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COCOA Vietnam News - June 2009
Feeding the poor
The effects of the financial crisis have had serious effects on the poor in many underdeveloped and developing countries. Add to this the effects of global warming and you have the makings of extreme hardship, burdening families and their children. Rice growing is one of the major food crops and export industries in Vietnam. The climate is well suited for this, but the growing of other vegetables is restricted to the highland areas due to the temperature extremes. Most Vietnamese minority families live in areas where it is difficult to grow food. Because many minority families in Binh Phuoc either own small plots that are insufficient to produce crops for income or subsistence or have no land at all, most have to work as laborers to get money to live on. Women often go into the forests to find edible plants. Recently, along with the effects of the economic downturn, bad weather in the Province has caused losses in production of tapioca and the cashew nut industries, both vital for the employment of minority laborers. Even though we have a clean water program, this will be insufficient to provide water for farming or crop use during the dry season. COCOA (Vietnam) recently received a grant from International Disaster Emergency Services in the United States for our Food Aid Program. With this grant we have been able to establish a food pack distribution for 100 poor minority families for the next 5 months. The food pack consists of 10 kg of rice, 10 instant noodle packs, 1 liter of fish sauce, 1 liter of cooking oil, 1 kg of sugar, 1 kg of salt, and 500 gm of dried fish. We are hoping to extend this program with donations from other caring contributors. We had our first hand out on Tuesday the 23rd. Fifty families were chosen in Dong Tien Village and fifty in Dong Tam Village. The priority was to be the poorest families with many children. Unfortunately, in Dong Tam Village some villagers who were not on the list attended and requested handouts. They complained of having not enough food and wanted to know why they weren’t being helped. It is so sad when so many allover the world (not just Vietnam) who are in need, but there are limited resources to provide for them.
Dong Tien Village Distribution
Dong Tam Village Distribution
Dong Tam Houses Program
Work is progressing on the 5 houses in Dong Tam Village. The weather is still slowing things down with the slippery and difficult conditions.
Permit of Operation renewal
It is that time of year again. Our Permit has to be renewed very year. Past and future performance is important in the renewal process. Unfortunately we had a very good year in 2007 with the construction of the Mushroom Lab, and the houses and wells, but this declined in 2008 and may not be much better in 2009. The Government in Vietnam would like the contributions of NGOs to increase yearly. All we can do is trust in the Lord as He is our provider.
Clean Water Program
We plan to drill another 6 wells and provide tanks for 36 families in Tan Loi Village, Dong Phu District, which is inhabited by the Minority group Nung. This program will commence in July.
Contributions received in June
IDES provided $5,000 US for the Food Aid Program
IDES provided $5,000 US for the Clean Water Program
World Convention provided $2,025 for the Clean Water Program
Churches of Christ and its members in Australia $4,500 for the Clean Water Program
Church of Christ in Australia $15 for the Food Aid Program
Thank you to those who made contributions.
Prayer points
For those who have difficulty feeding their families, please pray that God will intervene soon in this crisis and provide comfort to those that are suffering.
We hope to be able to achieve more funding for wells and another 5 houses in 2009.
Please pray that God will continue to provide for new projects in this next year
More wells and tanks are needed at a cost of $2,300 each
Please pray for the funds needed for the Dong Phu District water project
We hope to be able to complete another 5 houses or more this year. Each new house now costs around $3,200.
Please continue to pray for support from donors so that the Minority Villages Housing Project can continue.
An Phu Villagers have waited long enough for the water they were promised by their Committee. It is now more than 10 years since these people were relocated to this area and Binh Long People’s Committee is still dragging its heels in the commitment they made. The Electricity Company has finally finished connecting the Village, but all the wells that were blocked have as yet not been unblocked. Priority seems to be a misnomer in the language of the People’s Committee.
Please pray for a quick and final resolution of the An Phu Village Wells Saga.
We were requested to raise fund for repairs to the Primary School in Loc Nhin Village. With 150 Minority students living in at the School, there is an urgent need to rebuild the toilet and shower block, as well as extend the dining area and build a new science lab at a total cost of $73,000.
Please continue to pray for the funds needed to repair Loc Nhin Minority Primary School.
COCOA-S-E-ASIA website is http://www.cocoa-s-e-asia.org
Please visit the website to view our Project videos and see what we are doing in Vietnam.
God continues to sustain me and my health continues to remain reasonably stable. Despite my PSA reading being in the low 400s I have no severe problems and life continues on, praise God.
Please continue to pray that God continues to strengthen me for the work in Vietnam as well as reinforcing my determination to stay positive, no matter what obstacles are placed in my path.
Yours in Christ
John and Lan Dean
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