August 4, 2010 at the Market ...

Visit us at the Sammamish Farmers Market on August 4, 2010.

http://www.sammamishfarmersmarket.org/

gifts4grenada

July 2010

About gifts4grenada: is a service project sponsored by Rotary International, Kids Without Borders, YWCA, and many others to help collect supplies and donations and distribute them directly to the people of Grenada.

A project of a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar: my name is Amanda Lynn Marshall and I am a 2010-2011 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar hailing from District 5030 from the Rotary Club of the University District (Seattle, Washington). I will be traveling to Grenada this August to complete a Master in Public Health at St. George's University.

Follow my journey ... http://gifts4grenada.blogspot.com and support my project.

Teaching English Program

July 2010
The Teaching English program in the Go Vap Orphanage was launched in 2001 by the Greater Seattle Viet Nam Association (GSVA). Today the program is a partnership between GSVA and Kids Without Borders.

Teach Me To Fish Reunion

July 2010
Reunion dinners for the orphans in the Teach Me To Fish program
Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Saigon

Summer time in the Hoa Phuong Orphanage in Hai Phong

July 2010
Hoa Phuong Orphanage
Hai Phong, Viet Nam

Dare to Dream

July 9, 2010

More than 550,000 students throughout Viet Nam took university entrance exams this weekend. Some would travel from small hamlets and villages to nearby big cities where the exam centers are located. In big cities, volunteer forces formed by college students welcome arriving students at train and bus stations. Many homes would open their doors to house and feed poor students for free.

Among the students taking the university exams this year are 7 orphans supported by the Kids Without Borders 'Teach Me To Fish' program. All 'dare to dream' they would have a better life after the orphanage with a college degree.

Best of luck to all.

Meet some of our Teach Me To Fish university candidates:

Our Miracle Baby

Visiting Thien Nhan, our Miracle Baby, in Hanoi. The learn more about his latest medical condition, visit:

http://help-thien-nhan.blogspot.com/

Teach Me To Fish Program

Meet Duong. Duong has lived in the Hoa Phuong Orphanage in Hai Phong since she was four years old. Duong finished high school in June, earning very high grades. For the last several years, Kids Without Borders provided funding for Duong to take extra studies which better prepared her to continue her education beyond high school.

Earlier this week, we brought Duong to Saigon (first time on the airplane for her, and first time in this BIG city). This Friday and Saturday, Duong will take her university entrance exam. Duong plans to attend the University of Social Science and Humanities in Saigon.

Duong in Saigon, ready for her new life outside of the orphanage

The cost to be a sponsor of a Teach Me To Fish scholarship is US$350 per year for a commitment of two years. Since we launched this program ten years ago, our success rate is +90 percent; orphans from our program currently live above the poverty level, and are good contributing members to their community/society.

Go Vap Orphanage

July 6, 2010

Chu (Uncle) Son is back in Viet Nam visiting programs and projects of Kids Without Borders.

A newborn just arrived at the orphanage, one of the twin set.

The other baby of the twin set.

Baby Duc

Baby Victory, born without ears nor earholes

Hey from some of the kids in the Go Vap Orphanage

Helmets For Kids

Latest update from our partner organization, Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIPF):

April and May were incredibly busy for the AIP Foundation staff. From Cambodia to the Philippines and back to Vietnam, these past two months have seen over 3,000 helmets distributed, 10,000 educational flyers shared with the public, one new program launched in Cambodia, and the addition of one new member to the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative.

Kids Without Borders (partnering with Rotary) has supported the Helmets for Kids (HFK) program since 2001.

To learn more about the program, visit: http://www.asiainjury.org/main/helmets-for-kids.html

Hand Me Up Program

June 8, 2010, our Clothing Bank (South Operation Center in Tukwila) opened its door to children in the Tukwila School District.

World Refugee Day - June 20, 2010

This year's World Refugee Day on June 20th has as its theme, "Home", in recognition of the plight of more than 40 million uprooted people around the world, many are innocent children. Learn more:

http://www.unrefugees.org/site/c.lfIQKSOwFqG/b.6071165/k.1568/World_Refugee_Day_2010.htm

International Children's Day - June 1, 2010

On Tuesday, June 1, 2010, many countries around the world celebrate International Children's Day. Below are some facts on children and a short video clip of oprhans in Viet Nam. Help us MAKE THE DIFFERENCE, be a volunteer or donate.

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaiU2OJDnCM

ORPHANS

UNICEF and global partners define an orphan as a child who has lost one or both parents. By this definition there were over 132 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean in 2005. This large figure represents not only children who have lost both parents, but also those who lost a father but have a surviving mother or have lost thir mother but have a surviving father.

Of the more than 132 million children classified as orphans, only 13 million have lost both parents. Evidence clearly shows that the vast majority of orphans are living with a surviving parent, grandparent, or other family member. 95 persent of all orphans are over the age of five. This definition contrasts with concepts of orphan in many industrialized countries, where a child must have lost both parents to qualify as an orphan. UNICED and numerous international organizations adopted the broader definition of orphan in the mid-1990s as the AIDS pandemic began leading to the death of million parents worldwide, leaving an increase number of children growing up without one or more parents. So the terminology of a 'single orphan' - the loss of one parent - and a 'double orphan' - the loss of both parents - was born to convey this growing crisis. Howevr, this difference in terminology can have concrete implications for policies and programming for children. For example, UNICEF's 'orphan' statistic might be interpreted to mean that globally there are 132 million children in need of a new family, shelter, or care. This misunderstanding may then lead to responses that focus on providing care for individual children rather than supporting the families and communities that care for orphans and are in need of support.

Gifts For Grenada

Amanda Lynn Marshall, a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar (sponsored by District 5030, Washington State USA), has launched Gifts4Grenada, a project of Kids Without Borders. Gifts4Grenada is sep uop to support poor young women and children in Grenada. Amanda will depart for Grenada in August 2010 to continue her study (for her Master of Public Health) at St. George's University. Her one year study in Grenada is funded by the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship program. You can learn more about Amanda's mission and donate to her cause, visit http://gifts4grenada.blogspot.com/ .

Rotary Day Of Service - April 24, 2010

April 24, 2010

Members of Rotary International from clubs and districts around the world participated in service projects on Rotary Day Of Service on April 24, 2010 http://www.rotariansatwork.org/. Volunteers and members of Rotary Clubs in the greater Seattle area donated time, materials, and skills at the Kids Without Borders South Operation Center located in Tukwila (near Seattle, Washington). The center opened August 2009 and has served hundreds of children, students, and families in the Tukwila and Seatac areas. Joining Rotarians at the work party were students from Foster High School and Tyee High School, and volunteers from the Fellowship Bible Church and employees of the City of Tukwila.

National Volunteer Week

April 21, 2010

KIDS WITHOUT BORDERS Celebrating National Volunteer Week in the U.S.

Thank you to all of our VOLUNTEERS, serving children around the world. You're helping to make our world a better place.

Bedtime Basics for Babies Campaign

Delivered 20 baby cribs to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, as part of our involvement in the Bedtime Basics for Babies Campaign.

VA-NGO Network

April 5 & 6, 2010

Saigon, Viet Nam

Capacity Building Workshop (CBW) held at the Go Vap Orphanage, the workshop isorganized by the Vietnamese American Nongovernmental Organizations Network (VA-NGO). The them: "Seeds of Change: In the Best Interest of the Child". Kids Without Borders is one of the 2010 CBW's sponsored organizations.