individual or organization engaging in advocacy typically seeks to protect children's rights which may be abridged or abused in a number of areas.- Rights...
. As of June 2011, one child trafficking
Trafficking of children
Trafficking of children is a form of human trafficking. It is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receiving of children for the purpose of exploitation....
ring has been permanently disrupted and over 101 children have been returned to their families.
In August 2007, Blue Dragon began assisting in the running of a children's home in Hoi An
Hoi An
Hội An , or rarely Faifo, is a city of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is located in Quang Nam province and is home to approximately 120,000 inhabitants...
, central Vietnam.
Blue Dragon's Work
Blue Dragon's main aim is to get children into school and keep them there with the view to improving their employment prospects and long-term goals. To achieve this, many other tasks are undertaken. Accommodation is provided, or repair/refurbishment of their existing home if living conditions simply aren't suitable. Out-of-school tuition is provided to help children study. Books and stationary are given to those who can't afford them.Medical care is paid for in some extreme cases where it can save the life or lifestyle of a child. To date, two instances of cosmetic surgery (one facial tumour and one hare lip) have been funded or part-funded by Blue Dragon. These two operations have allowed the afflicted children to return to an education that they were previously excluded from because of their medical conditions. Another boy, seriously injured by a gang armed with knives and machetes, was nursed back to health with the help of Blue Dragon and returned to an almost normal life afterwards.
Child trafficking is a major issue in SE Asia, and Blue Dragon now tackles this as a permanent part of its workload. Two staff members work full-time on locating and rescuing child labourers who have been bought, traded or kidnapped by traffickers. The parents of many of these children believe they are sending them to a better life with an opportunity for education and a proper job. However, this is not the case and the children find themselves working 15 or more hours per day with no pay, and living in cramped, unsanitary conditions.
Blue Dragon works with a local NGO (CHIA) to run the Hoi-An Children's Home. Approximately 30 children live and are taught here.
All children who attend the drop-in centre can receive help with homework and/or basic non-school tuition. Healthy meals are provided, as is a place to sleep.
Blue Dragon works alongside many other charities in Vietnam. One of these, KOTO
KOTO
KOTO is a not-for-profit restaurant and vocational training program based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Its staff consists primarily of former street children who have received training in catering through KOTO itself or other similar charities....
, has accepted several children from Blue Dragon onto its training program.
See also
- CHIA
- Child povertyChild povertyChild poverty refers to the phenomenon of children living in poverty. This applies to children that come from poor families or orphans being raised with limited, or in some cases absent, state resources. Children that fail to meet the minimum acceptable standard of life for the nation where that...
- KOTOKOTOKOTO is a not-for-profit restaurant and vocational training program based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Its staff consists primarily of former street children who have received training in catering through KOTO itself or other similar charities....
- List of non-governmental organizations in Vietnam