As we head towards Christmas and we celebrate all of the good things in our lives, I’d like to talk about the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, which I have been fortunate enough to have visited when I was in Vietnam and which I hold close to my heart.
Previously, I had talked about the work that they do rescuing children who have been separated from their families and used as slave labour or, worse still, sex slaves.
However, despite the massive work that they have done in that area, they do have other areas that they focus on so that’s what I’ll be highlighting today.
First of all, there is the drop-in centre.
The one I saw was in the headquarters in Hanoi and it is a place where children can come during the day, get a meal, and interact with other children.
They can also get some help from the social workers on hand to liaise with their parents as well as skill-building activities.
Seeing these children running around and playing excitedly was such a pleasurable experience especially when you think about their difficult circumstances.
Another area that they focus on is what is called Stay in School.
This is a programme where they have supported 300 rural students who were at high risk of dropping out of school unless they received financial support.
Staying at school would reduce their vulnerability to exploitation. So, this is one way where they are being pro-active in fighting the trafficking and child labour.
Finally, there is the emergency accommodation that they have to keep young girls safe from a variety of threats, whether it be from a family member or predators.
These are places where the victims are given as much time as they need in a safe environment to recover from their ordeals and, which can be quite costly to run even in a place like Vietnam.
So, next time you see a Langports activity where the proceeds will be for one of the organisations that the Langports Foundation helps, remember that not only will you be having a great time, but you’ll also be helping someone much less fortunate than you.
*Images from Blue Dragon Foundation
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