HIGHLIGHTS
September Field Trip: Cambodia Writer Dr William Trinh OAM
In September 2022, myself and a group of our Australian and Vietnamese volunteers embarked on a trip to open the new AHHA community centre at Pho Nam temple, located approximately 30 km from Hue city. The AHHA centre is a resilient two-storey brick building, erected on the hills to endure the wind, storm, and heavy rain during the wet season that frequently occurs each year in Vietnam. The AHHA centre operates as an evacuation centre during floods, and as a hub for education and medical services for the underserved communities in surrounding villages. During the trip, we facilitated general medical check-ups and supplied medicines, conducted eye checks, and distributed 20kg of rice and cash donations to each of the 600 underprivileged families who arrived at the AHHA centre over the span of two days. Additionally, AHHA donated a motorised aluminium boat, sponsored by Dr Juliana Chong, to be used for rescuing people during floods. The success of this AHHA project can be attributed to the tireless efforts and support of many, including local volunteers,
Pho Nam Temple, local authorities, and our dedicated AHHA volunteers and donors. A special acknowledgement goes to architect Mr Michael Luong and our AHHA director, Ms Thuy Nguyen, who oversaw the project. During our visit to Vietnam, we also had the chance to witness firsthand the operations of the evening community school named Truong Hoc Tinh Thuong in the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The school, located at the back of a local coffee shop, was founded by Mr Hung Doan more than ten years ago. He runs the coffee shop during the day to fund the evening school for local underprivileged children whose parents are unable to afford regular day school. The school caters to around 70 children aged from 7-17 years old, and the classes are facilitated by Mr Hung and other local university student volunteers from 5:00PM-7:00PM, Monday to Friday. AHHA has been supporting the rental of the school over the years, and it was encouraging to see the school positively impacting the lives of these children.
Newsletter • Issue 22 • January - December 2022 | 3
