One year after the launch of the SKCH "Distance Adoption®" project in Vietnam, Slovak donors are supporting 93 Vietnamese children and young people between the ages of 9 and 19. You can learn more about the course and progress of the project from an interview with the project manager of SKCH, responsible for long-distance adoption in Vietnam - Peter Knapík.
What was the reason for SKCH to start remote adoption in Vietnam? We have been helping in Vietnam for a long time in centers to help mothers and children affected by the HIV virus and AIDS. We saw the poverty and very bad conditions in which even healthy children live. They often had to work hard to help provide for the family - that's why they didn't go to school. So we decided to expand our project to Vietnam and see how interested Slovenians and Slovaks will be in supporting these children.
After the first year since the start of the project in Vietnam, can you evaluate - what are the positives and negatives (risks and advantages) of this cooperation between the two charities? So far, I see the only risk in the current socialist regime in Vietnam. So far, we have not experienced any political interference within the project and we believe that it will remain so. A clear positive is that so far 93 children have secured education, as well as food and a doctor - they don't have to live in constant fear of tomorrow. We also positively perceive the good name that Caritas Vietnam is building among local people thanks to the project.
When people from Slovakia support children in Vietnam, how will they learn about their achievements in school? Will they receive mail from the children, brag about their report cards? According to the rules of the project, donors receive information twice a year. At the beginning of each year, they receive a message from the main coordinator of the project - Mr. Paul le Phuoc Thien. In the summer, they then receive a current photo of the child and a school questionnaire from which they learn - how their ward did at school this year. They will also receive a letter written directly by the child they support.
Within the framework of education support, what does the most funding from the monthly benefit in the form of 20 euros go to (for textbooks, uniforms or other expenses)? Of course, the main goal of the Adoption at a Distance® project is for children to get an education or a trade, and then be able to take care of themselves and their families. But in order for children to receive an education, they must be fed and healthy. So under funding, these are the main priorities that need to be covered.
Is the Vietnamese school system significantly different from the Slovak one? Nope. The structure of the school system in Vietnam is similar to that in Slovakia - pre-school, primary, secondary and college.
Do the official (socialist) structures interfere in your communication with Caritas Vietnam? Not yet, although sometimes you feel a lot of caution on the part of Caritas Vietnam workers. In our communication, we strictly adhere to only non-political topics. And even if they note the difficult conditions and very difficult life of the local people, they never point to other problems in the country.
Which other country in the framework of the Distance Adoption project could follow Vietnam (and why)? We plan to expand the Adoption at a Distance® project to other countries - for example, Ukraine, Kazakhstan or Uganda. The reason is still the same – to help children survive a better childhood and give them the opportunity to live a full life without relying on the help of others. It should be noted that the Slovak Catholic Charity only mediates this help. The greatest thanks goes to the donors who decided to participate in the project. This project is entirely financed by their contributions. Therefore, our joint aid project can only continue as long as their interest in supporting these children lasts. I am very glad that their number is still growing. Why we thank them/you very sincerely.
Text: Bozena Baluchová photo: Caritas Vietnam Required information for potential donors from Slovakia: postal address: Slovak Catholic Charity, Kapitulská 18, 814 15 Bratislava phone: 02/5443 1506, 02/5443 2503, mobile: +421 915 724 458 e-mail: adopcianadialku.vietnam@charita.sk – general information and the Vietnam project contact person: Peter Knapík - REMOTE ADOPTION®: Vietnam account number for education support in Vietnam: 0635111177/0900, Slovak Savings Bank