I've just received the following wishlist from a friend of mine, Jacci Garside, who runs a charity for disabled orphans in Vietnam and thought I would post it in case anyone out there is able to help her and the children...

$1 would pay for a 'T' shirt for one of the children.
$5 would pay one of the nine carers or one nurse our bonus to their low wages for one month, thus improving their motivation and satisfaction/commitment to their work, mainly with the disabled children.
$10 would pay for a minibus taxi to take the disabled children on a beach trip or would pay for the interpretations by Mr. Tai Co, of one months' reports on the progress or problems of the disabled children, from their teacher and physiotherapist. Mr Co translates and sends these reports to us, and conveys our replies to the staff.
$50 would pay the wage for our special needs teacher, Tuyet, or physiotherapy assistant, Le, for one month. Both of these staff do work which is having incredible results.
$100 would pay for vital teaching supplies, medicines or play equipment for the children (eg: books, pens, educational toys, antibiotics, first aid, bicycles, playground apparatus...)

So many things are needed! We keep careful attention to what we buy, and how it is supervised.

$140 would pay the wage of our best find, Dr. Thanh, the dedicated and so effective physiotherapist, for one month.
$200 would fund a Christmas or other festival party, with food and karaoke disco, encouraging all the children of all abilities at the orphanage to enjoy mixing together. And have some fun!
$300 would fund a daytrip out, with lunch, eg: to Danang Water Park, for all the able children at the orphanage, who also need treats and support.
$400 would fund the wages for one full year for a supervisor of a Toy Library, to encourage the children to learn responsibility for toys and material things, and also to keep new toys, books etc. secure.
$500 would pay for two carers to be sent on training courses to improve their knowledge and skills for caring for disabled children. These have proved very effective in the past or would fund the repair/renewal of the many broken lockers at the orphanage, to provide each child with a personal, secure space in which to keep their things.
$600 would cover Tuyet's wages for one full year. She is teaching the disabled children to talk, write, do sums, play together, and also important life skills such as washing for meals, and cultural manners such as bowing to elders, which the children love to practice! She is a great asset who brightens the childrens' lives.
$1000 would pay for a tumble drier, to help dry the many childrens' clothes during the monsoon seasons or would help provide quality physiotherapy equipment such as infra-red apparatus, to assist Thanh in his work, and the disabled children in their persistent brave endeavours to learn to walk.
$1,680 would cover the wages of our physiotherapist, Dr. Thanh for one full year, which would support the children's lives in so many crucial ways. The children can now do things, through his teaching, exercises, dedication and discipline, which two years ago were hopeful dreams. Children who had never stood up alone can now walk, and others can run!

We are now hoping that children who were confined to beds will soon be able to sit up and use muscles that were becoming locked through neglect. It is happening! And the children never cease to amaze us with the pace of their changing lives.

Earth-Info.Net notes the occasionally mundane, but often amazing things money is needed for and wishes Jacci the best of luck with her fund-raising.

Please visit the Kianh Foundation website if you would like to sponsor any of these things...