Kindergarten Building Blocks for Nam Son Hamlet

Update on the impact of your Nam Son Kindergarten project

Thanks to additional funds raised for your project, you are doing even more for the children of Nam Son village.

Thanks to your support for this project, not only was Children of Vietnam able to fully fund the Kindergarten facility that will host 40 children on a yearly basis, $1,070 of the additional funds raised have been used to purchase supplies to keep the kindergarten going.

As a direct impact of your support, additional funds raised will go a long way towards creating an interactive and positive learning environment for the children of Nam Son Village. Nam Son Kindergarten has now received furniture such as a shelf for toys, a clothes cabinet and shelf for drinking mugs. They've been able to purchase kitchen equipment like a refrigerator, electric rice cooker and gas stove. The funds were also used to purchase interactive teaching tools such a televsion and DVD Player, as well as a children's slide and palm trees to make the kindergarten a cozier place to learn, play and grow.

Thanks again for your support. You've made an even bigger impact than we had hoped for, and now, thanks to your organization, that impact will only continue to increase with time. Thank you so much for all that you have done for Nam Son village!

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Project Update: March 2011 Field Report

Citizen Effect and Children of Vietnam are thrilled to announce that construction on the Nam Son Kindergarten has been completed, and the school is open for its first class of 40 students. A dedication and opening ceremony was held on March 17, 2011. Describing the ceremony, Nancy Letteri, Executive Director of Children ofVietnam, writes:

"It was a big day with all of the local government representatives, teachers, andeven a film crew! Speeches were made by all and the children were dressed intheir very best clothes. They performed beautiful dances and sang for everyoneto enjoy...one little girl showed off her musical talents on a keyboard! We were lucky to have Children of Vietnam's Country Director, Luong Thi Huong and Board Chair, Dan Quinn, to be able to attend this very happy celebration. Thanks to [Citizen Effect] and Prophet for your fantastic support."

Scroll down to the bottom of the project page to view a new photo gallery featuring even more pictures from the opening ceremony!

-Zack Hill, Citizen Effect Program Associate

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Project Update: March 2011 Field Report

Greetings from Citizen Effect. Children of Vietnam, our field partner in Nam Son, reports that kindergarten construction began on February 18, 2011. The whole Nam Son community has rallied around the project, with government officials and departments from both the ward and district level helping out with the construction.

The kindergarten is expected to be completed on March 25, 2011, an event that will be marked by a local government sponsored dedication ceremony which will include a plaque honoring Prophet. In the meantime, we've posted a few pictures of the construction below, and be sure to check out the new photo gallery at the bottom of the page, where you'll find even more pictures of the soon to be completed kindergarten.

Click below to read more and see photos of the construction.

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Project Update: February 2011 Field Report

Citizen Effect is pleased to announce that Children of Vietnam, our field partner in Vietnam, has received funds to begin construction on Prophet's Nam Son Kindergarten project. Nancy Letteri, a Children of Vietnam coordinator, reports the following project update:

"I have just talked with Huong, [the Children Of Vietnam] Country Director. The Prophet/Nam Son Kindergarten is scheduled to begin construction soon after Tet. The construction should take between 6 to 8 weeks. Tet begins on February 3rd this year, so work will start one week later on or about February 14th. Tet is a huge holiday in Vietnam and just like here in the US at Christmas, work slows. It is customary to visit and receive visitors of the people and organizations with whom you work most closely during the weeks leading up to the holiday. Small gifts are given to demonstrate good will toward each other. Then, during the week of Tet most people take off from work to be with family. Children love this time as they receive Phong Bì Lì Xì or “Little Red Envelopes” with lucky money!"

For anyone unfamiliar, Tet is a holiday celebrating the Vietnamese New Year. It is a time when many families get together, exchange gifts and celebrate with loved ones and friends. Citizen Effect wishes all of our friends in Vietnam a happy and safe Tet, and we can't wait to see all the progress on Nam Son Kindergarten in the New Year!

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New Photos are Ready to View!

Greetings from Citizen Effect. Great news! We have just added a new photo gallery. Check out the photos to see what a typical day is like at a kindergarten in a nearby village in Vietnam. These photos are a great example of what the Nam Son Village kindergarten will look like when this project is complete. Scroll down to the media gallery, click on the photos and enjoy.

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