Newsletter December 2013 Anh Linh Letter

ANH LINH LOVE SCHOOL Principal: Sr. Bui Thi Kim Ngoc 30/36 Lam Van Ben, Tan Kieng Ward, Dist. 7 Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam December 2013

For the attention of: Godfathers and Godmothers, Sponsors and friends, Former students of Da Lat – Ha Noi – Sai Gon

Dear everyone, While I am writing this letters, the teachers and the students of Anh Linh Love School is in a very important time to review all lessons and prepare for the 1st semester finals of the school year 2013 – 2014. We all hope that they will get the best result. Another year has passed, and I would like to send this letter to all of you to share a summary about all activities that have been organized for the students and teachers at Anh Linh during 2013.

In the beginning of 2013, about 20 students at Anh Linh had a chance to touch a camera and learn how to use a camera as well as a film camera for the first time. This chance was brought to those students by Violette Martin, who is a French volunteer and is an organizer of a club called “A club of Junior photographers” at Anh Linh.These students were taught some taking photograph techniques, how to choose a topic for their photograph and how to express their idea through pictures that they took. The club was hold within 3 weeks. The students were so eager to attend the club where they learnt how to observe and catch beautiful moments of life. The club also helped them be more sensitive and feel the artistic beauty of a photo. Violette will come back to Vietnam in January 2014 to continue this project at Anh Linh. For this upcoming event, students will learn how to tell their own story or how they feel about their life through photos they take.

From March 2013, we created a connection with Hochiminh City University of Natural Sciences and had their commitment to help Anh Linh in educational fields. Follow the commitment, the university will send to Anh Linh groups of volunteers who are good students, dynamic and enthusiastic. These volunteers have helped tutor students at Anh Linh, organized sightseeing activities and extracurricular activities such as: made useful things from recycle materials or outdoor activities. By doing these activities, in return, the volunteers have had an environment to apply knowledge they have learnt and had a chance to enrich their life experience. When receiving help from these volunteers, students at Anh Linh have changed the way they think about their situation. Some of them now wish to study in a university so that they can be a university student like the volunteers and can help other people like they are being helped. That is the greatest thing this activity brings to Anh Linh students.

The 2012 – 2013 school year has finished since May, 2013. There were 11 students of grade 9 graduating from Anh Linh junior high school, and they are studying grade 10 in public high schools. One of those students is Nguyễn Ngọc Mỹ Anh. She is an excellent student who won the third place in a Math competition at city level. For primary students, there were 33 students graduating, and ten of them are studying grade 6 in public junior high schools.

Since August 2013, the new school year started. There are 148 primary students and 95 junior students at Anh Linh. Regarding grade 6 students, beside the students who were transferred from Anh Linh primary school, there are students coming from other love schools. After 7 years since Anh Linh organized a junior high sc hool, Anh Linh has received great support and trust from love schools in adjacent areas, such as district 7, district 1 and Nha Be district. Those love schools only has primary program; hence, the students graduated have to find a junior high school to study by themselves or drop out. Now they do not need to worry about that because they can study at Anh Linh until grade 9. We are so happy that we can serve and help more unlucky students.

There were many old students visiting Anh Linh on November 20th 2013, the Vietnamese Teachers’ Day. That was a memorable ceremony. We were glad to see our students study harder to get better marks or behave in a nicer way because they would like to make a special gift to their teachers. Those were not tangible gifts, but they were priceless to us. We were also more than happy to see our old students who now are mature and live a better life. Some of them are successful and have a stable life. Most of them got married and their children are taken care well. They re cognize the extremely important role of education; therefore, their children are studying in public schools at a right age. A new generation was born, and this helps lead their life to better situation from now on.

In the 2012 letter, I mentioned the opening of a bread bakery with the purpose of creating job for some students. As the job was not suitable for their age and we would like them to pay attention to the more essential thing which is studying, we have temporarily closed the bakery. However, careers guidance and creating job for students are always our priorities. The economic condition is becoming harder, so students at the age between 15 years old to 17 years old have become the work force of their family. Many students have to quit their education while in a half way. Most students at this age have not completed grade 9, and are not trained in any specific occupation, as well as are not old enough to work according to the Labor Rights. It is difficult for them to find a job. No job, no stable income along with the rising social problems such as crimes and drugs, these students can easily be influenced and might take a wrong way. It is sad to see some of the students who dropped out have gone back to the streets where they had been before they came to Anh Linh. We wish to have more activities regarding career guidance and vocational education and create more connections to organizations that have vocational education programs so that students, who cannot continue studying, can earn a job by their own, become a good person and can settle down more easily.

Those were major events at Anh Linh in 2013. I hope this provides you an overview of advantages and disadvantages that the teachers and students are encountering. Despite the difficulties, we, sisters of Congregation of Notre Dame, together with the teachers at Anh Linh still believe that you are always be with us along way ahead. We know that you are happy too to see the awards of what we have done for these students on their education pathway, and that you will stand side by side with us to get over obstacles on our way in order to create a better future for these students. Without your encouragements and material and spiritual support, we cannot do that much.

Represent all the teachers and students at Anh Linh love schools, I would love to express my sincere gratitude to all sponsors. I would love to say thank you so much for your emails and kind support and so many things else during the year. We appreciate what you have been doing for the school. As the Christmas and a New Year are coming, I kindly wish you all a Season full of happiness and the grace of God, and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Principal of Anh Linh love school,

Bui Thi Kim Ngoc – CND

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!