HELP HAITI

Donate to these trusted organizations to support relief efforts in Haiti.

www.redcross.org & www.ifrc.org

www.kidsdonations.org

BEDTIME BASICS for BABIES CAMPAIGN

Facts: each year in the United States, more than 4,500 families are devastated by the sudden, unexpected death of an otherwise healthy baby. Experts estimate that at least 50 percent of these deaths may have been prevented had the baby been placed to sleep in a safe environment. In some areas, that number is closer to 75 percent or higher.

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Thanks to an $11 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, First Candle (a national nonprofit health organization) has launched the National Crib Campaign. This ground-breaking campaign was developed to provide cribs to in-need and at-risk families, as well as lifesaving safe sleep education to parents, professionals and the general public. The campaign will initially target Indiana, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

Kids Without Borders is proud to be one of the coordinating partner organizations (supporting Kids In Distressed Situations and Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center).

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For more information on the National Crib Campaign, the Bedtime Basics for Babies, and First Candle, visit http://www.firstcandle.org/ .

Teach Me To Fish Reunion in Saigon, December 26, 2009

Photos from the reunion in December 2009 of the Teach Me To Fish (TM2F) youths in Saigon. Three of the TM2F youths from Hai Phong / Hanoi attended the reunion, the very first meeting between the youths from the north and south region. Bottom photo: Son Michael and Judy Pham with the children of the TM2F youths.

These TM2F youths in Saigon grew up in the Go Vap Orphanage and the Thu Duc Orphanage. For less than US$1.00 per day per youth, the TM2F program can help them break the cycle of being an orphan and of life in poverty.

You can make your donation online via http://www.kidswithnoborders.org/

Christmas Day 2009: meet the children of the Thu Duc Orphanage

On Christmas Day morning, we took a 40 minute drive, by car, to the outskirt of Saigon to visit the Thu Duc Orphanage. Almost all of the youth (in Saigon) in the Teach Me To Fish lived here after they were transferred from the Go Vap Orphanage.
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After a brief meeting with the management staff, everyone was eager for us to meet 'Baby Hoa Hau' (Beauty Queen). Baby Hoa Hau had a successful hydrocephalus operation in early 2009, using one of the donated shunt (THANK YOU JoAnn Quattrone).

Baby "Hoa Hau' (Beauty Queen), survived hydrocephalus

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Currently there are 40 babies out of the 200 orphans in this orphanage. We were able to identify some immediate needs during our visit and over conversations we had with many of the staff members:

- We watched some of the caretakers outside on the front porch folding cloth diapers. The cloth diapers are made from old bed sheets, towels, and napkins. Many of these are torn or tattered. And the cloth napkins, unfortunately, are water resistant. Diapers (cloth and disposable) are desperately needed.

Caretakers folding diapers (made from old bed sheets,

towels, and napkins)

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- Two years ago, we purchased two washers for the baby ward (funded by the Kiwanis Club of Issaquah). This has allowed the staff to spend more time caring for the babies instead of handwashing the diapers, sheets, and clothes. Well, that solved half of the problem. Drying the wet clothes by hanging them under the sun only works when the sun is out, a problem during the rainy season (up to 6 months a year). We promised the staff that we will look into getting them at least one dryer (two would be great).

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- The babies spend part of the day outside of their cribs and on the tile floors. Hard tile floors and baby heads are not good combination. What is needed is rubber floor mats (easy to clean and store type).

Sample of the needed floor rubber mats

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Please share information on these needs with others and or support us with your contributions to provide better care and quality of life for the children of the Thu Duc Orphanage. For more information, contact us or make your donation online at http://www.kidswithnoborders.org/ . You can also join us on one of the two HumaniTours in 2010, and participate in our programs and projects in Viet Nam.

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View more photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39932570@N06/sets/72157623149636964/

Christmas Eve in Saigon

Scene in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon on Christmas Eve.

Who I Was Born To Be

Congratulations to Dr. Ngoc Ha on her marriage to Dr. Quoc Cuong. Dr. Ha provided care and support to many of the children served by Kids Without Borders in Viet Nam. She also inspired us to launch the Teach Me To Fish program ten years ago.

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We are inspired by Dr. Ha's story and want to dedicate this song in her honor:
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When I was a child
I could see the wind in the trees
And I heard the song in the breeze
It was there, singing out my name
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But I am not a girl
I have known the taste of defeat
And I have finally grown to believe
It will all came around again
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And though I may not
Know the answers
I can finally say I am free
And if the questions
Led me here, then
I am who I was born to be
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And so here am I
Open arms and ready to stand
I've got the world in my hands
And it feels like my turn to fly
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When I was a child
There were flowers that bloomed in the night
Unafraid to take in the light
Unashamed to have braved the dark
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I am who I was born to be
I am who I was born to be
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Who I was born to be, performed by Susan Boyle. Song written by Audra Mae, Johan Fransson, Tobias Lundgren, Tim Mikael Larsson.

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It costs less than US$1.00 / day to support one youth in the Teach Me To Fish program. To learn more about the program and to make your contribution, contact us at info@kidswithnoborders.org or make your donation online at http://www.kidswithnoborders.org/ .