CEF_Vietnam

CEF_Vietnam Helping Vietnamese girls from impoverished and marginalized communities receive sponsorship to assis

16/05/2026

“A short holiday can work like magic for both the mind and body.

In the middle of busy schedules, deadlines, and daily responsibilities, I had a wonderful two-day trip with my family and my brother’s family to the outskirts of Da Nang. It was a peaceful countryside retreat with a clean stream, a quiet lake, and beautiful mountains. The scenery looked like a picture, and the fresh air made everything even more relaxing. I truly enjoyed the trip and felt grateful to spend quality time with my family and my brother’s family.

During the trip, we enjoyed delicious food and took many beautiful photos, while the children had lots of fun activities together such as catching fish, swimming, and paddle boarding on the lake.

One of the most memorable moments was our wonderful evening outdoors, immersing ourselves in a cultural exchange festival with the Co Tu ethnic people. The local people sang and danced around the fire together with visitors. In addition, everyone had the chance to join in bamboo dancing. These meaningful moments helped reduce stress and improve our mental well-being.

Stepping away from our normal daily routines also helped clear my mind, making it easier to think creatively and solve problems more effectively afterward. One of the best feelings after the holiday was returning to work with a fresh and positive mood. People often feel more motivated, focused, and productive after taking time to rest. A relaxed mind can handle challenges better and communicate more positively with others.

I have learned from my boss that, besides work, we also need time to relax and recharge. Even if we cannot travel far, we should still spend time for ourselves — going to the beach, reading, enjoying nature, or simply doing something we love but usually do not have time for. In today’s fast-paced world, taking breaks is an important way to maintain balance in life. Sometimes, a short break is all we need to come back stronger, happier, and ready for new opportunities.”

(Photos and the story of this lovely holiday was by CEF’s Ngoc)





Nha, a grade 11 CEF student, came to our office to receive her monthly food support from our dear friends and volunteers...
16/05/2026

Nha, a grade 11 CEF student, came to our office to receive her monthly food support from our dear friends and volunteers, Chris and Bill. For more than three years, these two have walked alongside Nha and her family, easing the financial burden on her grandparents in their 70s. Currently, her grandmother works as a kitchen helper while battling stomach cancer and high blood pressure, and her grandfather earns an unstable and modest living as a fisherman.

Nha told us she had just successfully completed her term 2 exams and will complete her school year next week. She has already applied for a part-time job at a small sushi restaurant in town, and next Tuesday will be her very first day at work! She explained: ‘I want to make some money to help my family and gain working experience. If I can go to university, I’ll already have that experience which will help me when I need to support myself with part-time jobs.’

Nha is not only a good student but also a caring granddaughter who always wants to help her grandparents while building a brighter future for herself.

Note: Student’s name changed
Photo of Nha and her month’s support from Chris and Bill

15/05/2026

“Thuy’s aunt has spent most of her life taking care of her four nieces since their father passed away. She works hard every day to make ends meet and keep the girls in school. Two of the girls are supported by their CEF sponsorships, which helps reduce some of the family’s financial burden and allows them to continue their education.

Now, one of the girls is married and expecting twins, while Thuy is about to enter her final year of high school next year.

Although her aunt works long hours on the farm and her health has been getting weaker over the years, she never complains. In a few more months, she will also help care for her first ‘grandchildren’ when Thuy’s sister gives birth.

Even with all the responsibilities she carries, she always keeps going with love and strength.
For her, true happiness is simply seeing the girls grow up, becoming educated women, and having better lives than she had.

I deeply admire her dedication and the quiet love she has given to her nieces throughout her life. Wishing her good health, peace, and happiness in the years ahead.”

Writing and photos by CEF’s Kim Chi
Photos:
Auntie and the girls
Auntie raking peanuts to make sure they’re evenly dried out in the sun





15/05/2026

“While Linda and I were doing home visits, I was concerned about how many of the university students were unable to answer Linda’s simple questions or lacked confidence in communicating in English. I worry that it will become increasingly difficult for them to secure good jobs without English-speaking skills.

I consider myself fortunate because I had the opportunity to study English at university. I worked full-time as an English teacher at an English center for two years where I was able to build and strengthen my teaching skills. Based on that experience, I came up with the idea of running a free online English class for a maximum of five CEF university students every Sunday night for 1.5 to 2 hours. My hope was to support them and encourage them to become more confident in speaking English.

I started this class last August. Since then, I have been helping them from the beginning and have gradually been correcting their pronunciation and communication skills. Sometimes, I also invite my foreign friends to join the lessons so the students can practice speaking English with native speakers.

It has been some time now, and I am thrilled to see their improvement and growing confidence.

Last Sunday, I invited Mr. James (Jim), a CEF sponsor and volunteer teacher from A Better Viet Nam (ABVN), a non-profit organization founded in 2017 with the mission of providing free English learning opportunities for young people in Vietnam. Jim carefully introduced ABVN to the students and answered their questions about how to improve their English skills. He also encouraged them to apply for the upcoming ABVN program.

I felt very proud of their improvement. At first, they were shy and afraid to speak English, but now they are able to ask foreigners questions in English with much more confidence.

I truly hope that all of them can pass the interviews and join the six-month course at ABVN. If they do, I would love to open another class for a different group of CEF students.”

14/05/2026

Capturing the student’s photo, their nature, beliefs, goals, changes in their family situation and study habits, are all part of our work when we do the updates with CEF’s university students.

Although Quynh’s mum died when she was young and has been raised by her grandparents, she’s a gentle, loving, happy, relaxed young woman.

She’s a little challenged by her choice of subject at university, Architecture Finance, but loves it too. She’s doing so well that most terms the university gives her a scholarship which covers her living costs.

It’s always delightful to have time with her.





13/05/2026

Another farewell! After 12 years of education support it’s time to say goodbye!

Truc’s just got two subjects to sit and her assignment that’s required for her graduation to complete, then it’s time to find a Food Engineering job! She recently applied for a job she saw on Facebook, but hasn’t heard back yet.

She’s particularly interested in natural food dyes. I found her assignment interesting. It’s about a plant that has no flavour and gives a rich yellow dye, that’s edible and non-toxic. It’s a similar color to turmeric but a bit more orange. It can be used to color food and sweets.

We hope dear Truc’s last few weeks go well and that she can find an interesting and rewarding job!





12/05/2026

It was a day of farewell updates with our CEF students who are in their last month of university.

We met Nhi when she was a little beautiful but very strong willed child. Her strong will has got her through various challenges and kept her focused on her studies.

She’s thoroughly enjoyed studying English for e-commerce and is coming to the end of her work experience. A report on this time needs to be completed next week and that’s it.

But as she’s an ambitious young woman she’s doing some extra courses to be even more qualified!

We were teary saying goodbye. It’s been 12 years of knowing her, caring for her and her mother and supporting her through 12 years of education.

After a teary thank you, she added “I’ll come see you. I hope so as she’s a sweet, thoughtful, interesting and talented young woman.





10/05/2026

Today was Mother’s Day in much of the world and today my children celebrated and sent loving appreciative messages, and gorgeous sunny ☀️ flowers. Feel extra loved today 😊.

10/05/2026

She’s been so busy at university with her architecture lectures and projects that it’s been hard to get together for an update.

It was lovely to catch up and she’s doing really well. Quynh is very conscientious and puts huge hours into her studies and presentations. In fact we were lucky to catch up as she’s got a whole string of presentations to do this week.

It’s wonderful to see our students so happy with the subject they chose.





09/05/2026

“I’m deeply impressed by how the CEF family members have coped with the difficult situations in their lives.

What stands out to me is their ability to accept challenges, live through them and eventually overcome them. Each has experienced painful tragedies, but they continue to move forward with strength and love.

The 82-year-old grandfather and 78-year-old grandmother lost their son only a few months ago. Despite their sorrow, they remain strong and determined to stay healthy so they can help raise their son’s children.

Another mother, together with her three children, has shown her toughness after losing her husband and their father to a stroke. Even though they live in an old, small house and face many challenges, she works tirelessly to provide the best possible life for her daughters.

There is also a mother whose husband died by su***de, leaving her with three children and a large debt from building their house. For a time, she fell into depression and lost direction. But finally, she realized that she had to keep living for her children because they still needed her, which changed her attitude and gave her the strength to continue.

I believe the source of their strength is love — the love of grandparents for their son and grandchildren, and the love of mothers for their children. That love gives them courage, strength and the determination to become the shoulders their families can lean on.

I truly admire them, and I sincerely wish them continued health, strength, and happiness.”

Photos and writing by CEF’s Ms Ngoc





09/05/2026

“Ni is the eldest daughter in a family of five children. Due to the lack of work opportunity in a remote farming village, her parents had to move to another province for work, and left her with her elderly grandparents. Life in the countryside isn’t easy. Besides going to school, Ni helps her grandparents with household chores and light farming work. But what makes Ni truly special is her great effort. She studies very hard, not only to make her grandparents and parents proud, but also to build a brighter future for herself.

Recently, she was overjoyed to win 4th prize in the city-level history contest. The moment she received the news, she messaged me right away, and I was really happy for her! She also achieved excellent results in her second term. Now, she is focusing on her upcoming secondary school graduation and high school entrance exam. Although Ny is good at many subjects, she loves mathematics the most. She enjoys the challenge of solving tough problems and dreams of becoming a math teacher one day. Her plan is to pursue group A subjects (math, physics, chemistry) in high school, paving the way towards her passion.

I’m so proud of her, and I believe her future will shine as brightly as her determination.”

Note: Student’s name changed
Written by CEF’s Thuy Tran





Address

4 Thanh Tay, Cam Chau
Hoi An

Telephone

+84904317163

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when CEF_Vietnam posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to CEF_Vietnam:

Shortcuts

Share

Category