kids clothes for orphanage

Hangle wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I will volunteer this Sunday in an orphanage in Vung Tau where are 39 kids needing a lot of help. If you have clothes that you dont use anymone and want to donate for kids, please contact me.
Here is our website if you want to take a look:
http://blesseddiscoveries.com/discoveries.html

Thank you a lot!
Hang

That website is a travel agency/tour operator.  I think it's a great idea to offer trips/outings that aren't focused solely on tourist traps but sprinkle charity projects in there. 

So how about giving more specific information on the actual orphanage in Vũng Tàu.  What's the name and address of the place?  Who runs it?  How long has it been in operation?

Looks to me like one of those you pay to go companies

The website runs by a Singaporean and a Vietnamese.

Here is the address of the orphanage Mái ấm Thi Ân :  A22 – Tổ 8 – Ấp Phước Thắng – Xã Phước Tỉnh – Huyện Long Điền _ Long Tỉnh – Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu run by Maria Dương Thị Nhàn.
If you doubt, you can join us to see what is actually happen.

Hangle wrote:

The website runs by a Singaporean and a Vietnamese.

Here is the address of the orphanage Mái ấm Thi Ân :  A22 – Tổ 8 – Ấp Phước Thắng – Xã Phước Tỉnh – Huyện Long Điền _ Long Tỉnh – Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu run by Maria Dương Thị Nhàn.
If you doubt, you can join us to see what is actually happen.

That's not good enough Hangle.  When you talk to Expats, you can't just use "trust us" type of talk.  Since there are so many fake charities and tour operators out there taking advantage of Expats.  Giving a web address that points to a tour operator instead of the actual orphanage doesn't show credibility.  Being upfront and disclose everything usually helps. 

Thank you for disclosing name and address of this orphanage.  I am in BRVT province and will scout out this charity.  Already I found a few websites that have articles written about this orphanage.

http://dongten.net/noidung/8760
http://www.hdvietnam.com/diendan/283-ba … -chip.html
http://vicongdong.vn/duan/?code=HUUSPR

The last website gives a little insight on the situation at this orphanage:  I'll write the original and then translate (using google)

Mái ấm Thi Ân (A22 – Tổ 8 – Ấp Phước Thắng – Xã Phước Tỉnh – Huyện Long Điền _ Tỉnh Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu) nơi cưu mang nuôi dưỡng hơn 30 trẻ mồi côi được sơ Maria Dương Thị Nhàn chăm sóc. Hiện nay, mái ấm vẫn chưa có nhà ở phải nương tựa nhà dân. Cuộc sống của các em còn nhiều khó khăn vất vả, vào mùa có cá và tôm sơ cùng các em nhận làm cá và bóc vỏ tôm thuê thu nhập được khoảng 60.000 đến 100.000/ngày.

Mái ấm Thi Ân orphanage, a place with more than 30 foster/orphan children cared for by Sister (Catholic Nun) Maria Dương Thị Nhàn .  Currently, there is no building so the orphanage uses/borrows refuge in someone else's house. The kids live in difficult conditions, such that when the fishing season arrives, Sister Maria and the orphans accept work filleting fish and deshelling shrimp to make about 60,000 to VND 100,000 per day ($3 - $5 USD/day).

Bữa ăn chính của các em chỉ có rau và dưa có được nhờ Sơ đi xin được của bà con ngoài chợ. Thỉnh thoảng bên giáo xứ Phước Bình cũng hỗ trợ cho các em được 1-2 kg thịt / tuần. Các em ở đây rất ngoan, sơ cho gì thì ăn đó. Điều mà sơ lo nhất là trang bị cơ sở cho các em học tập. Tất cả các em ở đây đều được sơ cho đi học đầy đủ. Nhìn sơ qua những kệ sách của các em, hầu như đã củ và nhạt màu, nhưng vẫn đuợc bao bọc kỷ. Cứ đưa lớn học xong lại để lại cho đứa nhỏ, năm nay qua năm khác . Mấy cái cặp sách đi học, giày dép của các em cũng vậy, cái nào cũng củ và rách hết . Mỗi em chỉ có một bộ đồ đi học duy nhất , xong một ngày là giặt phơi cho khô để mai có đồ đi học tiếp

The meals mainly consists of vegetables and melons/cucumbers because Sister Maria goes to asks/begs people around the market.  Sometimes the Phước Bình parish gives the children 1-2 kg of meat / week. The children here are very good and will eat what Sister Maria gives them. The most important worry for Sister Maria is the equipment for the children to learn/go to school. Sister Maria makes sure all the children have the tools to go to school. Glance the children's bookshelves, the books are old and faded, but still usable. When the bigger kids finish with a book, they are handed down to the smaller kids, year after year (hand me down books). Hand me down backpacks, hand m down shoes, everything old and tearing.  Each child has only one set of school uniforms, when done for the day, must wash and dry them in order to use the same uniform the next day.

Well, I did not know that there are fake charities. I did not think about it either so i did not write detail in my post.
And i just ask for usded clothes only, i did not ask for money. Assuming that i am doing fake charity, what can i do with used clothes? Spending my time in writing, collecting and selling used clothes to earn little money or sth?
I posted on anphuneighbor too and a Korean woman gave me clothes today. I am having my washing machine washed them cz clothes are put with some shoes . So happy.
So after scouting out this charity, you will do something for the kids or just want to clarify?
You can search on facebook. Dont know why I cant copy the link.
Thank you!

it is a sad day when charities are big businesses..

hELLnoi wrote:

it is a sad day when charities are big businesses..

Yes, like I said, lots of those.  But this one so far looks legit...I'll check them out.

I'm not an expat. I live in the US but I've been to Viet Nam 11 times. I can understand the hesitancy on the part of people in the expat community to get involved in some "charitable" activities. I've known Hằng for a couple of years. I've been to her house and I've met her family. I can vouch for her. She's a completely honest person. If she says that she's collecting used clothes to give to an orphanage in Vung Tau, I can 100% guarantee that she's collecting used clothes to give to an orphanage in Vung Tau. She wouldn't do anything dishonest. As she said, she's not asking for money. She's just collecting used clothes. (She has no idea that I'm posting this, btw.)

JMyers wrote:

I'm not an expat. I live in the US but I've been to Viet Nam 11 times. I can understand the hesitancy on the part of people in the expat community to get involved in some "charitable" activities. I've known Hằng for a couple of years. I've been to her house and I've met her family. I can vouch for her. She's a completely honest person. If she says that she's collecting used clothes to give to an orphanage in Vung Tau, I can 100% guarantee that she's collecting used clothes to give to an orphanage in Vung Tau. She wouldn't do anything dishonest. As she said, she's not asking for money. She's just collecting used clothes. (She has no idea that I'm posting this, btw.)

What posts did you read that said any of us believe the OP to be dishonest?   Your post is unnecessary as it implies a need to support the OP's character.  It also implies others believe specifically that the OP is dishonest.  We are discussing charities in general..   

JMyers wrote:

I'm not an expat. I live in the US but I've been to Viet Nam 11 times. I can understand the hesitancy on the part of people in the expat community to get involved in some "charitable" activities.

would have been a good post.

What posts did I read that said any of you believe the OP to be dishonest? You said,

"That's not good enough Hangle.  When you talk to Expats, you can't just use "trust us" type of talk.  Since there are so many fake charities and tour operators out there taking advantage of Expats.  Giving a web address that points to a tour operator instead of the actual orphanage doesn't show credibility.  Being upfront and disclose everything usually helps. "

What does that imply?

I was simply posting to say that she's trustworthy and she's not promoting a fake charity.

JMyers wrote:

What posts did I read that said any of you believe the OP to be dishonest? You said,

"That's not good enough Hangle.  When you talk to Expats, you can't just use "trust us" type of talk.  Since there are so many fake charities and tour operators out there taking advantage of Expats.  Giving a web address that points to a tour operator instead of the actual orphanage doesn't show credibility.  Being upfront and disclose everything usually helps. "

What does that imply?

I was simply posting to say that she's trustworthy and she's not promoting a fake charity.

Oh it's my post?  I didn't think it implied that.  So we have again mis-communication.

If you look at the original post, the link provided is NOT related to the orphanage, but to a tour provider.  The post after that was from me asking for more information because I went to the link provided and it didn't give me specific information.

colinoscapee jumped in saying it "Looks to me like one of those you pay to go companies" which is his opinion as there are many "pay to volunteer" gigs already in Việt Nam.

To which the OP replied "If you doubt, you can join us to see what is actually happen."

That sentence to me read like the OP was talking to colinoscapee.

I actually met colinoscapee in real life because we live in the same province and among the many discussions we've had about expat life is charity work. 

So knowing colinoscapee a bit, I advised the OP that she can't just say "trust us...come along and see" type of response when talking to an Expat.  We need more detailed information.  Thus I helped her in finding that information on the Internet after she told me the name and address of the orphanage.  I posted those links.

So the lesson here is if a local wants to invite Expats to an orphanage, they need to provide more detailed information than simply a "come and see" type of invitation.  It's two different cultures and types of communication.  I didn't think I was accusing the OP of being dishonest but providing her tips on how to encourage expats to do charity work.

I mentioned your post unnecessary because there wasn't an accusation of dishonesty or that this particular charity is fake.  So despite your good intention (and creating an account to post for the first time), you muddle it up a bit more.