Introducing COPI
And the list of clinic sites
Mission Statement: Children of Peace International is a humanitarian organization which exist to serve the people of Viet nam by developing the capability of the people to help themselves. Children of Peace International strives to enhance each life it touches by means of generous gifts and compassion.
Head notes:
The portion of this document in “blue” font is the list of all clinic sites for team March 06. The portion in black font is the rest of projects provided by COPI in Vietnam.
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Thanh Ba: Thanh Ba is a small farming town in Phu Tho province, with population of 8,000. In Thanh Ba, annual income ranges from $60 to $120. There are approximately 800 handicapped children in this area. Since 1999 Children of Peace has been supporting the orphanage in this town. The orphanage also has one vocational classroom for older girls from poor families in town. We try to provide an alternative for young ladies with little or no education to have a good job besides farming.
Thanh ba also has a very modest hospital to serve a population of 100,000. Our medical team has been visiting this center twice yearly since 1999, and we will continue to support this hospital.
Contact person: Mr. Tôn, Director at the orphanage.
Ha Tay: Ha Tay is west of Hanoi, Ha Tay is home to Heineken and Tiger Beer. Ha Tay also has one of the large populations of Vietnamese Christian. The beer manufactures has little affect to the lives of over 2 millions people live here. Father Ly (pronounced Lee) is a Catholic priest who serves his people here for many years. Father Ly’s patience and kindness has won the hearts of many Comrades. COPI funded the preschool in Father Ly’s village to serve the littlest children.
Sapa: Sapa is in Lao Cai, the most Northern Province of Vietnam, touching China.
Located in the middle of breathtaking landscape, Sapa is one of the most wonderful places in all of Asia. Being a former French hill station, it is situated in the midst of mountains, just south of Fansipan, with 3,143 meters the highest point of Vietnam. It is very conveniently located for hiking in the surrounding area, where you can visit many small villages of minorities, mainly the Hmong (Meo) and the Dao.
Sapa is the only places in Vietnam where there are several tribes exist side by side and in harmony. 90% of Lao Cai population is the ethnic minorities and it is the most colorful community.
It is in this simplicity, we found that the education for the minority children is not up to standard, the life of the women here is harder than most of other communities. Most girls are not expected to be in school, and there are a few girls study up to 8th grade level. The Dao and Hmong woman made and sell beautifully embroidered bags, blankets, caps, jackets, etc. The tradition of these tribes doesn’t allow the woman to leave their villages and come to town to sell their goods. Once the women leave home, she will not be able to return home again.
COPI conducts a medical needs assessment in January, 06 and decided that we should come to Sapa not as tourists but as humanitarian workers. COPI is the first organized humanitarian group had ever proposed to come to Sapa for a medical mission.
Sweet Water (South of Hue, North of Da Nang)
Sweet Water, Nuoc Ngot, the name must have been a wish ran dry. This town water has not been safe to drink since the 60s. There are several theories as to why the water is not drinkable, and the most common one is Agent Orange. Regardless of the truth, there is one phenomenal of this area is the number of handicapped children in this area.
The nuns from the Daughters of the Immaculate Mary have been here since the early 60s to care for the handicapped children. The very first nun who came here to serve the handicapped children is Sister Tan, my mother best friend. The Kiwanis International of both the USA and Japan had provided funding for us to build a local clinic and a kindergarten school. The nuns also run a small vocation training school here for the deaf children. We will work at the clinic on site.
Contact person: Mother Superior, the Reverend Sister Bui thi Bong, aka Dr. Bui thi Bong
Hoi An : Hoi An is one of the oldest cities in South-East Asia, it is a small city 30km south of Da Nang. During the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries Hoi An is one of major international ports for the exchange of commodities between the West and the East. Many merchants from China, Portugal, Japan, Holland, France... came to deal in valuable products: silk, fabrics, elephant tusks, jewelry, porcelain, pepper and cinnamon. Over past 500 years, Hoi-An still remains nearly intact with old harmonious combination of Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese architecture.
Hoi An is a small town 30 km south of Da Nang, Vietnam. Hoi-An also Known as Fayfo, Kaifo, Faifoo, Faixfo, Hoai Pho and Hoi An, is the only place in Vietnam to have many of its original streets and building preserved intact, which are typical of an old seaport town in South East Asia.
UNESCO recognized this charming town has been recognized as a world cultural heritage site. This recognition gave Hoi An back its own trading and tourism power. But it didn’t change the poverty of its people, particularly the one who lives on the side of the river.
Rotary International had donated a grant of $30K through COPI to the hospital of Hoi An. We will set up our clinic on the other side of Hoi An to serve the poorest of Hoi An.
Good Shepherd Home – Tam Binh orphanage:
Good Shepherd home earns its name from our first sponsor Good Shepherd Lutheran church in Sandy Utah. This is Pastor Jim’s church. Good Shepherd is home to approximately 700 children ranging from one week to 19 years of age. This is the first orphanage COPI established since 1993.
Our beloved nuns Sister Hai and Sister Tan were officially “retired” on April 30, 2001. Mr. Trung is the new director and Ms. Thoa is his assistant. Both of the director and the assistants are Communist comrades appointed by the government. There are 50 caregivers caring for 400 children at the main campus. The rest of the older children are at Good Shepherd Village. Each house at this village is designed to house two to three older children. They live here to learn living skills before they leave the orphanage.
Pastor Jim and I had the privilege to comfort and prayed with the nuns before they left. We promised them that COPI will stay committed to our children always.
Lai Thieu: Lai Thieu locates North/West of Ho Chi Minh City. Lai Thieu is near the border between Viet Nam and Cambodia. In the last 6 years, the Vietnamese pimps have been selling young women and children to Cambodia as prostitution. This is a well-known problem for Viet Nam but the government does very little to stop this practice.
Father Minh, a Vietnamese priest alarmed me with this situation and asked if COPI would step in and help the children. We made a couple of attempts to interfere but we were not success. In April 2001, we tried again and was able to stop this “shipment” of 85 children was ready to be sold to Cambodia. Pastor Jim and I went to meet with the priest and COPI made a commitment to care for the children. Pastor Jim church donated money to buy the land next to the church house and expand the house for the children.
Our volunteers in SLC had organized two annual fundraise events to raise funding to build a home for these children, and we had received private funding to build a state of the art kitchen as well.
Youth Shelter: This youth shelter is on the edge of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). The glittering and glamorous city has more than 500 children with no families or means of living. They have all been prostitutes, thieves, street peddlers and the future for them is hopeless. COPI received funding from the Kiwanians of Rocky Mountain District to feed this children provide clean water for these children. We hope to remodel this home in March 2004, the home need lots of works and we are ready.
The Soroptimist International had provided funding from President Joan Cromer’s President Appeal. This funding will provide a three-years project to improve the life of the children who live here.
Viet Tri: COPI has been in Viet tri since 1996. We are supporting the Center for Orphans and Handicapped children. We provide living expenses for 135 handicapped and 18 orphaned children. The center is a run-down school, which was not suitable for public school children; thus the city gave it to us to start the Center. The building has been there since 1948, and it needs a complete overhaul. The $10,000 private grant with $5000 from Interfaith of Greeley, Colorado and $5000 from Diane and Mark Kersting’s FUNdraise party had allowed us the funding to build the dormitory for the children.
The project completed in July 30th and was dedicated in October 2001. The children are now living in safe and clean housing. The dormitory also has room for classroom and infant room. In 2001, COPI funded to rebuild the gate of the orphanage for security and safety reason. We also added a “safe deposit” spot at the gate for abandoned infant. This “safe deposit” post will at least give protection for the little ones from rain.
In 2001, COPI also began our scholarship program to our own teachers and directors at Viet Tri Center. We gave scholarships for all of our teachers for their continuing education in Ho Chi Minh City and for Mrs. Dinh thi Tuyet to travel to Beijing for a South East Asia Conference on Training and Caring for Handicapped children.
Contact person: Mr. Tuyết, director of the orphanage in Viet tri.
Phu Nham: Phu Nham Clinic is completed and we were able to see this small clinic in April 2001. Our medical team brought boxes of much needed medical equipment to this humble clinic. Phu Nham clinic is the only clinic offer prenatal cares for woman in surrounding villages. COPI funded the building cost for this clinic in 1999 and 2000.
Hoa Binh: Hoa binh is South of Hanoi and is a tourist town on the map, but you would not know that by visiting Nghia Ai, Hoa binh. Hoa binh is probably one of the poorest region in the North. Two additional factors, which paralyze Hoa binh, are: Hoa binh is occupied largely by the ethnic minority Vietnamese and the people here are 80 – 90% Catholic. There is little medical care offered here and the social services are not available to the people. Most of the children are not in school.
COPI gave the people of Hoa binh six clean water wells in 1998 and we are now provide funding for medical care for most of Nghia Ai area. Father Huan, a Catholic priest in Hoa binh and a group of volunteers are our faithful partners helping us to offer medical care for Hoa binh.
We are also providing scholarships for the children. We build several houses in Nghia Ai after the flood in 1999 and 2000. The roster of people who receive emergency food packages from COPI is long.
We visit Hoa Binh both in April and August. On our April visit, Father Huan blessed Pastor Jim Munter and received Pastor as a brother in Christ. This is a symbolic seal for an eternal friendship between COPI and the people in Nghia Ai. COPI gave father Huan money to rebuild his Sunday school building and our Medical Team now has a clinic when we come here to serve.
Nghia Ai desperately needs an elementary school, there are approximately 500 children in this area need school. It will take $20,000 to build a school for Hoa Binh, Nghia Ai.
Soc Son Leprosy Colony: The colony is home to almost 100 residents and several hundred family members. This colony is located next to Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi and yet no one in Hanoi including the Taxi drivers knows about this colony.
The facility is less than desirable and there is no school for the children who live here. COPI offers one nutritious meal a month for the residents and we visit them for medical care once a year. Soc Son is home to Grandma Tiny (Ba Be).
Quang Ninh (Ha Long Bay)
Ha Long Bay is known as the 7th wonder of the world. This beautiful beach side province earned its reputation as one of the most famous vacation spot in South East Asia. Ha Long Bay postcard image doesn’t reveal the hardship of the province. In August 2001, COPI learned first hand that this province has 882 homeless children and they only have one orphanage for 80 children. The rest of the homeless children are now in limbo; the government asked COPI to give them a hand. By March 2002, the number of homeless children will rise above 1000.
COPI gave funding for the oldest children for vocation training. This is an urgent need which the board will need to decide for COPI to extend our help to Ha Long Bay.
Kim Long Charity Clinic- Hue: Kim Long Charity clinic is the brain child of Sister Bong. This clinic is located right in the middle of the city of Hue. The clinic is open to poor people in Hue. The patients who come here are too poor to pay for any service fee at the public hospital. The clinic opens three days a week in Hue and for three days the staff will travel up to the mountain to care for the ethic Vietnamese in remote area such as Bung. Sister Bong and Sister Diep are physicians trained in Paris and United States.
As chief physicians, Sister Bong and Sister Dien have a staff of five physicians, two dentist, two pharmacists and several lab technicians. All of the staff is working as volunteers.
Sister Tan, Sister Hai and Sister Bong and Sister Diep came from the same order, Daughters of the Immaculate Mother Mary. COPI is committed to help this clinic with medicine and supplies. We are also providing emergency funding. Hue is often suffers with heavy rain and flood.
The city of Hue and the vicinity also have hundreds of orphans and no orphanage. Hue also has its own image as the “Forbidden City, the Citadel, the last Palace of our Kings” thus everyone in Hue will try their best to cover all predicaments. Father Giai and Father Ly were raising the children on their own and COPI quietly supporting the priests. Father Ly was arrested last October for his outspoken spirit against the government. This put the children at great risk. COPI has been in contact with the surrounding priests and ask them to step in and keep the children alive.
Children Hospital #1- Saigon – Ho Chi Minh CityChildren Hospital #1 is in Ho Chi Minh City; this is the only children hospital for the common people. “Common” because they are too poor to be at Children Hospital #2. Children Hospital #1 also houses the only pediatric burn unit in the city of HCM. We funded the remodeling of this burn unit in 1998 and 1999. We continue to bring burn cream to Children Hospital #1.
Nha Trang: The most beautiful sand beach in South East Asia is here in Nha Trang. Nha Trang is also home to Sun Flower orphanage and home to our 50 children. Most of these children came to us after selling their bodies on the beach. Some of them have HIV and some of them are handicapped. One priest, father Nhan, and two nuns, sister Mai and Sister Hoa, care for the home. We also have two teachers on staff to take care of the children. The home is now able to accommodate for 100 children. Father Nhan has been able to bring in more children to this home. Flower home.
Nha Trang is also being plagued with HIV virus because of the rampaging sex market to foreigners. We know of approximately 500 patients with the disease. Father Cau, Father Superior of the St. Joseph order is the person who is taking care of the HIV patients and the leper colonies. COPI is helping this project by providing one full meal a day for all of these patients.
Cam Tan: Cam Tan is a dessert area between Cam Ranh and Nha Trang. The land in Cam Tan is too poor for farming and it is not suitable for living. The only living things in Cam Tan are the people in Leper Colony. There are several hundreds member in this colony, the nuns of the Sister for Charity is supervising this colony. The nuns live here with the residents of the colony. The sisters are teachers, nurses, day care providers and social workers for the colony members.
The Vietnamese in the surrounding areas will not allow the colony’s children to attend school. And there is no jobs offer to the adults; thus it is safe to say that these leprosy patients and their family is living “on the edge of hell”.
COPI is responsible for providing school funding for the children at the colony, we brought school supplies, we provide hot lunches for the children and we are bringing medical team annually to take care of the entire colony. Magel Walo was successfully encouraged the children at the St. Francis Catholic School in her town to participate in raising money for children playground’s equipments.
Ban Me Thuot: Ban Me Thuot is well known for its elephant rides and primitive jungles and coffee haven. The ethnic minority living in harsh condition, particularly for the last two years since the price of coffee bean dropped dramatically.
During the war in Vietnam, the ethnic minority people in this area were the best ally to the US troops. When the US went home, the government began the local. The children are not allowed in school and all parents are second or third class citizens. If you take the time to visit our children, you will find out that theirs parents are someone else servants, drivers and cooks.
The nuns of the St. Vincent order accepted the call to help COPI in caring for these children. COPI built the three-room schoolhouse in 1996 and added on three more rooms in 2000. The nuns teach the children a complete curriculum just as in the public school and we are committed to build a vocational school in 2001. There are approximately 700 children in this school.
Soroptimist International gave COPI a $10,000 grant to build a vocational school. The building is completed for operation. We will need funding for training equipment for the classrooms such as computer, automotive parts and tools. We had purchased sewing machines and are ready for the sewing class to begin.
Xuan Phuong Compassion Home (Sister Hai & Sister Tan)
Pediatric HIV Center in Ho Chi Minh City
When the first HIV patient died in Sister Hai and Sister Tan arms in 1995, we all know it was the first warning of the wild spread HIV illness in Saigon. The sisters and COPI had been asking the government since 1995 for help and we received none. The Vietnamese government simply doesn’t have any funding to build an HIV center to accommodate the 2300 HIV children in South Viet Nam. Good Shepherd houses some of the children but we don’t have the resource or caregivers to dedicate to this enormous task.
After six years of waiting and pleading, the Vietnamese government had granted COPI permission to build the HIV Center. Binh has already been to Changmai, Thailand and learned first from Agape House on how to train staffs to care for these children. The HIV center is 1 and ½ miles from Good Shepherd.
The HIV Center is finished and was dedicated on the 30th November 2002.