We’re at it again. My daughter Elyse and I will be running the Holland “Park 2 Park” 1/2 Marathon to raise funds in support of this project for Children in Vietnam with HIV/AIDs. Please come out to cheer for us on Sept. 23, 2017.
We need your sponsorship and support to continue the great work of the Warm Hold Association Team! Please Donate Now!
And scroll down for the latest updates!
On behalf of the Warm Hold Association we would like to give thanks and recognition to the following for their special donations to this project.
Hope Church, Holland, Michigan (February 2017): Donation of $2,700.
Skidmore College Fundraiser, New York (May 2017): By students Nate Kraus and David Immerman. Donation of $580.
Thanks for the work that you do to support this project and for children with HIV/AIDS in very desperate situations. Your work will have a positive impact on the lives of many children. Thank you so much!
I had the opportunity to visit the Warm Hold Association Team in Vietnam in April. There is a lot of very good work being done by the team on several fronts, but I want to give you an update on some of the three housing projects we are working on.
Kim Loan Nguyen was born in 1986 in Ninh Dien commune, Chau Thanh district, Tay Ninh province. She has two children. Nguyen Hoang Phuong (8 years old) and Nguyen Thi Kim Phung (7 years old). All have HIV.
Her husband died 4 years ago because of HIV/AIDS. After he died, his family pushed her and the two children out of his parent’s house to live without support. Kim Loan Nguyen and the two children then moved into her parent’s house with the support of her younger brother as her health situation is very weak.
Her daily support replies on her parent’s as she cannot work to earn a living and care of for kids. With six of them in her parent’s house, the brother was recently married and his new wife is afraid of HIV infection and discriminates against her and the kids. It is a difficult situation for her parents and they are sad they cannot solve this problem.
Her dream is to have private small house for her and her two children, located next to her parent’s house. She plans that when she dies, her parents and her brother would be able to provide support for the kids to go to school like other children without HIV.
Our team has worked to provide a new house for the three of them next to her parent’s house (See photos). In addition, we have worked with the Local Women’s Union and AIDS Center to provide counseling for the sister-in-law so she can get to a position to help provide the much needed care and assistance for the two children when their mother has died.
Our teams goal is to keep these wonderful children in a loving and caring family situation, so they can grow up with the support needed to successfully face the many issues related to their HIV infection.
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I went to visit the family of Ms. Vo Thi Thu Hang. She was born in 1975, living in Hiep Thanh commune, Go Dau district, Tay Ninh province. She was infected with HIV from her husband, a mason, who went working far from home and got HIV/AIDS. He has since died.
They have 5 children, the oldest was born 1993 and youngest 2007. The three older are without the HIV infection. Unfortunately, the two younger ones, Ngo Ngoc Han (13 years old) and Ngo Vo Truong (10 years old), are both infected.
The six people had been living in a poor cottage that nearly collapsed. That qualified them for a small government loan for housing with a 10-year payment of low interest.
The $1,000 loan allowed them to construct a very basic structure with roof, but without walls. So that, when rain comes, it gets very wet inside. Not to mention the critters, or others, who can walk in any time. Ms. Hang has valvular heart disease, and with the added complications of the HIV infection, is expected to not live much longer.
Currently, three of oldest children (not pictured) have quit school to earn wages with the total of about $15 – $20USD per day (depending on sunshine or rain) to support living cost for the six people.
The Warm Hold Association, working with both US and local donations, has now started to implement significant improvements to the home including wall and toilet. This will provide a healthier, safer and more secure environment for the family. We will provide updates as the construction progresses.
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Dang Thi Thu Thao is a 4-year-old girl with HIV. Her mother, Tran Thi Kim Uyen was born in 1983 in Hang Gon village, Hang Gon commune, Long Khanh town. Like many women in Vietnam, she has been infected with HIV/AIDS from her husband who has since died. She also suffered a stroke resulting in some paralysis and has diabetes. She passed on the HIV infection to her daughter though childbirth or breast feeding.
The family lives in a temporary house near the rubber forest in Hang Gon hamlet. They have no productive land and no ability to repair the house which is almost destroyed. They get a small amount from social welfare for their daily existence. They are living in extreme poverty as they both fight their illnesses.
We are working on a plan to provide a house for the Thao family. By working with local donors and government agencies we will raise the necessary $1,500 for a new house, providing a safer and healthier living condition. I will keep you posted as we move forward with this new project.
We’re at it again. My daughter Elyse and I will be running the Holland “Park 2 Park” 1/2 Marathon to raise funds in support of this project for Children in Vietnam with HIV/AIDs. Please come out to cheer for us on Sept. 24, 2016.
We need your sponsorship and support to continue the great work of the Warm Hold Association Team! Donate Now!
And scroll down for the latest updates!
Peace to all….dan
The new house upgrades greatly improves their living conditions by providing a solid floor for the house (now dirt), brick wall (now leaf panels), a toilet (now in the grass) and other improvements. At the house hand-over ceremony, the local AIDS Center also presented a standing fan, the provincial Women’s Union donated 2 blankets, volunteers of Associations gave anti-mosquito nets and school supplies to the kids. This is a very happy family.
This spring, they young boy, Thach Hhai Hoa, was very weak and suffering with an acute lung inflammation which was making his HIV treatment difficult. The Warm Hold Team stepped in to help provide support for hospitalized medical assistance. He is now doing much better.
We now have 4 personal sponsors mobilized to provide monthly regular nutritional support to improve and maintain the physical condition of both children in order to get ARV (antiretroviral) treatment effectively.
2. In February, I reported of our visit to the home of Kim Vy Thay, (11 years old) from Tra Vinh province (Scroll down to see his story). We are so sorry to report that Vy Thay died a few weeks after my visit. He was a brave young boy who only wanted to live a normal life. Our prayers go to Vy Thay and his caretaker family. We have continued to work on the house improvements that our team committed for the family who sacrificed much to care for Vy Thay. It is very heartbreaking.
Kim Vy Thay, (11 years old)
3. There is another child suffering form severe nutrition issues and exhaustion named Thach Thi Mong Cam, in Tra Vhnh province. She is cared for by her grandmother. We are providing regular food assistance for the girl and looking to provide support for the grandmother by providing a bicycle to carry the girl to school each day, and a small loan to purchase and resell local vegetables for income to take care of her granddaughter. I’ll keep you updated on the status.
Keep in mind that good health of an HIV infected child is very critical for the success of the HIV treatments.
4. To prepare for the new school year 2016-2017, a total of 68 children in HoChiMinh City, Tay Ninh and Tra Vinh Provinces, were given a good meal and “scholarships” to help ensure their continued education. In total there were 68 small scholarships provided, including 4 for kindergarten, 35 primary, 19 secondary, 10 high school and 1 university. The scholarships can include rice, other nutritional food, lucky money, a personal gift, schools supplies including notebooks and school bags and direct financial support. Helping the children get an education is a high priority for the team to ensure self sufficiency as the child grows older. This is often a challenge as too often, the child is pulled out of school and put to work to support an elderly caretaker who has little income.
In January, 2016, my sister Rose White and I went to Vietnam to work with the Warm Hold Association Team in support of children with HIV/AIDs. It was a great experience for me to travel with my wonderful sister and together work on a very important project. As always, thanks to Hoang and the Warm Hold Association Team for their incredible leadership, passion, resourcefulness and work on this project. They continue to make a difference in the lives of so many. Following is a brief summary of some of our activities. Thanks to all who have provided support for these kids and the activities of this team. I hope you enjoy the following stories and photos. Peace to all…..dan
2. Kim Vy Thay, (11 years old) lives in Tra Vinh province. He has HIV and his parents died of AIDS. He is now living with his aunt and uncle. Also in the house are one other child and two elderly and sick grandparents. This couple carries a huge burden to not only care for themselves, their child and the grandparents, but now a child with HIV. After school, the boy will sell lottery tickets to earn a small income for transportation costs to get to the medical clinic for his HIV treatments. When I met Kim Vy Thay, his health condition was very poor and beyond the local medical professionals’ capacity to support him. So, the Warm Hold team has taken him to a hospital in HoChiMinh city where he is now being treated for lung problems. I am waiting for new word on his condition. The priority of the Warm Hold team is to first get this kid healthy. Then, we can address other issues like housing repair support, and daily food so he does not need to sell lottery tickets. We pray for his health and recovery.
3. As you may recall, last year we built a house for Nguyen Minh Phuoc, who has HIV, and lives with his grandmother. When I met them last year, they were living in extremely poor conditions. The grandmother had just been bitten by a snake and she desperately needed treatment. We provided support for her to get medical attention. I am happy to report that the family is doing well in their new home. Further the local district Women’s Union provided them with a baby cow. This will provide some income for them and especially if the cow some day births a calf. I’m very proud of the work of the Warm Hold team and other local supporters for making a huge difference in the lives of these two people.
4. I have reported in previous updates about Thuy and Nhu, two sisters with HIV living with their aunt and uncle, two cousins and a grandmother. This is the first time I have visited them in their new home. I can’t tell you how excited I was to see these wonderful kids. I am pleased to report that the girls and family are doing well. Their new home is amazing. A couple of new updates. One of the local Warm Team members is donating 5 pigs to the family to raise income. Also, another team member donated a calculator. My sister and I are planning on providing the girls a computer in January 2017. We had a good discussion with the family about the importance of education for these girls. (See Aug. 20, 2015 update and Oct. 10, 2014 update). Again, I am very proud of the Warm Hold team for their excellent work in support of these girls and their new family.
5. We made a visit to Tra Vinh province where we met with many children with HIV and their caretakers. Each year during the Tet New Years Holiday, we give each of the kids a New Year gift of food, other items and ”Lucky Money”. This is an important holiday like our Christmas and these gifts become an important part of their holiday. This gathering is always an opportunity to get updates from the kids, talk to the caretakers about important issues, and engage with the local medical staff. Also, for the kids to participate in social activities with other who share their condition. A couple of key learnings from this visit was that a large number of children are being displaced from school because of their HIV condition. Also, some of the kids are taken out of school and put to work. These are serious issues and we are in discussion about how we can best provide support to get these kids the education they deserve.
6. In HoChiMinh City, we met with many of the children and their caretakers. This is always special to me since I have known many of these kids and their caretakers since 2007. It is amazing to see them growing up, going to high school and now one boy entering college. One of my very special friends (second photo down on the left side), was recently taken out of school and put to work full time. This is a tough situation as she is being raised by her elderly grandmother who can’t work and has a child with HIV to raise. We are working to get her education back on track by working with a tutor who can work with her after her work hours. On the photo on the top, you can see some of the Warm Hold Team Volunteers including Director Hoang (second from right), and Dr. Binh, standing next to me. That’s my sister Rose on the right. It was a joyful afternoon spending time with people I care about deeply.
Thanks again for all your encouragement and support for these kids as we work to give them hope for a better life.
Peace to all….dan
The Warm Hold Association Team would like to thank the members of Hope Church for their Christmas offering of $1,907 in support of children in Vietnam with HIV/AIDS. From half way around the world, Hope Church continues to provide love, support and encouragement for over 100 children in very desperate situations, for their caretakers and the team of 25 volunteers working to make them a better life. We are forever grateful for your kindness and for being an active partner with the Warm Hold Association Team. Peace to all…
From Director Mai Thi Kim Hoang (a.k.a. Hoang)
Elyse and I want to thank our kind and generous sponsors who supported us on the Holland “Park 2 Park” 1/2 Marathon run on September 26. It was a great day to run and as usual, Elyse and I talked the whole time. And we were able to raise over $5,000 for this project. Here is a photo of us after the run.
Unfortunately, because of an injury of which I have not yet recovered, I was not able to run the 1/2 Marathon with Jenny in Florida, which has put a real damper on our fundraising effort this year. The good news is, Hope Church will be dedicating their Christmas Day offering to this project and another project in Africa. Thank you Hope Church, you always have my back. And I am forever grateful for the ongoing support of Hope Church and it’s caring for children in Vietnam.
I will be heading to Vietnam in January to work with Hoang and the Warm Hold Association Team. I will be traveling with my sister Rose who is making her first visit to Vietnam. I’m really looking forward to our visit. I’ll keep you posted about our activities there.
Peace to all.
Dan and Elyse
Click HERE to sponsor our upcoming runs.
Or, scroll down this page to see some of the recent activities of the Vietnam team in support of children with HIV/AIDS. Also, please check out the rest of the website to learn more about this project.
We’re at it again. My daughter Elyse and I will be running the Holland “Park 2 Park” 1/2 Marathon to raise funds in support of this project for Children in Vietnam with HIV/AIDs. Please come out to cheer for us on Sept. 26, 2015.
We greatly appreciate the support we got last year from so many people.
Peace to all …. dan and elyse
Vietnamese Children with HIV/AIDS 