The purpose of this program is to give Americans an opportunity to offer our goodwill and support to disadvantaged children in Vietnam. This scholarship program is a personal way to help and connect with the people of Vietnam. You will receive a letter and photo from the children you sponsor.
Criteria for selecting scholarship recipients
Scholarships are given to poor children in Vietnam to enable them to attend school. This assistance is given to students with the greatest financial need, sometimes orphans or children with disabled parents. Female students are usually chosen because girls have fewer educational opportunities than boys due to cultural gender preferences.
Our scholarship program is currently located in mountainous Hoa Binh Province, southwest of Hanoi, and includes several ethnic minority groups. These families often have difficulty just getting enough food to eat. School is free in Vietnam, but there are costs for uniforms, school supplies, books, and special fees. School expense is the single largest cash expenditure for many rural families. Poor families need older children to work and contribute to their family's survival. The scholarships make it possible for children to attend school instead of work. The last criteria for selection is academic achievement. Students who have done well in school are chosen for the scholarships.
Administration of the scholarship program
This scholarship program was started by Bhavia Carol Wagner, a co-leader of a Global Exchange trip to Vietnam in 1994 and a former member of the Global Exchange Board of Directors. It is currently administered by Bhavia and Beth Sibley, a volunteer who participated in one of Global Exchange reality tours to Vietnam. They connect with staff in the Vietnam Women's Union in Hanoi who work to improve living conditions and opportunities for women and children and have established local programs throughout Vietnam. The Provincial Women's Union selects the students and manages the scholarship program locally. The administrative costs for this scholarship program are donated by the volunteers and Vietnam Women's Union, so one hundred percent of your donation reaches the students.
