Vietnam Children's Fund
Encyclopedia
Vietnam Children’s Fund (VCF) is a non-profit organization based in Unionville
, Virginia
, United States
, helping the children of Vietnam
.
It builds “turnkey
” school
s to modern standards, ready for occupation.
The Vietnam Children’s Fund (VCF) is a non-profit organization
whose mission is to build a network of elementary school
s in Vietnam as a living memorial to all those who perished in the war
.
, a Pulitzer Prize
-winning writer and severely wounded Marine
. Puller believed that in war no one goes unscathed but that children, the most vulnerable of all, suffer the greatest hardships. He felt the Vietnam Children’s Fund was a gesture that could not only help close the past but ensure a brighter future for the children of Vietnam.
The first school, located on the former demilitarized zone
in Quảng Trị Province
, was dedicated in Puller’s name in April 1994, the 20th anniversary of the end of the war.
VCF has now completed over 40 schools which serve more than 21,000 children. Many schools are built in the poorest and most remote areas of the country where the need is greatest.
Normally, 85 cents of each dollar raised goes directly to school construction. VCF does not take government funds. Funding is all private from individuals, foundations, corporations and the Combined Federal Campaign
. Corporate gifts include those from FedEx
, Coca Cola, Citigroup
, Conoco and American Eagle Outfitters
.
With a million babies born in Vietnam each year, the need for new schools could not be met even with the most generous imaginable foreign aid
from all countries and World Bank
assistance. Thus, funds used by VCF do not duplicate or substitute for any activity of other donors. VCF meets a need that otherwise would simply not be fulfilled.
VCF hopes to build one elementary school in each of Vietnam’s provinces
and to create enough classroom space to teach 58,000 children—the number of names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, DC.
Unionville, Virginia
Unionville is an unincorporated community in Orange County, Virginia, United States. Unionville is east-northeast of Orange. Unionville has a post office with ZIP code 22567....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, helping the children of 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 –...
.
It builds “turnkey
Turnkey
A turn-key or a turn-key project is a type of project that is constructed by a developer and sold or turned over to a buyer in a ready-to-use condition.-Common usage:...
” school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s to modern standards, ready for occupation.
The Vietnam Children’s Fund (VCF) is a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
whose mission is to build a network of elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s in Vietnam as a living memorial to all those who perished in the war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
History
The Vietnam Children’s Fund was founded in 1993 by the late Lewis Burwell Puller, Jr.Lewis Burwell Puller, Jr.
Lewis Burwell Puller, Jr. was an attorney, Pulitzer prize winning author and officer in the United States Marine Corps. He was severely wounded in the Vietnam War.-Life and career:...
, a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning writer and severely wounded Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. Puller believed that in war no one goes unscathed but that children, the most vulnerable of all, suffer the greatest hardships. He felt the Vietnam Children’s Fund was a gesture that could not only help close the past but ensure a brighter future for the children of Vietnam.
The first school, located on the former demilitarized zone
Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone
The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam as a result of the First Indochina War.During the Second Indochina War , it became important as the battleground demarcation separating North Vietnamese territory from South Vietnamese territory.-...
in Quảng Trị Province
Quang Tri Province
Quảng Trị is a province on the North Central Coast of Vietnam, north of the former imperial capital of Huế.-Geography:Located in North Central Vietnam, Quang Tri Province is surrounded by Quang Binh Province on the north, Thua Thien-Hue Province on the south, Savannakhet Province of Laos on the...
, was dedicated in Puller’s name in April 1994, the 20th anniversary of the end of the war.
VCF has now completed over 40 schools which serve more than 21,000 children. Many schools are built in the poorest and most remote areas of the country where the need is greatest.
Nature and Goals
VCF’s signature design is a modern two-storey facility that serves 350 children (or as many as 700 attending in shifts) and provides eight classrooms, a library, electricity, and bathrooms. As the schools are often the newest and most structurally sound buildings in these communities they are also used for town gatherings, meetings and celebrations. In areas prone to flooding, the VCF school may be the only two-storey building in a region where villagers can go to escape disaster. Quality control, accountability for funds, sound engineering, and sound design are keystones of VCF activity in Vietnam.Normally, 85 cents of each dollar raised goes directly to school construction. VCF does not take government funds. Funding is all private from individuals, foundations, corporations and the Combined Federal Campaign
Combined Federal Campaign
The Combined Federal Campaign is a program allowing certain charitable organizations to solicit contributions from employees of the federal government of the United States...
. Corporate gifts include those from FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, Coca Cola, Citigroup
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
, Conoco and American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by Mark and Jerry Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company which also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear...
.
With a million babies born in Vietnam each year, the need for new schools could not be met even with the most generous imaginable foreign aid
Aid
In international relations, aid is a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another, given at least partly with the objective of benefiting the recipient country....
from all countries and World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
assistance. Thus, funds used by VCF do not duplicate or substitute for any activity of other donors. VCF meets a need that otherwise would simply not be fulfilled.
VCF hopes to build one elementary school in each of Vietnam’s provinces
Provinces of Vietnam
Vietnam is divided into 58 provinces and five centrally governed cities existing at the same level as provinces ....
and to create enough classroom space to teach 58,000 children—the number of names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, DC.
Board of directors
Notable directors include:- Terry A. Anderson, Co-Chair. Mr. Anderson is a former U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam. He was Associated Press Bureau Chief in BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
when taken hostage by radical fundamentalists and remained a captive for seven years. He is Honorary Chairman of the Committee to Protect Journalists. - Kiều ChinhKieu ChinhKieu Chinh is a Vietnamese American actress best known for her role in The Joy Luck Club...
, Co-Chair. Twice a refugee in her homeland, Ms. Chinh is an award-winning actress and lives in California.
See also
- List of non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.
- Non-profit organizations