Recently I explained how Lifestart hoped to help a group of disabled people to help themselves. In the long term we hope to offer training, seedling grants, medical assesment and assistance - together with help with mobility and transport. For many of us it is hard to imagine life with a severe disability. It is virtually impossible to imagine being disabled in Vietnam where there is no financial or medical assistance available. In an attempt at greater understanding, some Lifestart supporters, "TheEversonFamily" from the UK have been visiting some of the disabled group in Ho [View Full Entry]

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Earlier this year, we were fortunate to have a very enthusiastic volunteer who came to Hoi An to run an art program with the children at the Lifestart Foundation Free School. Sarah, a teacher from Melbourne, came to Hoi An armed with bags of art materials purchased through the donations of her friends and family. The materials she brought were really good quality, which were a joy for the children to work with. Sarah was keen to set up a “beautiful” space for the children to explore their creative time. She went to great lengths to decorate the designated art [View Full Entry]

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In addition to supporting students of the Lifestart Foundation Free School, Lifestart supports many students who are studying at government schools, paying for their annual school fees, uniforms, and books for one year. In some cases, if the child has to travel a long distance to school, Lifestart provides a bicycle. Some of the students we support have been at risk of being forced to leave school, nearly always for economic reasons. If you already struggle to feed your family, finding money to pay for school fees, uniforms, and books is impossible. Once children leave school, despite th [View Full Entry]

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“Clean Up The World Day.” was a great opportunity for the students of Lifestart Foundation Free School and as many Lifestart families as possible to learn more about looking after their immediate environment. Hoi An’s project was “Clean Up The River Day.” The designated day was going to be a very hot one, so an early start was advisable. Some 600 children and adults marshaled on the peninsula where most of Lifestart Foundation’s work is consolidated at 6 a.m. We were divided up into groups and given stretches of the river to clean. People power is an [View Full Entry]

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I have just returned from a frantic trip in Hoi An. I apologise if I have not yet been able to reply to your emails. I’d like to share with you the amazing story of one member of the Disabled Group - Hiep - the charming man who dreamt of becoming a herb farmer….. His family were very poor farmers who always worked hard, but struggled to survive. Hiep tells how, when he was young, he dreamt of being successful so that he could help his parents. Sadly he contracted polio when he was seven years of age and his [View Full Entry]

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Them and her son Quan live on the Thu Bon River in Hoi An. Them’s husband deserted her and Quan six years ago, leaving them without land or a house. Them had a small boat to use for fishing; she had to borrow a boat for her and her son to sleep in. They have been sleeping on the river, in a boat measuring one metre by three metres, for the past six years. Life on the river is as tough as it gets. The boats are cold and damp in the rainy season and extremely hot in the summer [View Full Entry]

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I'm busy preparing for my imminent trip to Hoi An, but before I go I want to tell you about an exciting new project involving Song and his friends! So I’ve asked Rachel, a supporter from England, to write up this blog for me, she was in Hoi An on my last trip and met many of those involved. Basically this is the story of the most lovely group of people you could ever hope to meet! They all live in or near to Hoi An and they are all disabled in some way - some through accidents, some through cerebral [View Full Entry]

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Rin is a 23-year-old widow. Her husband died one year ago at age 29. Rin has two children: a son, Kin, age six and in grade one at school, and Thao, her two-year-old daughter. Since her husband’s death, Rin has had to return home to live with her parents. The Vietnamese poor commonly die of treatable illnesses because they cannot afford medical treatment or medicine. You have to pay for everything at a Vietnamese hospital—and I mean everything; nothing is free. For example, if you need a drip, you need to buy it. If you need a plastic bowl to bathe [View Full Entry]

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Thuy is a hard-working woman, spending her days hauling sand and bricks. Her husband, Duc, is a river fisherman. They have two children, 13-year-old Truyen, who has Cerebral Palsy (CP), and 6-year-old Tay. Thuy, like most mothers I meet who have disabled children, has a permanent look of worry, sadness, and strain on her face. When you are poor in Vietnam, it is difficult (bordering on impossible) to access medical advice and treatment. I think most poor people with children who are sick or disabled have a lot of unanswered questions. In many cases, they don’t know who to ask or [View Full Entry]

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At the end of November, I asked if you could help me buy for Song the "Best Ever Christmas Present!" - A present that would change his life! Well thanks to your amazing and instant generosity - here it is! Song is the proud owner of a brand new, specially adapted, three wheel motorbike! Born with polio, Song has spent his entire life confined to a wheelchair. He lives with his mother, a long way out of town and has had to propel himself to work and back by lifting and lowering the handle on his rickety old wheel chair. Now, [View Full Entry]

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