Our growing pilot project in Vietnam is working towards establishing foster-care as a positive alternative to institutional care across Vietnam. Kelly Green, Events Co-ordinator in Vietnam, shares about a recent awareness and fundraising event, and how we’re working alongside local communities to begin to spread the word about the impact of foster care.

Concordia International School, Hanoi, recently celebrated the build up to Christmas by inviting the local community to a fun run and Christmas fair. The Santa fun run, organised the school, comprised a multi-distance run as well as a ‘kids dash’, while the school parent’s society also ran the 1st Christmas market by Concordia. Children enjoyed a visit to Santa’s grotto as well as food, games and gifts from many vendors local to Vietnam. In the evening Clayton, Vietnam Country Manager was able to share about Care for Children and helped hand out the medals along with Concordia. There were performances by two choirs, from a local church (Hanoi International Fellowship) and the school.

We’re grateful for the school’s support for our work in Vietnam. As our project develops through the pilot stage, sharing the importance of developing foster-care as an alternative to institutional care is vital. By raising awareness of our work, we can begin the process of finding foster families to welcome orphaned and abandoned children into their homes. After the event, the school have invited our team into an assembly to share more about our work with the children.