You can try and imagine how frustrating it is to be disabled - but in Vietnam it must feel even worse. The disabled rely on these “push me-pull me” type of antiquated wheel chairs with which they propel themselves around the rough, pot holed streets. It is my dream to provide more specially adapted three wheel motor bikes to help the disabled to be more independent. It's a relatively easy way to transform someone’s life..... Take lovely Hanh, for instance. For over 18 years she has been largely confined to this bed. Unlike many of the group, she was not born [View Full Entry]

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Lifestart Foundation Free School opened in March 2006 in a building kindly donated by the Vietnamese government. Although we shared the building at times, which was not the ideal set up for classes, I was very grateful to have anything at all. The government truly has been outstanding in supporting Lifestart's educational hopes for the disadvantaged children of Hoi An. To my absolute delight, the government has built us a brand new school, on the same street as our old building. April 2007 saw us set up and move to our new location. The classrooms are colourful, bright, and spacious, and [View Full Entry]

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Hello everyone! There are lots of new and exciting things happening with Lifestart. PLEASE CLICK HERE for the latest news & events [View Full Entry]

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Hoa and Phuong and their three sons live in one very small room that runs off a narrow little alley. Their tiny room has a tiled concrete floor (a plus amongst many minuses). The walls of their room are made of woven bamboo and the roof is tin. Both walls and roof are in poor condition: the roof leaks and the walls have holes in them. The family all sleep on the concrete floor, as they do not own one piece of furniture. They have a few blankets, a couple of pillows, and a small gas burner to cook on…and that’s [View Full Entry]

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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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