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It was the first of January 2017 when Sydneysiders Bronwyn Thomas and Mansi Bhatt, both 22, touched down in north Vietnam. They were on their summer break from uni, but this wasn’t a holiday.

As International Development Studies students, Bronwyn and Mansi arrived in Vietnam under a pilot internship program between the School of Social Sciences at UNSW Sydney and ChildFund Australia, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s New Colombo Plan Mobility Program.

“I think the New Colombo Plan is great. To have Australian students engaging more in our region is really important,” says Bronwyn.

After a two-day induction at ChildFund Vietnam’s National Office in Hanoi, Bronwyn and Mansi headed off to two of Vietnam’s most remote provinces, where they would be based for the duration of their internships.

Mansi’s destination was Bac Kan, where ChildFund has been working for 18 years. In addition to helping ChildFund staff in the office with proposals, project activities, and measuring outputs, observing programs was also a key part of her role.

She explains: “I went to a workshop where I was able to see how community consultations and meetings actually work, how ChildFund engages and builds relationships with people in the community, and how you can make sure community members’ voices are heard.

“I also visited the site of a new road construction in a really small community. It was 400m, so not very long, but the road really needed to be worked on. It was hard for anyone to walk through, especially when it rained, as the road would just be mud,” says Mansi. “It showed me that although some projects are quite small, you`re not necessarily always looking for big changes, and I’ve learnt that small victories for communities are really important as well,” she adds.

When asked how life in rural Vietnam compares to Sydney, Bronwyn admits that “it’s different on every level.” She adds that Cao Bang, where she was based, is one of the most remote places she`s ever been.

Living in an area where English is not widely spoken was a challenge for Bronwyn, but it also inspired her to run two English classes each week in her office: “ChildFund Vietnam is encouraging greater English comprehension among local staff, which I think is important. I loved being able to help with that.”

 

Duong grew up in a small rural village in the mountains of northern Vietnam. His parents planted rice and raised livestock to generate an income to support him and his two sisters.

“I was born in a poor village of Cao Phong district, Hoa Binh province. I lived in the mountainous region and travelled on dirt roads. The people there mainly do agricultural activities. Local infrastructure was weak back then,” says Duong. “My family was very poor. When we were little, my parents had to work hard to feed me and my siblings and send us to school.”

In 1998 Duong became a ChildFund Vietnam sponsor child. At eight, his life started to change when he began writing to his Australian sponsor Gordon, who decided to support a child in Vietnam. For Duong it was wonderful to have a friend who was so far away committed to helping a child in need.

“I felt very happy and excited to have a sponsor of my own,” he says. “I received many gifts from him including school supplies, toys and sports equipment. Those meaningful gifts not only gave me encouragement but also helped reduce the burden on my parents.

“[But] I believe the most valuable gift given to me was that my study was maintained and continued thanks to the regular encouragement from my sponsor,” he adds.

Education is a key part of helping children in need. Even as a small child Duong knew that he needed to work hard at school so he could have a bright future.

“I have been really focused on my studies since I was small. As a child, I wanted to set up a good business when I grew up so I could earn money to support my family and to contribute to local community development.”

ChildFund Vietnam began working in Hoa Binh, the province where Duong lives, in 1995 when he was just five years old. Over the past 20 years, Duong has watched his community transform.

“Child sponsorship has brought significant benefits to my community. We have improved infrastructure; concrete roads, irrigation canals and new schools. Now 100 percent of children in the project area are able to attend school,” says Duong. “People’s lives have been significantly improved thanks to the support in agricultural production.”

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