The Center for Innocent Children (Trường Khuyết Tật Bé Thơ) in Biên Hòa, Vietnam, was founded in 1990 by Sister Maria Daniel Vu Thi Vinh. Today, it is the home of 153 orphans, along with 58 children with disabilities.
Touched by the helplessness of a group of children who were abandoned by their families or orphaned, and the desperate situation they faced, Sister Vinh found temporary housing and took them in.
Wishing to provide these children with opportunities for a happier, healthier, and more rewarding life, she provided them with shelter, sent them to school, and encouraged them to obtain a vocational education. Thus, the Center for Innocent Children was born.
The center has been operating steadily over the past 30 years despite the challenging conditions. This is all thanks to the hard work and dedication of its staff, as well as the consideration and financial relief provided by its benefactors and sponsors.
Rice bags. Milk. Boxes of noodles. Clothing. Vegetables. Medicine. These are some of the basic necessities donated to the center over the years. In addition, financial donations allows Sister Vinh to cover the remaining food, health, school, and housing expenses. The expenses are estimated at around $1 per day for each of the younger children that do not attend school and about $2 per day for each of the older children that go to school.
Every child has their own story. At the Center for Innocent Children, it is a story that often begins with suffering and despair. However, it is also a story that turns into resurgence and hope, from the circumstances that brought them to the center, to the beautiful child they become.
Children like Vu Nguyen Hong Ngoc, Vũ Thị Xuân Mai, and the twins deserve a better future. Thanks to sponsors like Annie Nguyen and benefactors like you, Sister Vinh, and the wholehearted staff at the center can worry less about the financial woes of their situation, and dedicate more of their time to nurturing the children on their path to self-reliance and self-sufficiency.
How Can You Help?
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Frederick Douglass.
Donate
The children from the Center for Innocent Children – like Ngoc, Mai, and the twins – come from many places with different backgrounds and contexts. They have unique personalities and various needs. With our continued support, Sister Vinh will be able to carry forward her quest to help these deserving children. Please consider joining us on this journey by contributing to the Happy Planet Children fundraiser.
Get Involved
Children need champions! Get involved, speak out, volunteer and give every child a fair chance to succeed. We’re looking forward to connecting with you online or in person and joining forces on Facebook and LinkedIn. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like to make an offline donation.
Related Stories
- Our first business outreach partner: Seapot Restaurant!
- About the Center for Innocent Children
- Meet the Twins
- A fortunate stroke of serendipity
- Let’s kick it up a notch!
- Meet Vũ Thị Xuân Mai
- Meet Vu Nguyen Hong Ngoc
- Happy Planet Children 2019 Fundraiser: New year. New opportunity.
- Happy Planet Children 2018 Fundraiser: One child at a time
Tocatlian Blog 