reach vietnam magazine: issue 12

{ A N D B E Y O N D }www.eastmeetswest.org

GETTING READY TO

LEARN

spring 2011

an interview with author tatjana soli

about her acclaimed book the lotus eaters

and how she got involved with emw

impressive results on the first year of the

life is beautiful media & fundraising

campaign supporting the disabled

a message from our chief financial officer on the transparency and accountability of emw’s financial

systems

A C O M P R E H E N S I V E A P P R O A C H T O R A I S I N G

T H E S TA N D A R D S O N E A R ly C H I l D H O O D E D u C AT I O N

I N I M P O V E R S I S H E D C O M M u N I T I E S

east meets west foundation

presidentJohn Anner

executive vice president

Tom Low

vietnam country director

Minh Chau Nguyen

chief financial

officerAnn T. Truong

emw board of directors

chairmanPeter A.

Singer, M.D.

vice chairman and secretary

Stephen Gunther

treasurerEric Hemel

board members

Jerry Falk Barbara Kafka

Gil KempAlex Nguyen

Lena Tran

office headquarters

u.s.a.1611 Telegraph Ave.

Suite 1420 Oakland, CA 94612

Tel: 510-763-7045

vietnamNo. 1, Lane 40 Linh Lang St.

Ba Dinh District Hanoi, Vietnam

Tel: 84-43-834-7790

reach vietnam magazine

managing editorRachelle Galloway

lead writer/ copy editor

Sylvia Townsend

art/designRachelle Galloway

cover photoHanh Nguyen

www.hanh-photos.com

writersJohn Anner

Cao Vu Hoang ChauLaura Ward Collins Rachelle Galloway

Danica Kumara Tessa MaulhardtSylvia Townsend

contributing photographersKevin GermanHanh Nguyen

EMW StaffDerk Steemers

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brief updates

snapshotsExPlORING OuTPuT-bASED AID IN HANOI; MEDIA wATCH ON bREATH Of lIfE; bICyClE RIDE TO TRAVERSE VIETNAM TO RAISE AwARENESS AbOuT DISAblED; DENTAl OuTREACH wITH AlASkAN VOluNTEER GROuP AND VETERANS Of MARINE bASIC ClASS 6-67; NEw IT TRAINING fOR VIETNAMESE STuDENTS

special message

taking finance seriouslyA SPECIAl MESSAGE fROM EMw’S CHIEf fINANCIAl OffICER ANN T. TRuONG ON EMw’S fINANCIAl ACCOuNTAbIlITy

from the board chair

milestones & meaningMESSAGE fROM EMw bOARD CHAIRMAN PETER A. SINGER, M.D.

from the blog

emw in indiaAN ExCERPT fROM EMw PRESIDENT jOHN ANNER’S blOG ON TAkING OuR bREATH Of lIfE PROGRAM TO INDIA

feature

getting ready to learnRAISING THE bAR fOR EARly CHIlDHOOD EDuCATION IN VIETNAM

program stats

doing the numbersOuR PROGRAM RESulTS bROkEN DOwN by THE NuMbERS

inside emw

new faces at emwMEET THE NEw bOARD MEMbERS AND STAff lEADERSHIP SERVING EMw’S MISSION

people & places

eventsCONfERENCES, fuNDRAISING EVENTS, PROGRAM CEREMONIES, AuTHOR READINGS AND MORE

campaigns

life is beautifullOOkING AT THE fIRST-yEAR RESulTS Of EMw’S jOINT CAMPAIGN wITH VIETNAM TV TO RAISE AwARENESS AND fuNDS fOR THE DISAblED IN VIETNAM

donors

book clubbEST-SEllING AuTHOR AND DONOR TATjANA SOlI ANSwERS OuR quESTIONS AbOuT HER bOOk

donors

donor spotlightMEDICAl EquIPMENT DONATED by MASIMO AND SHIPPED by uPS wIll GREATly ENHANCE bREATH Of lIfE’S EffORTS IN SOuTHEAST ASIA

donors

donor listDONORS GIVING $500 AND MORE TO EMw; PluS, EMPlOyEE CAMPAIGN RECOGNITION

Reach Vietnam is published by the east meets West Foundation, an inteRnational deVelopment oRganization WoRking in Vietnam and southeast asia FoR the past 23

yeaRs. emW designs and implements solutions to challenges Faced by the Region’s most VulneRable populations in sectoRs such as clean WateR and sanitation, education FoR the

most disadVantaged, people With disabilities, inFant health and pediatRic caRdiology.

Find out moRe at WWW.eastmeetsWest.oRg.

issue 12

spring 2011

3 www.eastmeetswest.org S P R I N G 2 0 1 1 RE ACH VIETNA M

from top: dr. Jonathan singer pays tribute to his father, emw board chair dr. peter singer,

at emw’s celebration for peter’s 20 years as board chair; dr. singer

addresses guests at the 20-year event; and, first-

time grandfather dr. singer gets a hug and a

smile from his grandson

Like any good development organization, East Meets West is always looking ahead. Even as we are implementing existing pro-grams, we are strategizing and laying the

groundwork for future initiatives. We look back just enough to take important lessons from our successes as well as our failures, but we don’t do so while resting on our laurels. Even as we are well into 2011 and EMW staff are as busy as ever, I turn my gaze back to the previous year for a moment, because 2010 saw two events that held great personal mean-ing for me, and that are not without significance for the mission we serve and the work we do at EMW.

Last year marked the occasion of the birth of my first grandchild, as well as my 20th year serving on the EMW Board, nearly all as Chairman. Both were won-derful milestones for me and both serve as ways for me to find inspiration for my work with EMW.

The birth of my grandson was a reminder that, once we become parents, we begin the process of hand-ing the future over to our children and their chil-dren. And part of our life’s work becomes to lay the groundwork for a world where future generations can prosper and find meaning.

My 20-year EMW Board anniversary reminds me of my first introduction to Vietnam, as a battalion doc-tor more than 40 years ago, and my volunteer work at that time caring for severely ill children. Most of those youngsters are parents themselves now, and some are probably grandparents like me. My experi-ence in Vietnam taught me the value and satisfaction of giving, and my twenty years with EMW—serving on the board, advising the medical programs, and contributing financially—represent a promise to those children and subsequent generations that they will live in a country of expanding, not contracting, life opportunities.

East Meets West has always had a significant focus on serving children. With the exception of our large in-frastructure work at universities and at hospitals that serve the general population, our emphasis in health and education has always been to promote access to medical and educational resources that can make a crucial difference in a disadvantaged child’s life.

From the earliest moments of an infant’s life, the presence of EMW’s Breath of Life (BOL) program in a hospital can make the difference between life and either death or severe, irreversible disability.

Best regards,

Peter A. Singer, M.D. Chairman, Board of Directors

With our locally manufactured medical devices in 95% of Vietnam’s provincial hospitals—and the pro-gram’s neonatal training and technology now either operating or being launched in Cambodia, Laos, East Timor, the Philippines and India—tens of thousands of newborns are overcoming this first hurdle on life’s bumpy road.

Other health problems may loom, of course, and one that all too often presents a virtually insurmountable challenge to an impoverished family is congenital heart disease. The majority of common pediatric heart defects are curable, but the cost of treatment (surgery or other invasive interventions) may be out of reach and the capacity of the country’s health facilities to deliver the needed treatment may be under-developed. And without early treatment, many young patients will not reach adulthood. In Vietnam, EMW’s Operation Healthy Heart/Trai Tim Cho Em has been helping families access cardiac care for their sick children since 1994, and more recently has begun providing hospi-tals with training and equipment to improve capacity in cardiac surgery and other procedures. In late 2010, fellow EMW Board member Jerry Falk and I spent 10 days traveling throughout Vietnam to evaluate hospitals that treat OHH patients. What we observed was heart-ening: since our last visit, just two years ago, clinical expertise has improved and the capacity to take care of children with heart defects is increasing.

These improvements are relative, of course. The quality and availability of pediatric cardiac care in Vietnam and other developing countries in South-east Asia, as in all other areas of medical care, lag far behind first-world standards, and the difference is counted in many young lives lost before they really had a chance to begin.

Because these inequities exist, East Meets West will continue its work, developing and imple-menting pediatric health programs so that children born with treatable illnesses can get treatment, and then get on with learning, playing, and creating a better future for themselves and their communities. Your support can help make that future a reality. n

milestones & meaning

4 www.eastmeetswest.orgRE ACH VIETNA M S P R I N G 2 0 1 1

managers the financial information they need to make decisions.

Back-up is required, and therefore readily available, for every transaction at EMW. Every number entered into our database is properly supported. If it’s a deposit, we have records of the de-posit slip, check or grant agreement on file. If it’s a payment, we have records of the invoice or contract and documented approvals.

The effectiveness of these accounting practices is evaluated by several yearly audits. Since the last week of January, we have been working with four separate audits. Yes, four audits. EMW's accounting in Vietnam is audited by Ernst and Young and its financial statements are audited in the United States by PMB Helin Donavan LLP. Additional audits include those stipulated by certain grantors like the US government and the World Bank, as well as a Human Resources audit to evaluate our HR policies and practices.

A few of our recent results exemplify EMW’s financial strength. The results of our 2010 consolidated audit revealed that 94% of every dollar donated was spent on programs (an increase from our already impressive 93% overhead rate in 2009). The nonprofit rating organization Charity Navigator gave EMW the highest possible rating—four out of four stars. And, after a rigorous due diligence process, the Calvert Foundation (a part of the socially responsible mutual fund company Calvert Group) approved EMW to receive financial support for our education programs. With expenditures in the tens of millions of dollars, these are accomplishments of which we are extremely proud.

The result of all these mechanisms is a lean, effective organization maximizing every donation we receive and accountable for every dollar we spend.

Best regards,

Ann Ngoc Tuyet Truong, MBA, CPA Chief Financial Officer

taking finance seriously

Our internal structures ensure a tight control of our resources—meaning your contributions are

maximized and how we use your support is transparent.

a letteR FRom chieF Financial oFFiceR ann tRuong

A number of high-profile cases in the media have recently focused attention on the mismanagement of funds by nonprofit organizations, especially those with programs in developing countries. It’s important for the EMW community to under-

stand the many safeguards and policies employed by EMW to ensure that all funds entrusted to us are used responsibly.

“Good stewardship” and “transparency” are two terms that get mentioned a lot in reference to nonprofit work. What they mean at EMW is that we have a high level of internal control on how we manage our resources, and that we are open and straightfor-ward about all our financial activities.

EMW has many internal mechanisms in place that make this level of financial control possible. We have a dedicated and experienced team of finance and accounting profession-als in our US headquarters as well as our offices in Vietnam. We have a very involved Board of Directors that provides thorough oversight of every dollar that EMW spends. Four committees are dedicated to monitoring finances and several written policies are in place to guide the Board and staff (see sidebars on opposite page). The finance staff focuses on budget discipline, accuracy and transparency, all of which are enforced by yearly audits. Together the finance staff and board committees work to ensure account-ability across all of our programs in multiple countries.

One of the core areas we work on with program staff is budget discipline. It is the job of the finance team to work with program staff to develop realistic budgets. We expect the program managers to excel when it comes to delivering direct services, but grappling with budget questions is not usually their area of expertise. So I meet with each manager, together with the Vietnam Country Director, review each budget request —every line item, every quarter. We currently have 31 program budgets and 10 department budgets, and each is unique—from operating an orphanage to building a medical school. It's painstaking work, but the results are worth it. Yearly budget requests are evaluated based on historical data, available funding, program needs and a host of other factors. After the meetings, the individual budgets are compiled into a compre-hensive budget which is presented to the Board Finance Com-mittee and then ultimately to the entire Board for approval.

We have a fully transparent and accurate accounting system. The finance team closes its books and reconciles all balance sheet accounts on a monthly basis. Managers receive monthly budget vs. actual summaries, along with a report for each budget detailing all transactions, allowing managers to accurately track their program budgets and avoid deficits at year end. The accounting database is online and real time, providing

special

message


our annual reports with audited financial statements

are publicly available at www.eastmeetswest.org

emW Financial mechanisms ensuRing tRanspaRency and accountability

EMW Policies

Conflict of Interest Policy Governs the activities of the EMW Board of Directors to ensure compliance with gov-ernment requirements and prevent any conflicts arising from material financial and non-financial relationships.

Global Expense PolicyRequires employees to travel via coach/economy class and support all reimbursements with proper receipts ap-proved by budget managers.

Whistleblower PolicyProvides a mechanism for employees to raise good-faith concerns regarding suspected violations of law or fraudulent behavior within EMW.

Code of Ethics PolicySets forth standards to deter wrongdoing and promote honest, ethical conduct.

Investment Policy Mandates safety, liquidity, and return. All investments are short-term: the primary goal is to preserve principal, with return on investment an important, but second-ary goal.

Board Committees

Finance CommitteeMeets quarterly to analyze significant financial issues including audit progress, financial results, financial statements, the five-year forecast, and committee charters.

Audit CommitteeSelects the independent auditors to examine EMW’s financial statements. Con-venes at least twice a year to review the major account-ing transactions; evaluate the independent auditors’ performance; and ensure the completeness of all financial and tax disclosures.

Compensation CommitteeProvides independent evalu-ation of the performance of senior executive staff and reviews their compensation package.

Governance CommitteeReviews EMW’s legal struc-ture, monitors changes in nonprofit laws and regula-tions, and evaluates nonprofit best practices.

Results at-a-glance

• Four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the highest possible.

• The highest possible audit results—an "Un-qualified Opinion" —every year since 2003.

• Multiple funding from major donors who re-quire rigorous reporting —our audits have helped us obtain these repeat donations.

• Positive investment returns: While other nonprofits suffered as much as a 40% loss in 2008, EMW’s investment portfolio remained intact.


More than 50 participants attended a one-day workshop on December 13, 2010 or-ganized by East Meets West and the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA), a program administered by the World Bank. At the event, entitled OBA Learning Workshop – Policy and Implementation, representatives from

Vietnam’s ministries of agriculture, finance, investment and planning, as well as provincial of-ficials and regional water managers, discussed the possible application of this innovative funding approach to the government water and sanitation sector.

East Meets West representatives reported on EMW’s extensive experience implementing water and education programs in Vietnam with funding from Ouput-Based Aid (OBA), a way to increase access to basic services for the poor in developing countries. Also known as “performance-based aid” or “results-based financing,” OBA is structured to ensure that aid is well spent by requiring an initial investment in funds that are then reimbursed when project results are verified. East Meets West was the first organization within Vietnam to receive output-based aid from the GPOBA when the Clean Water and Sanitation program received a $3 million grant in 2007, allowing the program to nearly triple its rate of clean water system construction in the central region of Vietnam. This was followed in 2010 by another $1.5 million to expand the approach to the Mekong region.

The workshop’s purpose was to analyze the OBA financing model and its potential implementation in Vietnam’s National Target Program (NTP) for Clean Water Supply and Sanitation. While there are many legal and institutional issues to be resolved before it can be determined if OBA could be scaled up in the water sector in Vietnam, the workshop was a clear indication that Vietnam’s gov-ernment is strongly considering output-based aid as one of its approaches. As Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Dao Xuan Hoc, co-chair of the workshop, put it suc-cinctly, “The output-based aid approach is an innovative way to mobilize capital from enterprises and individual households to invest in rural water programs.” - CAO Vu HOANG CHAu

residents agree on a new clean water system for their community

site for sore eyes

Exploring results-based aid for Vietnam’s development

In its efforts to reduce infant mortality through low-cost, lo-cally-manufactured neonatal equipment appropriate for the developing world, EMW’s Breath of Life (BOL) program is garnering a lot of media attention. BOL’s approach to neo-natal care has recently been covered in The Economist Intel-ligence Unit as well as newspapers in Vietnam, Singapore and Italy. These articles have focused on BOL as a model for low-resource medical technology and as a case study for best practices in the field. Visit the Breath of Life section at www.eastmeetswest.org for the full list of publications.

BREATH OF LIFE IN THE NEWS

New eye caRe facIlIty to RISe IN SoutheRN VIetNam

East Meets West continues its efforts to improve the health care infrastructure in Vietnam

with a new project in Ho Chi Minh City: the Eye Care Hospital and Training Center. With $1 million in funding provided by The Atlantic Philanthropies, EMW will substantially upgrade this existing eye care center. The newly renovated facility will become a medical “center of excellence” in south Vietnam, providing free care for poor and low-income patients, including initial screening, preliminary check-ups, cataract surgery, and related services. It will also serve as a training site for surgeons at the district level.

The Ho Chi Minh Eye Care and Train-ing Center currently provides eye care services to about 10,000 poor and un-derprivileged outpatients every year. The building that houses the hospital is 30 years old; originally designed

and used as a hotel, its lay-out is unsuitable for a hos-pital or medical training facility. A detailed design for the new facility has been completed and construction will begin in May. The new center is expected to open its doors in late 2012. - CAO Vu HOANG CHAu

media watch

lessons learned


top: jack wells of marine basic class 6-67 with the principal and children of mac dinh chi school; dental volunteer yan wang hugs a child treated at the dental outreach.

tran trung, vietnamese national medalist from quang

tri province, will be part of the upcoming cycle power ride

scholarship students attend class through technology training program

team effoRt by maRINe VeteRaNS aNd alaSkaN deNtal VoluNteeRS

Over 750 children received free dental treatment during a weeklong Dental Outreach Trip organized by EMW’s Dental Program in partnership with longtime EMW sup-

porters Marine Basic Class 6-67 and dental volunteer group Team Alaska. Supplemented by international dental volunteers, EMW’s dental staff transported and set up portable dental equipment at the Mac Dinh Chi School, an elementary school built by EMW with funds raised by veterans of Marine Basic Class 6-67. Volunteers from Canada, China, Germany, England and Cambodia—as well as veter-ans from the Marine Basic Class group—took part in the trip. Togeth-er, over 35 people provided more than $115,000 worth of free dental care to patients, mostly impoverished children without regular access to dental treatment. In addition, the windows and doors of the Mac Dinh Chi School got a fresh coat of paint, while the school’s principal received donated supplies. - SylVIA TOwNSEND

Cycle Power is an upcoming bicycle ride co-organized by East Meets West and the Aus-tralian chapter of the Disability Sport & Recreation (DSR) organization that will see a group of 25 cyclists ride across Vietnam in July to raise awareness and funds for more inclusion of the disabled in sports and recreational activities.

Leading the 540 km ride will be champion handcyclist and paraplegic Gary Connor. Gary will head up a strong team of riders, both with and without disabilities, who will make the challeng-ing journey. Other riders include amputee Paralympic swimming gold medalist and world record holder Sam Brahmam as well as five Vietnam Paragames medalists. The ride aims to demonstrate how participation in sports can enhance the lives of people living with disabilities. Besides the ride, the Cycle Power initiative will include a ceremonial handover of 20 sports wheelchairs and a demonstration game of wheelchair sports in Hanoi on July 17. Vietnam Television (VTV4), an established EMW partner, will be the exclusive media partner for the ride.

On the same day, EMW’s new Disability Sports Program will be kicked off. The goal of this new initiative, which will be piloted in central Vietnam’s Quang Tri Province, is to improve the health and social well-being of Vietnamese with disabilities through inclusion in sports and rec-reational activities and by increasing their access to health and rehabilitation services. The Cycle Power ride will help raise funds to implement the program in Quang Tri, where 37,000 persons are living with disabilities related to Agent Orange and dioxin contamination.

Disablity Sport & Recreation has a long history of providing sports and recreational opportuni-ties to thousands of disabled individuals, including several Paralympic and World Champions. - CAO Vu HOANG CHAu

I N f o R m at I o N t ec h N o lo Gy ca R e e R S N ow at ta I N a b l e f o R I m P oV e R I S h e d St u d e N tS

Thirty high school graduates are one step closer to realizing their dream of a career in Information Tech-

nology (IT). The students are benefiting from a scholarship program made possible by a partnership between East Meets West and French nonprofit Passerelles Nu-meriques. The program provides support for underprivileged students to train as IT technicians and qualify for jobs that will help them break the cycle of poverty.

In 2010, the program, entitled Da Nang Systems and Networks Administra-tors (DSNA), welcomed the first of 30 high school graduates who will enroll in

Cyclists to Traverse Vietnam for Disabled

increasing access to education

veterans give back

sports for disabled

the two-year IT training. Basic software training is delivered by Da Nang Univer-sity while in-depth training in IT, English and additional software skills is adminis-tered by Passerelles Numériques.

This initiative is an offshoot of EMW’s SPELL scholarship program which provides assistance to Vietnam’s poorest primary and secondary students. All 30 students are graduates of schools where SPELL currently operates and were select-ed based on their academic performance as well as their desire to be trained as IT professionals. Valued at $4,000, each scholarship covers all training costs and accommodation expenses during the two years of studying in Da Nang.

All students who complete the training will be awarded an Advanced Degree in IT and equipped with the practical knowledge and skills to find jobs in that field, a criti-cal sector for Vietnam’s economic develop-ment. In the 2011 school year, the number of scholarship recipients will be doubled to 60 students. - CAO Vu HOANG CHAu

brief

updates


EMW’s Life Is Beauti-ful Campaign is receiv-ing 100% of the proceeds from a recently published book by two artists. Viet-namese American poet Teresa Chuc Dowell and German photogra-pher Yves Schiepek (both pictured above) col-laborated on Roots of Coincidence: Vietnam & Beyond, a book that Chuc says “embraces beauty and darkness, shadow and light, the past and present in Vietnam” through a blend of photos and poems document-ing their 50-day journey through Vietnam. The book is available on the “Blurb for Good” website at www.blurb.com.

On March 11, EMW handed over a new wa-ter system built with support from global bev-erage company Diageo Vietnam. The water sys-tem was constructed for the residents of Xom Bang village in Ninh Thuan Province. The new system directly benefits more than 1,100 villagers.

On February 4, EMW Senior Development Officer Laura Ward spoke at a reading and luncheon hosted and or-ganized by EMW donor

Amy Hanrahan at the Manhattan Beach Bad-minton Club in southern California. Author Tat-jana Soli read to over 50 attendees from her acclaimed novel The Lotus Eaters which has landed in the Top 20 on the New York Times Best Seller list for fiction. The book is one of the first Vietnam War novels to find a wide audience among female readers. Tatjana donated 50% of the proceeds from her book sales at the lun-cheon to EMW.

On January 21, EMW Development Administra-tor John Nguyen and Senior Operations Direc-tor James Dien Bui made a presentation about EMW to 75 members of the Novato Rotary Club. The presentation included the viewing of the EMW documentary film Transforming Lives and information about supporting EMW’s Village of Hope, a home for disadvantaged and hearing-impaired chil-dren in Da Nang.

After four months of con-struction, the Hoa Mi Early Childhood Edu-cation Center in Kon Tum Province was handed over to the local people by VNHelp rep-resentative Do Anh Thu. This brand new facility will serve 142 children in the 2011 school year. Headmaster Ms. Thanh Loan noted at the event, “We are no longer wor-ried about the classroom collapsing during the rainy season.” The Hoa Mi center is one of three being built in a partner-ship between VNHelp and EMW.

In late 2010, EMW and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf franchises joined forces in a giv-

ing campaign at each of their coffee shops in Vietnam. Coffee Bean launched this effort by giving a free day-planner (pictured below) featuring photos and info about EMW pro-grams to all customers who completed a coffee card during the holiday season. Coffee Bean also hosted a Coffee & Jazz Night in March; proceeds from the eve-ning’s acoustic jazz con-cert (poster pictured below) by Mariedel went to EMW. The collaboration supports EMW’s SPELL program.

To celebrate Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, the EMW Ho Chi Minh City staff hosted a cocktail party at FLOW Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City for 100 donors and sup-porters. Guests were treated to a signature cocktail designed for EMW as well as a photo exhibition and sale by students who completed

a study tour in Vietnam through the Brooks Institute in Santa Bar-bara, California. Brooks Institute is known for its world-class training in photography, visual jour-nalism, filmmaking, and graphic design.

EMW recently held two ceremonies to hand over newly constructed Com-passion Homes built by EMW’s program that provides new dwellings for deeply impover-ished families who lack adequate housing. The new homes are designed to withstand the harsh weather conditions that often affect Vietnam. The construction of a total of 25 new homes was made possible through generous donations by the Arcanum Foundation and VNHelp. The new homes benefit families in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Kon Tum provinces. Most of the families who received Compassion Homes were impacted by natural disasters in 2009 and many were already receiving support from EMW’s Support Net-work for People with Disabilities.

In November, EMW Board Member Jerry Falk spoke at a live broadcast marking the two-year anniver-sary of the Opera-tion Healthy Heart Program, known in Vietnam as Trai Tim Cho Em. Jerry praised the achievements of the partnership between Vietnam Television, Viettel and EMW, which raises funds to provide treatment for impov-erished children with congenital hearth defects in Vietnam. This was just one stop on Jerry’s trip with EMW Board Chairman Peter Singer to visit and assess

pediatric cardiac centers in Vietnam and manage the strategic direction of similar programs in the region.

compiled and written by

danica kumara

On February 18, EMW Executive Vice Presi-dent Tom Low and his wife Dr. Priscilla Joe (pictured below), a medical advisor to EMW’s Breath of Life program, pre-sented at The Econo-mist Healthcare in Asia conference in Hong Kong. Tom and Priscilla’s presentation featured the successes of Breath of Life in Vietnam and its model of sustainability. Over 200 participants from 18 different coun-tries including govern-ment officials, policy-makers, practitioners, pharmaceutical industry representatives and lead-ing academics attended. This was the second year of The Economist Group’s conference examining critical health care issues facing the region. The key theme for this year was “Public and Private Healthcare Delivery: Finding the Right Mix.” The presentation can be viewed on the EMW website.


above l-r: lena tran, alex nguyen, barbara kafka, tom low and james dien bui

written by tessa

maulhardt

New Board member Lena Tran notes: “As an educator, I always advocate betterment through learning. EMW’s services to the underserved population of Vietnam have provided valuable means for them to improve their lives. I look forward to working closely with the board and developing new paths for the organization.” Lena is an adjunct professor at the Univer-sity of California Extension, Santa Cruz where she also serves as the university’s Director of Business and Management. Her higher education experience also includes managerial positions for student affairs, admissions, outreach, and residence life. She has lectured on Leadership and Empowerment, En-trepreneurship, Marketing, Career Development, and Vietnamese and Asian American Experiences. Lena has also worked with established technology firms and start-up enterprises in Silicon Valley. Lena earned an MBA from Seton Hall University in New Jersey, and a Doctorate in Education from the University of San Francisco in California. The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal named Lena to its list of “40 Under 40” rising stars in 2009.

Alexander Nguyen has dual ties to East Meets West in his role as board member: he was born and raised in Vietnam and he also works in EMW headquar-ters city Oakland, CA where he serves as Chief of Staff to the City Attorney of Oakland, California. “I am excited to volunteer for such an amazing NGO! EMW’s work lives on beyond just funding cycles, continu-ing to provide for people

every day.” At the Attorney General’s office Alex is part of the executive team managing the 70-person law office where he is in charge of inter-governmental and public relations. Since 2001, Alex has also served as director of Oakland’s Neighborhood Law Corps, a program recognized nationally for its innovative work in Oakland’s poorest communi-ties. Alex has worked in direct service to immigrant populations from Southeast Asia and Central America and has served as Presi-dent of the Board of Directors for the Family Violence Law Center in Alameda County. Alex studied history at the University of Mas-sachusetts.

Barbara Kafka brings to the EMW board over 33 years at the World Bank where she specialized in economic and social develop-ment in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. “EMW is an excellent organiza-tion with a committed staff making a real difference. Its programs are not only beneficial by themselves, but also have helped to catalyze other country-led initiatives.” Barbara is cur-rently a member of the strategy committee at Washington D.C. based nonprofit New Futures, which offers financial and men-toring support to low-income young people seeking economic self-sufficiency through post-sec-ondary education. Barbara holds a BA in Economics from Duke University, an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and has completed the Harvard University/World Bank Executive Development Program.

meet the newest board

members and staff leadership

whose efforts are advancing the mission of

east meets west

New EMW Executive Vice Presi-dent Tom Low embodies dedi-cation to the EMW mission. After volunteering on the EMW board for several years he has now transitioned to being a full-time staff member. “I’m energized to be a part of this team, ready to take on anything and everything,” says Tom. For the past eight years Tom was a partner at Bridges SF, an executive search firm for the placement of senior financial executives. Prior to that, Tom was the founding Chief Financial Officer of Restora-tion Hardware and has also been CFO of Ask.com and Safeway.com. Tom also serves on the board of the Northern California Chapter of Ascend, a Pan-Asian leader-ship organization. Tom received a BS degree from the University of California, Davis and holds an MBA in Finance from the Univer-sity of California, Irvine.

“I am thrilled to be part of EMW because everyone in the organization shares amazing energy and com-mitment to make a differ-ence. It’s contagious,” says James Dien Bui, EMW’s new Senior Operations Director in Vietnam. Based in Hanoi, Dien will provide management support for EMW’s programs. Before EMW, Dien worked with organizations in the Gulf Coast region of the US on economic development, man-aging such projects as an urban farm, health clinic, charter school and senior housing. Dien has also worked in Boston and Los Angeles on housing and civic engagement initiatives that helped thousands of residents secure stable and affordable homes. He has also provided technical assistance on micro-credit economic develop-ment for families in rural Vietnam and Northern India. Dien holds an MSW in Community Organizing from the University of Michigan and has completed studies at MIT, Tufts University and UCLA. n


doing the numbers

clean water &

sanitation$20

provides a household water connection

for vietnam’s poorest families.

19 new water systems were completed, providing 16,262 new households with connections to clean, piped water, and 16 new systems are due to be completed by the end of June. In the Poorest of the Poor program, 1,363 free connections were provided to households who could not afford the connection fee. In the sanitation division, 2,559 new latrines were built.

program results from september 2010 to march 201 1

$2,800provides a hospital

with a neonatal machine to reduce infant mortality.

breath of life

In Vietnam, BOL distributed 150 neonatal machines to 62 hospitals. More than 90 medical staff received training in basic newborn care. In Cambodia, the program delivered 44 neonatal machines to 6 hospitals and 56 medical staff received training in basic newborn care.

The Dental Program treated 10,655 children with 23,750 free services, an estimated value of $1.2 million. Services were provided at EMW’s Dental Clinic in Da Nang and through 4 outreach trips to rural areas, 3 mobile dental trailer trips to Da Nang primary schools, and 10 hygiene education trainings at primary schools. In-kind donations totaled over $41,843, and 56 international volunteers donated 1,936 volunteer hours.

dental program

program results how you can help

$300provides one

disabled person with corrective

surgery and a prosthetic device.

support network for people with disabilities

The following services were delivered to the disabled: 900 individuals received rehabilitation and physiotherapy and 346 received corrective surgeries and medical intervention; and 97 beneficiaries were given assistive devices. 450 children received school scholarships, 149 of them in the form of private tutoring; 8 people received vocational training. As part of the program’s training component: 51 health staff and 510 community volunteers were trained in physiotherapy; 40 health staff, local partners and 300 community volunteers received training in social work skills; 22 local partners received fundraising training. 5 health staff, 28 community volunteers and 1 local organization received training in supplying assistive devices for people with disabilities.

$10provides a child

free modern dental care for one year.

spell The Scholarship Program to Enhance Literacy & Learning is now active in 114 schools. Tutoring programs were set up in 68 secondary schools; 28 students received special tutoring to prepare for the gifted high school entrance exam. SPELL verified the eligibility of 250 new sixth-year students for funding and paid home visits to 340 ninth graders in preparation for high school. 368 ninth graders went onto the high school level. 4,000 in-kind gifts were delivered to 68 schools including 819 bicycles for students living more than 2 km from school. Events were held at 91 primary schools to celebrate SPELL students moving to secondary school.

$120provides one poor child with a year’s

scholarship for primary school.

village of hope $600

provides care for a year for one child at voh.

EMW’s home for disadvantaged children houses 136 children, including 109 orphaned and 27 hearing-and speech-impaired students. Children receive a full education and vocational training in sewing, cooking, computer skills, carpentry, embroidery and painting. In the VOH Graduate Program, 17 former VOH residents are being supported to study at vocational schools, colleges or universities.

154 children with congenital heart defects received lifesaving surgeries. 3 ventilator machines and 1 set of pediatric cardiac surgical knives were donated to 3 hospitals. 25 cardiac specialists were provided with training in advanced surgical skills, and funds were provided for 5 specialists to go overseas for training in advanced cardiac techniques.

operation healthy

heart$2,000provides a child with lifesaving heart surgery.

compiled and written by

tessa maulhardt


The newest adventure for East Meets West will take place in India, with start-up preparations already underway. Sometime in the next few months, we will deliver a full complement of Breath of Life technologies to a group of hospitals in the state of Tamil Nadu, on the southeast coast. The capital of Tamil Nadu is the boomtown city of Chennai, for-

merly known as Madras, one of the fastest-growing cities in the world and a powerhouse of India’s development. Chennai is home to a thriv-ing automotive industry, along with a vibrant business ecosystem sup-porting high tech, IT, business services and all kinds of industry.

Drive a few hours due west, however, and a different India presents itself—dusty, poor, somehow adrift outside of the rising tide of eco-nomic development that is supposed to lift all boats. While there are world-class facilities in all of India’s major cities – factories, restau-rants, hospitals, hotels, schools, universities and everything else – much of the country remains mired in poverty. The sprawling cities and elite institutions get all the attention, but 72% of the population still lives in rural areas. For those without a calculator handy, this means that of the 1.2 billion people in India the depleted countryside is home to around 865 million people living in over 640,000 villages.

As I have seen so clearly on my recent trips, India boasts the best of everything – and the worst. You can’t throw a rock in Mumbai with-out hitting a millionaire in the head, and yet the socio-economic status of many families is as low as anywhere in Africa. There are hospitals and universities the equal of just about anything in the US, and yet 60% of all babies are still born at home, India has uncon-scionably high rates of infant and maternal mortality, and only 15% of Indian student make it into high school. College enrollment is a paltry 10% of India’s young people.

I could go on and on–there are entire books written on this theme. But what the numbers don’t capture is something much less tangible – a sense of possibility, of opportunity, of positive change. Large parts of the country are astonishingly poor, but the mood of opti-mism is everywhere apparent. You feel this in Vietnam too, despite the night-and-day difference in the respective governments. By poor-country standards, Vietnam’s government, while not a democracy, is

next steps in reducing infant mortality

emw in india

a true development state, focused on economic improvements. India is run by a big, messy and often chaotic democracy, not always able to translate the benefits of economic growth into help for the poor. It struck my mind more than once while in India last year that the characteristics of dysfunctional democracies tend towards a mean (but that’s a topic for a different blog).

In today’s India, rapid progress is not only possible, it is expected. In Tamil Nadu, for example, what was five years ago a depressing situ-ation for mothers and infants has started to turn around. Five years ago, most babies were born at home, women suffered appalling levels of maternal health issues, and there were hundreds of thousands of premature births, low-birth-weight babies and the related health problems (Tamil Nadu has over 67 million residents, more than France or England). Recent reforms and im-provements in the medical system, however, have resulted in many more women getting some sort of prenatal care and having their babies in a medical clinic or hospital.

In fact, the situation is just about perfect for an intervention like Breath of Life, and so EMW will be launching a research program in Tamil Nadu this year. Our long-term goal is to outfit every hospital in Tamil Nadu that takes care of babies with the full set of EMW medical technologies, delivered with the intensive and highly suc-cessful Breath of Life training program. The program will be funded in part by GE Healthcare, The Lemelson Foundation and two of EMW’s long-time donors.

This is an exciting new chapter for Breath of Life, and for EMW. Tune into my next blog which will focus on opportunities we’re working on in the Philippines. n

Excerpted from EMW’s blog Development Diaries written by President John Anner. Follow our posts at blog.eastmeetswest.org.

b y j o h n a n n e r

In fact, the situation in Tamil Nadu is just about perfect for an intervention like Breath of Life

from

the blog

phOTO cOurTESy Of DErk STEEMErS/DayDrEaMEr hQ


gETTIng rEaDy TO

LEarnRaising the baR FoR

eaRly childhood education in Vietnam

feature



I n rural, impoverished Kon Tum Province, on a sunny December day in 2010, residents of the small village of Dak Ruong turned out in droves for the opening ceremony of a new community preschool. Parents, teachers, and local leaders watched as three-, four- and five-year-old children in colorful costumes sang and performed traditional regional dances to celebrate the handover of their new school. The centerpiece of this festive occasion is an Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Center, designed and re-furbished by East Meets West Foundation with funding from USAID. The school—with three classrooms, four toilets, and a well-ventilated, sanitary kitchen—is also equipped with stimulating and age-appropriate learning materials designed to serve 71 minority children in Kon Tum Province.

In Vietnam, discrepancies in school readiness between urban and rural areas among very young children—those entering elementary school—conform to a larger pattern seen across the country: rural residents lag behind those in more urban areas in realizing the benefits of Vietnam’s fast growing, modernizing economy. These differences in school preparedness are most extreme in regions like the mountainous central highlands province of Kon Tum. In these rural, difficult to access areas, the popula-tion tends to be heavily ethnic minority, poor, and undereducated.

Kon Tum Province is the site of an ambi-tious ECCE initiative being implemented by East Meets West, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to prepare the region’s most vulnerable children—many of whom are ethnic minority, non-Vietnamese speaking, from poor farming families—to succeed in elementary school, secondary school, and beyond. To accomplish this, East Meets West is refurbishing 25 early child-hood education centers in nine districts to serve over 2,200 children from minority groups such as Sra, Tay, Nung, Bana, Gie, Trieng, and Ca Tu. These centers will be supplemented by teacher training, commu-nity awareness building, and income-generating loans. The program is designed to be inclusive and participatory, to encourage a feeling of ownership by the local community. This approach is evident at all stages of implementation, including planning and design, supervision of refurbish-ment activities, and monitoring and evaluation.

The typical EMW-built preschool consists of several classrooms, separate toilets, handwashing devices, store rooms, an administration room and a kitchen that provides a sanitary environment for food preparation. The building and outfitting of the preschools involves a significant level of community par-ticipation. After receiving appropriate training from EMW’s technical staff, local groups called People’s Inspection Teams, comprised primarily of women, help supervise the update of the preschools. Teachers participate in a taskforce to select and purchase appropriate teaching aids. Ultimately, East Meets West was able to leverage the assistance provided by USAID and the community involvement to create a stra-tegic partnership with the California-based nonprofit VNHelp, which contributed funds to build three other preschools in the neediest areas.

These preschools will provide a safe and comfortable setting for learning to take place. But for an ECCE program, providing a safe physical structure is just the beginning. The ECCE program takes a holistic approach: first building or refurbishing the physical structure, then equipping the centers with appropriate, enriching educational materials; supporting extensive teacher training; involving community groups in a widespread parent education and awareness building program; and providing income-generating loans to poor families whose children attend the preschool. In short, the program promotes the parent and community involvement that are crucial to a student’s

C O N T I N u E D N E x T PA G E

b y s y l v i a t o w n s e n d


academic achievement in school.Kon Tum is both typical of the areas where ECCE centers have the

potential to do the greatest good and a natural fit for an East Meets West education program. The organization’s well established presence in Kon Tum goes back to the construction of the Kon Ray Boarding School, built by EMW with funding from USAID, which has been provid-ing food, housing and learning opportunities to approximately 200 ethnic minority secondary students every year since 2007. Experience working cooperatively with authorities and civic organizations within the province—including the Kon Tum Department of Education, local district Women’s Unions, and Provincial People’s Committees—en-ables EMW to more effectively coordinate the involvement of various stakeholders.

Well before EMW had a presence in Kon Tum, its school construc-tion program was busy establishing a long, successful track record of building the physical structures needed to educate Vietnam’s most vulnerable students in its most rural, impoverished areas. For over 10 years, EMW has been building primary schools to serve communities that lack the capacity to provide children with a full day of school or where the existing structures are inadequate or unsafe. To date, EMW has built over 316 of these schools.

Several years ago, recognizing the importance of intervening at the very earliest stages of learning, EMW began building pre-schools and kindergartens to prepare children for later success in school. The purpose of early childhood care and education is to narrow the gap in school readiness for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the United States, the Head Start Program provides this kind of intensive early enrichment to low-income three- and four-year olds who are otherwise likely to enter kindergarten on an unequal footing with their more well-off peers. ECCE programs

provide age-appropriate learning materials and curriculum to pre-pare children to be effective learners.

As EMW has been building its expertise in ECCE, the past de-cade has seen the Vietnamese government begin to prioritize and increase investment in ECCE in its education planning.

A 2005 Education Law encoded early childhood education into the national education system, stating that, “the objectives of early child-hood education are to help children develop physically, emotionally, intellectually, and esthetically… to prepare [them] for the first grade.” The following year saw the approval of a “National Project on Early Childhood Development 2006-2015,” which tasked a network of local agencies with promoting and implementing the programs in their communities.

In delivering its ECCE program in Kon Tum, East Meets West works closely with just such a network—with groups like the Ministries of Health, Education and Training and the Women’s Unions—on issues of parenting education and teacher training, which are critical to the successful implementation of early childhood education programs. The Women’s Union and Study Promotion Associations organize trainings of community leaders in the importance of early childhood education and development. Local communities contribute funds to support the costs of running the schools, including electricity, water, school fees, and salaries.

Bringing early childhood education to poor communities in distant rural areas is undoubtedly a challenge. To twist the old saying, it takes “more than a village.” It takes government aid and private funds, expe-rienced implementers, committed community groups and individuals, teachers eager for training, and parents who want a better future for their children. When all work together, the children who need it most can get the early start they need. n

below: teachers and students from early childhood care and education centers in kon tum province

Providing a safe physical structure is just the beginning. EMW’s Early Childhood Care and Education program takes a holistic approach to promoting the teacher, parent and community involvement that are crucial to a student’s academic achievement in school.

C O N T I N u E D f R O M P. 1 3


Through intensive outreach efforts, East Meets West’s Life Is Beautiful campaign raised $375,000 in its first year and helped raise awareness about the many issues that people with disabilities face. When the campaign recently marked its one-year anniversary with a live

broadcast on Vietnam Television (VTV), millions of viewers tuned in to watch this celebration of the campaign’s achievements.

Life Is Beautiful (LIB) was launched in December 2009 as a joint effort by East Meets West and Vietnam Television (VTV). EMW received funding from The Ford Foundation to develop an international media campaign to raise funds for impov-erished people living with disabilities in Vietnam. EMW’s existing partnership with VTV (called “Trai Tim Cho Em”), which raises awareness and funds for children suf-fering from heart defects, provided a natural foundation for the new effort.

Proceeds from LIB are used to fund 10 programs in Vietnam that provide support and services to the disabled. To find the programs that make the most effective use of their resources, LIB staff compiled a list of 50 programs working with disabled populations throughout the country. An independent panel of experts from several different fields—medicine, public policy, small business—then reviewed and selected the 10 best program models out of the list of 50. The10 chosen models were featured in print and TV media and two of them are now receiving a share of the funds raised by the LIB campaign to support their program work.

To raise the much needed support and to build awareness about the cause of disabilities, the LIB campaign harnesses the power of social media, television, and other entertainment channels. The campaign has developed a dynamic and resource-rich website lifeisbeautiful.vn; produced educational and promotional TV programs; organized international roadshows; and featured performances by celebrities who are vocal about their support for the cause.

life is beautiful

b y d a n i c a k u m a r a

it ’s the one-yeaR anniVeRsaRy oF emW’s joint campaign With

Vietnam teleVision to Raise aWaReness and Funds FoR the

disabled in Vietnam. The resulTs are impressive.

In Vietnam, outreach about the LIB campaign airs weekly shows on two different VTV channels. In the US, a series of short documen-taries, produced by LIB staff with an American-based production company, aired on Fox network and public TV stations across the country. This series provides an educational introduction to the issue of Agent Orange in Vietnam and showcases several of the most effec-tive program models. Each of these broadcasts was viewed in millions

of homes worldwide.To spread the word globally, the LIB

campaign launched international roadshows that toured across Europe. Joined by two Vietnamese celebri-ties who signed onto the campaign as Goodwill Ambassadors, the roadshows featured promotional and fundrais-ing events in Russia, Ukraine, France, Belgium, Germany and Australia. These activities brought in new funding, raised awareness and created new partnerships with organizations and individuals.

LIB has shown strong fundraising results in its first year, successfully raising almost $125,000 from within Vietnam

and another $250,000 internationally. The funds have supported more than 1,100 disabled individuals and supported self-help groups for the disabled and district Red Crosses.

Now well into its second year, LIB continues to build momen-tum. The weekly broadcasts in Vietnam will soon move to VTV1, a channel that reaches a bigger audience. To expand international support, campaign staffers plan a second roadshow to other coun-tries this summer. A cycling race in July (Cycle Power, see p. 6) will further benefit the program, with riders from Vietnam and Australia traversing the length of Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City to raise money for the campaign.

With an estimated 5.3 million people with disabilities in Vietnam, East Meets West and the other partners in the Life Is Beautiful campaign remain committed to improving the wellbeing of these individuals. n

above: goodwill ambassador kasim hoang vu presenting a donation to thu thuong, a disabled girl supported by the life is beautiful campaign. below: emw’s public relations manager cao vu hoang chau working at the life is beautiful booth in belgium.

campaigns

Follow the campaign at www.lifeisbeautiful.vn


Without giving the story away…can you give a brief synopsis of the The Lotus Eaters for our Reach Vietnam readers?

The Lotus Eaters is the story of a female photojournalist who goes to Vietnam at the beginning of the war and ends up staying for ten years until the end, marked by the fall of Saigon. It is really about her transformation from someone who knows nothing about the country or the reasons for the war, to someone who is deeply invested in the tragedy that the war wreaks on the country.

Why this story? What was your connection to Vietnam and the Vietnamese people?I don’t think any writer can answer why certain material that is clearly not autobiographical speaks to him/her. As I travel the country speaking about the book, it is clear to me that I prob-ably wouldn’t have found this story if I weren’t an immigrant myself. The Vietnamese side of the war is such a different perspective than the one we have been told from the American soldier’s point of view. I really wanted to write a book that encompassed the tragedy from all sides, especially as it pertains to events in the world today.

What was the process like for get-ting the book published? In publishing, I was told that Vietnam war literature attracted a small, male, niche audience that was interested in battles, military jargon, weapons, etc. There was definitely the feeling that women were not interested in reading

book clubi n t e r v i e w b y l a u r a w a r d c o l l i n s

Best-selling author and EMW donor Tatjana Soli answers our questions about her book The Lotus Eaters

emw

donors


about war, which I found hard to believe since obviously so many were/are affected by it. Being a literary writer, one already accepts that there is a smaller audience, and then considering the darkness of war material, the audience shrinks again. But I really believed in the importance of the material and that it would find its audience. Eventually, it did. I just didn’t know it would take ten years!

Do American audiences have a special and deep connection to stories about Vietnam? Can you describe any particular reader comments or feedback that resonated with you?Americans suffered terrible losses in Vietnam. Besides the loss of life, it was also a time of disillusionment and distrust of our government. On a civilian level, there was a real horror and shame at what was being done in our country’s name, and the journalists covering that war, who became very activist, participated in lifting the veil of innocence.

At readings, many people tell me that they were initially wary of reading the book because they just didn’t want to reopen old wounds and revisit the deep trauma of losing friends and family. Recently a conscien-tious objector wrote to me, and he said that it was the most important time in his life, when he really felt he defined himself, and of course, now he devours books about the war, still com-ing to terms with it. I hadn’t re-ally thought that people would say they found healing from the book, but I do think including so much about the Vietnamese experience takes the dialogue another step in that direction.

I think most readers would be amazed (I certainly was) that you could have written this fiercely imagined novel with-out having been to Vietnam. When you did go to Viet-nam for the first time, what surprised you most about the country, and its people? I had spent many years with the manuscript, and writers can tell

you that a novel becomes a very satisfying, private world. Before anyone else has read it, you are living in this dream creation in a very deep way. I felt that I had created something real and essential, something based in the time and place, and yet supremely personal to the three main characters. Helen’s Saigon is recognizable to people who were there during the time, but it is also uniquely hers.

I went to Vietnam for the first time last winter, after the book was already out in the world. It was more about going for a sense of closure. What was most

surprising was the sense of the nation remaking itself, mod-ernizing and becoming more affluent in the cities like Saigon and Hanoi. It was very exciting to see the entrepreneurial energy of the people. Most were extremely friendly and spoke quite frankly of the hardships of the past and their hopes for the future with a remarkable lack of bitterness.

The novel revolves around three photojournalists brought together during the war: an American woman, an American man and a Vietnam-ese man. Why did you choose to make Linh, the Vietnamese man, the emotional center of the novel?Linh’s story, within the broader story of the Vietnamese people, was the reason I decided to write the book, so he is the natural, sympathetic center of the story. Linh very much functions as an educator to Darrow and Helen on the history and culture. One of the early scenes in Cambodia shows how Darrow has this blindness toward a culture that

he admires and cares about, and Linh takes away this romanticism that many Westerners still insist on coloring Southeast Asia with.

Having never fought in a war how did you try get inside the psyche of the novel’s characters?I think part of the novelist’s job is to immerse ourselves in what-ever it is that we want to bring to life for the reader. So I read books, watched documentaries, talked to veterans involved in wars. But the essential parts are honestly too private to talk about, and it was imagining based on

fact. Portraying combat was not the end goal. I certainly did not want to have violence in the book for its own sake, but rather as a catalyst for the characters to change. What is the effect on Linh of witnessing the destruc-tion of his homeland? What is the effect on Helen? On Darrow? So the imagining is very specific and for a purpose.

You’ve been nominated for some prestigious book prizes. What would be the greatest honor you could achieve for The Lotus Eaters?It’s a great honor to be told that you did your job well, but all the awards, etc., are really a means of reaching out and telling people about the book. I have heard that The Lotus Eaters is on various school curriculums, and that is probably the most gratifying thing I could have ever dreamed of, the idea that the message I felt so strongly about will be part of the dialogue on Vietnam and the war.

How did you learn about East Meets West? What attracted you to our work?

My mom, who is an important part of this book’s writing, lives in Northern California, and she knew of the organization. I was very in-terested in the idea of giving back, of healing, and I think the wide-ranging programs that EMW is involved in do that. I like that the organization strives to feed both the belly and the soul through programs focusing on medical care, clean water, and education.

How will you stay involved with Vietnam and with EMW?Through writing the book, I spent many years living with the Vietnam of the war, the darkness

“I went to Vietnam for the first time last winter... What was most surprising was the sense of the nation remaking itself, modernizing... It was very exciting to see the entrepreneurial energy of the people.”

and destruction, and that was part of the reason for my trip, to move on. It’s time now to focus on the healing, on prosperity and hope. It’s a truism that it is more blessed to give than receive, but I’m still deeply interested in Vietnam, only now it’s in the country’s future.

Are there any plans to get the book translated in to Vietnamese?Not that I know of. There have been quite a few articles done on the book in Vietnam, and transla-tions of the major reviews, so I think there is an interest within the country about America’s per-ception of Vietnam now.

What’s next for you?I sold my second novel, which was written before The Lotus Eaters sold. It is a very different story, set in contemporary Southern California on a citrus ranch. It deals with a ranch woman who is very tied to her land and her family, who wants to sell it, and a mysterious girl who lands on her doorstep. Like Lotus Eaters, it also deals with the clash of cultures, the effects of dislocation. n


Anonymous*

Vo Le Phu An

Mai Trieu An

Hoang Ngoc Anh

John & Devora Anner

Dang Thanh Canh

Jack Bernard & Marilynn Westerman

Laura Ward Collins & Michael Collins

Mark Conroy & Hoang Thi Hang Tam

Cao Vu Hoang Chau (in honor of Nguyen Vu Ngoc Khanh)

Lai Hung Cuong

Hoang Ngoc Dat

Le Cao Dung

Dan Fitzpatrick

Rachelle Galloway & Vassilis Popotas

Tran Thi Thanh Ha

Vu Ngoc Ha

Cong Huyen Ton Nu To Hanh

Nguyen Thi Thu Hien

Vo Thi Hien

Nguyen Hiep

Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Hoa

Vo Van Hoang

Nguyen Thi Kim Hong

Pham Thi Huong

Nguyen Thi My Huong

Tran Thi Minh Huong

Nguyen Manh Hung

Nguyen Vu Ngoc Khanh

Daovy Leuanduangchan

Thomas Low & Priscilla Joe

Luong Thi Khanh Ly

Van Ly

employee campaign

donor spotlighta shipment of donated medical eQuipment will greatly enhance breath of life’s efforts to

reduce deaths and long-term illnesses in babies in southeast asia. we have masimo and ups to thank.

The vision statement of the global medical technology company Masimo reflects their continual commitment to “improving patient outcomes and reducing cost of care” for over 20 years. This vision will now be realized in Southeast Asia through a

substantial equipment donation that Masimo has made to East Meet West’s Breath of Life (BOL) program. Masimo donated 105 of its state-of-the-art pulse oximeters which are clinically proven to increase the detection of today’s most common birth defect-congenital heart disease-as well as dramatically reduce the incidence of devastating eye damage and blindness caused by a condition known as retinopathy of prematurity.

“We are proud to make this donation in wholehearted support of EMW’s programs,” stated Jon Coleman, Masimo’s President of Worldwide Sales, Marketing, and Clinical Research. “Improving access to advanced medical technologies in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and East Timor will help EMW to improve pediatric health in the areas of greatest need.” All of the Masimo oximeters are being distributed to hospitals where training and support will be provided to ensure that they are used effectively and efficiently.

Masimo’s donation was further enhanced by the news that global logistics leader UPS had agreed to donate the full cost of transporting the equipment overseas. By generously underwriting the shipping expense, UPS demonstrates its commitment to assisting communities in need around the world.

Masimo’s distributor in Southeast Asia—Charles Wembley (SEA) CO., PTE. LTD.—will provide in-kind technical support to the local hospitals and will also be the distributor for any future Masimo products delivered through the Breath of Life program. Charles Wembley is a longstanding EMW partner, supplying hospital equipment and medical supplies for EMW’s large construction projects throughout Vietnam. Charlie Tan, of Charles Wembley, reflected on this new development in the company’s partnership with EMW: “I’m very pleased to expand our relationship with EMW and support the Masimo donation that will impact the health and welfare of thousands of people in our region.” n

the masimo rad-8 pulse oximeter, a

vital piece of eQuipment in the fight to

reduce infant mortality and

morbidity in southeast asia.

In 2010, East Meets West launched its first ever employee giving campaign, called “Together for Our Future.” Response to this totally voluntary, peer-to-peer effort was tremendous. Demonstrating their dedication to the organization and its mission, 92% of EMW employees made personal three-year commitments to the program of their choice, totaling over $100,000 in support. As Early Childhood Care and Education Program Manager Vo Thi Hien put it, “My salary’s not big, but I pledged my donation to the campaign because I want to help EMW continue its work. I really believe in what EMW has accomplished in Vietnam for the last 23 years, providing assistance to millions of poor and vulnerable people, especially in remote, rural areas. My donation also reminds me to make the best use of every single penny we spend on our projects.” Below we recognize their contributions (employees chose how they wanted to be publicly recognized).

Luciano Moccia & Antonia Ludeke

Tran Thi Tra My

John Nguyen & Ria Fresnoza

Minh Chau Nguyen & Per Ljung

Nam H. Nguyen

Pham Thi Mai Nguyet

Ho Thi Y Nhi

Vo Thi Van Ninh

Narin Phouv

Nguyen Van Quang

Nguyen Duc Thang

Ngo Dinh Trieu

Ho Quang Minh Tung

Nguyen Huu Toan

Sylvia Townsend & Charley Cowens

Hoang Ngoc Tung

Ron Smith & Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan

Phan Minh Tan

Phan Thi Hong Thoi

Duong Thi Thanh Thuy

Do Thi Hong Thuy

Truong Thi Thuy

Nguyen Van Tien

Pham Minh Tri

* 31 employees chose to remain anonymous


donors to east meets west $100 and above • oct 1, 2010 - mar 31, 2011

organizationsThe Anderson Fund FoundationThe Atlantic PhilanthropiesAlbatros Foundation American Century Investments Foundation Amici Della Neonatologia Trentina Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy AusAID Ben Daviscourt Memorial Fund Blue Planet NetworkThe Boeing CompanyThe Bowman Family FoundationThe Coffee Bean & Tea LeafDai-Ichi Life Dell Employee Giving Program Design that Matters Diageo Singapore Pte Ltd Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Engineers Without Borders - Australia Erik Niemann Paintings & Photography FM Global FoundationThe Ford Foundation Friends of Danang General Agency of FedEx - Vietnam Greenfield FoundationThe Greenwood Company H & K Italian Specialties, LLC Hope Lutheran Church IBM Employee Charitable Contribution Campaign Institut Europeen de Cooperation et de DeveloppementIntel Products Co, LtdInternational Children Assistance NetworkInternational School of Ho Chi Minh City Jeffrey A. Parker & Associates Kaiser Permanente Community Giving Campaign The Lemelson Foundation Lotus Bleu Management Recruiters of Lynnwood Marine Basic Class 6-67 MasimoMiriam Wosk Family TrustMTTSOlympus Pacific Minerals, Inc.Osprey Packs-USAPhilip Morris Int’l Management, S.A.Piedmont Community ChurchQualcomm, Inc.RMIT VietnamRobin Tauck & PartnersRotary Club of the Valley of the Moon, CARouse Legal - Hanoi

Schafer Family FundSevenoaks SchoolShinoda Junko Femin GroupSingapore International School VietnamSino Restaurant & LoungeSmart Tulip FoundationStephens, Rosen, and QuantTauck Romano Innovative Philanthropy, Inc.Tera Test Inc. Texas Tech Vietnamese Student Association TTF Foundation UNICEF Vietnam United Nations International School University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill UPS USAID Vietnam Education Society VNHelpThe World Bank

individualsGerald & Corinne AdlerFidel & Prudencia Alfonso Robert Allen Andreas Altmann Linda & Robert AmbroseRichard & Heather AmesJack & Rose-Marie AndersonJohn & Rosemarie AnnerJoseph Archie David Axelrad & Liza BercoviciJoseph Baggette V. David Baker Robert & Jane BardGordon Barron Neil Barsky & Joan DavidsonGaylen Baxter Brantly Baynes Richard Berkman & Toni SeidlThorsten Berninger Ronald & Gailmarie BerquistCorinna Berssen Anu Bhalla Robert Blobaum William Bond Alex Bondarchuk Dick Bradley George Brogdon Martine Brousse & Milissa BrockishWilliam & Debby BrownAndrea & Marco Buchmann-WeyWilliam Bucholtz Michael Cangemi Carl Canning David Cassidy Vernon & Cathy Chaplin Stephen Chipman David ChristopherTeresa Chuc DowellDavid Clark Terry Collington Francis Corcoran Roger Costello

Shari Countryman Stephen Craxton Carlton & Linda CrenshawJohn & Frances CurleyJames Curtin Stuart & Sharon DavidsonArthur & Rebecca D’HarlingueJames Dietzenbach Bruce & Bernice DinnerLaureen Distefano Stefanie Doerr Brian & Diana DolanPatricia & Doug DonaldsonLawrence & Kim DongLaura Dopp George & Dale DrugerFrances Dunwell & Wesley NatzlePascal Eason Alison Edwards Phillip Elrod Calvin & Alice EngBee Epstein-Shepherd Richard & Sharon EricksonAlex & Gloria EspinozaJerome & Nancy FalkKatherine Falk Susanna Falk & Ashley KennedyDuyen Faria Robert Fassbender Don & Jackie FeinsteinMark Fenster Jean Ferguson Edward Filangeri Linda Fisher Adrienne Fly Ethan & Sari FogelLinda Fredericks Nigel GamagePeter GalbraithRobert Garduno Rob Gertler Lawrence & Judith GlendinnningKatharina Goessling Maureen & Stephen GoldsmithKathryn & Marvin GoldsmithMichael Gollub Judy & Dane GordonVirginia Green Philipp Gruener Judith Guffey Sanassan Gugasian Ujval Gummi Stephen Gunther Ann Haeckl Amanda Hamilton & Tim HemmeterAmy & Thomas HanrahanRichard Hastie Dan & Van HaynesBernhard Heck Roslyn Hees Eric Hemel & Barbara MorgenAlbert & Hertha HemelEthan Henerey Mark & Janet HersheyJerome & Fleurette HershmanCarolyn Hill & Trung Phan Richard & Rebecca Horner

Richard Horvitz Mark & Ann HowePaul Huddleston & Dori BoudreauAllen Hueske David C. Hurwitz Chelsey Ingenito Fields & Ian FieldsJames Irving James Jubak & Marie D’AmicoBarbara Kafka Daniel Kaplan & Kay RichmanJohn & Tina KekerGil & Barbara KempStewart Kemp Lee Ketelsen & Adam ParkerFrederick Khedouri & Sarah GlazerSusanne Klinger G. Marcus & Pamela KnightDaniel Knox Martha Kokes Calman & Jane KurtzmanKhai Lam William & Barbara LarsenMark Le Tuan Le & Huong NguyenHans-Duc Le Josephine Lee Carol Lee Rob Lemelson Joe Levinger Kok-ui Lim Tom Lindauer Nancy Linn Amy Lippman & Rodman FlenderTom Lockard & Alix MarduelThomas Low & Priscilla JoeNathan & Cary LukesCarolyn LuuBarbara MaddenQ. Tuyen Mai Beth Markowitz Marc Mauer Jack McCombs Mark McDonald Marcia McDonald Tom McGillis James & Gail McIntireSusan Mendelsohn Jorge Mestman Tom Meyer George Miller & Janet McKinleySandra Miller Fred & Betty MillerLee & Patricia MilovichAmy Jo Neill Larry & Debbie NeinsteinLynn & Don NelsonDon & Joy NelsonPeter & Suzanne NelsonJeffrey Newman & Mary MontellaBinh Ngo Rosalynn NguyenTien Nguyen Ducson Nguyen Bao Nguyen Lisa Nierenberg

emw donors

Allan & Nancy PalmerGary & Carolyn ParkLorilyn & Allen Parmer FolksRalph & Linda PeneLy-Huong Pham Thu Pham & Charles JeffersonNickolaus Phan Jacquelyn Phan Mike & Kathie PhillipsBarbara Podell Stuart & Lee PollakDan & Paula ReingoldElsbeth Reisen & Mark DyenSteven Reynolds & Susan WolfCharles Rice Matthew Rifkin Robert Riordan & Spring HillJanice Rodgers Karen Rowan Madeleine Russell-Shapiro Dana Sachs George & Jeanne SamarasMark & Hope SarkowskyPaul SaundersJulian SharplesJerold & Rosemary ShinbaneIvan Shulman Stan & Paulette ShulmanPeter Singer & Marjorie Kagawa-SingerJonathan Singer Jerry Smith Ron Smith Teressa Snyder Tatjana & Gaylord SoliKeith Soukkala Donnie Statom Mandrea Stebbins Phil Stone Arthur & Fredna StrombergSuzanne Summer Robert Thomas Phuc Tran Khanh Tran Jack & Linda VanLoanGray Velasquez Merna & Don VillarejoTina Vo & Quy NguyenKhai Vu Minh Vu Charles Wagner Calvin Wagner Thomas Walczyk Townsend Walker & Beverly MillsYan Wang Thomas & Joni WannamakerFranz & Pat WartenweilerJeffrey & Lynn Marie WeilMartin Weiss Jack & Kanitta WellsPutney & Anne WesterfieldSusan Wexler & Hans EnglerWerner Wildschek Richard & Lan WilkersonPaula Wilkes Richard & Cecile WillisFrederik Wissink Linda Worthington Mimi Yu Rick & Susan Zimmerman

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reach vietnam magazine: issue 12

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