A big thank you to all of the Dining For Women Chapters who are supporting Children of Vietnam's Empowering Foundation for Women and Their Children this month! 

With your support, COV will be able to provide customized programs for single mothers living in poverty so that they will be empowered for a better future. 

Empowering Foundations for Women and their Children (EFWC)

The Mission: Changing the lives of impoverished, homeless and handicapped children in Vietnam by addressing the root causes of poverty for vulnerable populations including impoverished single mothers with dependent children.

The Program: EFWC is a special initiative to promote income sustainability for struggling, single mothers. DFW will support 75 women through EFWC that will work to develop personal empowerment plans to lift families out of poverty through training, microloans, healthcare and improved housing.  DFW's goal is to provide a grant for $45,000 to be disbursed over a 2 year period.  

Why we love this program: This is a powerful program with an individual approach as these women face a myriad of barriers that trap them in poverty.   It requires a multi-faceted effort to confront the causes of poverty as a single solution often fails .  EFWC will work collaboratively with each woman to develop an empowerment plan by assessing needs, identifying strengths and defining personal goals.  Ultimate GOAL:  for each mother to be in charge of her future and to earn a stable income that sustains the family.

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Please check out this uplifting video put together by the Vietnamese Student Association at Ohio State University. Their Hold On To Hope video benefit's UNAVSA's 2012 philanthrophy- the Children of Vietnam's Hope System of Care. 

What gives you Hope? 

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Check out the excitement on these kids faces when they were delivered vitamin-fortified meals!

COV distributes 855,360 of these meals at 2 cents per meal across Quang Nam Province. 

Donate to COV's nutrition programs here

Want to see Saigon circa 1945? Check out this video! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=eR1OIgftNvU

Did you know? COV is working to alleviate malnutrition and stunted growth by distributing 855,360 of vitamin-fortified meals at 2 cents per meal across Quang Nam Province to rural kindergartens, orphanages, pagodas and rural hospitals. Find more about COV's nutrtition programs here

From Asia One News

HA NOI - The Viet Nam General Nutrition Survey 2009-10 report, released yesterday, revealed that one out of three children under the age of five suffers from malnutrition, causing serious developmental defects.

The study also showed that the rate of pre-school children who are underweight is 17.5per cent, and that 29.3 per cent experienced stunted growth in 2010.

In other words, Viet Nam has 2.1 million stunted and 1.3 million underweight children.

Another alarming finding was that children in remote areas suffer the consequences of malnutrition at a rate twice as high as those who grew up in more developed regions of the country.

Other scientific studies have proven that the effects of malnutrition go beyond the potential growth rate of individual children, but can also have an impact on the social and economic development of the country.

Nguyen Viet Tien, Deputy Health Minister, said, "This study has provided a more comprehensive picture of the nutritional situation of families in Viet Nam. This information adds to a wider understanding of the importance of the issue to our country."

Other problems revealed by the survey included an obesity rate among children close to 6 per cent. In large urban areas, such as HCM City and Ha Noi, the rates are as high as 12-15 per cent.

Since 2006, the childhood obesity rate for children under five has seen a six-fold rise.

"We face two challenges. On the one hand, malnutrition remains a problem in much of the rural areas of Viet Nam, particularly in mountainous regions. At the same time, urban areas are facing the problem of childhood obesity. The situation requires quick action so we don't make the same mistakes as middle-income countries," said Tien.

The average rate of reduction was 1.3 per cent per year for stunted children and 7.1 per cent for underweight children from 1995 to 2010, according to the survey.

Make Agent Orange History featured the UNAVSA and COV's Hope System of Care in a recent blog entry. Check it out! 

Clara Wilson, a young and loyal COV supporter has completed raising money to rebuild a tsunami torn kindergarten in Vietnam. Find out how she did it with the FOX news story below! 

COLUMBIA,SC (WACH) -- After years of watching her grandfather help people in Vietnam, Clara Wilson decided to take on a fundraising project of her own.

The eight year old, managed to raise 12,000 dollars to help rebuild a school in Vietnam.

The school was destroyed by a typhoon in 2009.

Clara raised the funds with the help and organization of a website called Citizen Effect.

She juggled a couple different ways to come up with the money, such as making bottle cap necklaces and selling lemonade.

Her most lucrative idea involved Nexsen Pruett, a fundraiser where employees could pay to wear jeans in their offices.

Clara's grandfather Benjamin Wilson started a non-profit 14 years ago, which  financially helps the people of Vietnam.

His non-profit assists people with medical expenses, learning programs, and overtime has helped to build more than 500 homes for families.

Wilson first traveled to the country for business, and quickly his heart went out to the Vietnamese people.

Now he travels to the country 2 months out of the year, and to the many he has helped he is known as Mr. Ben.

He has seen how many lack basic everyday needs such as decent food, clothing, and shelter.

"They are very industrious people, if they don't make but 30 dollars a month, they save a dollar. They will put a dollar away," said Wilson.

Wilson is proud of his grandaughter and says that she has a wonderful heart for the children in Vietnam.

Have you seen the "Making a Difference" NBC Nightly News feature on Children of Vietnam's partner Dining for Women? 

Check it out below and thanks to Dining for Women for supporting Children of Vietnam with their upcoming May giving campaign! 

• Here is the NBC web link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#4631823