The Vietnam project launch ceremony took place on Monday 20th November in partnership with the Vietnamese government and Care for Children. Approximately 50 people attended the event, including Robert Glover (Executive Director & Founder, Care for Children), Deputy Minister Ms Dao Hong Lan from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), Director Mr. Dang Hoa Nam from the Department of Child Affairs (DCA), the British Ambassador, Mr Giles Lever, as well as government officials from various Ministries, Departments and Social Protection Centres (orphanages).

This was the first time that all the influential people related to the project were in one place, and we were given the platform to explain the foster care pilot project to all relevant parties. The speeches were insightful, passionate and engaging, promoting foster care as a new alternative to institutional care, and how it can be implemented in Vietnam with the support from Care for Children.

Deputy Minister Lan remarked that the cooperation is "very good timing", and that she is "completely committed to its success". Ambassador Lever gave his full endorsement to what is a "major new programme" for Vietnam, remarking that the Embassy is "ready to stand with you and support this work wherever possible".

In order to raise awareness of the project, MOLISA invited many national and local television channels and newspapers were invited to the event. In fact, the event featured on the evening news of VTV 1 (similar to BBC 1). We were also featured in Vietnam News, which can be viewed here.

While we realise this is just the beginning, we want to start as we mean to go on: with positive engagement of key stakeholders, building momentum, and a collective will to see orphaned and vulnerable children placed into loving families.