Despite the worsening global economic climate, leading on-line car hire company Rhino Car Hire have teamed up with the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation to sponsor five Vietnamese children from poor families. The business selected a group of children from the thousands which are protected by Blue Dragon, who will receive ongoing sponsorship to help them with school fees and medical cover.

Jules Alexander, a spokesman for www.rhinocarhire.com tells us that, “Despite the fact that the worldwide economic crisis means that the company needs to ensure that budgets are keenly managed, we feel that as a major travel related company we should give something back to the nation's which enable our business. We decided upon Vietnam as the recipient of our donation simply because we were impressed with the way the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation operates”.

To make a donation, not matter how small , please visit: Blue Dragon Children's Foundation



Blue Dragon Children's Foundation specialise in procuring charity donations for Vietnamese street children from poor families, who are unable to secure adequate healthcare and meet the costs of schooling. All of the children protected by the foundation come from families with an income of less than $25 a month, making them some of the poorest children in Southeast Asia. Jules Alexander tells us that “We were very impressed with the way the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation operates their business. The foundation is more like a large family, taking care of thousands of children, than an institution which runs its fund-raising scheme as a profit-making venture, with very little of the actual money donated reaching the people that need it. Instead, Blue Dragon ensures that administrative costs are kept in a minimum so that the major portion of every donation reaches the children who need it”.

Of the five children that www.rhinocarhire.com, four of them come from families on income of less than $15 a month, and are struggling to feed themselves, making it unlikely that they can continue with schooling in the future. One of the children comes from a family which has recently lost 90% of its livestock, with only three pigs left from which to make an income. All of the children which www.rhinocarhire.com chose to sponsor are extreme cases, making them the kind of children which will benefit most from continued sponsorship. Jules Alexander explains that “We spent a long time discussing the choice of children to sponsor, and in the end we decided to find those which were in extreme cases of poverty, unable to afford to continue to pay for schooling. We feel that by enabling these five children to gain an education that we are doing more than simply supplying food and medical care, we are presenting these children with the possibility of bettering their future”.

As an organisation www.rhinocarhire.com has decided to allocate funds taken from its business development budget and donate it to poor children in Vietnam. This is an extremely altruistic decision during these times of global economic crisis, and one which www.rhinocarhire.com believes to be worth the risk, as a major travel orientated on-line provider the company feels that it is only fair that they give something back to the global community.


Meet Rhino's  sponsored children...……


                          
Nguyen Cong Thanh - Grade 6

Thanh’s father died of a heart attack in 2001 when Thanh was only 4 years old. Thanh now lives with his aunt because his mother can’t afford to feed him. The family has a small plot of farm land, which provides a very small income of about $12US per month. His aunt is not married, and is often very sick, so farming can be difficult for her. Thanh’s diet mostly consists of inexpensive vegetables and the rice that they grow.

Even though Thanh lives a very difficult life, he is an excellent student and has received many awards for his hard work. He loves maths and sports. He wishes to become a football player in the future.




Nguyen Van Tuan - Grade 6

Tuan’s father is deaf and dumb and his mother has difficulties with her back from working on the farm. They live in a very simple house which lacks the basic necessities. They have a small plot of farm land, but because of his parents’ poor health, they have difficulty maintaining it. They borrowed about $300US to buy livestock, but most of the livestock was killed by disease. Now they are left with only 3 pigs.

Even though his family struggles to pay his school fees, and their home lacks the things he needs to help him study, Tuan is an excellent student and enjoys maths the most. 


                               
Do Thi Anh - Grade 7

Anh’s father died in 2004 and her mother takes care of their 2 children by herself. They have a small plot of farm land which provides a modest income. They struggle to survive on this small income, so school becomes a luxury for the family and Anh.

Anh hopes she can continue to go to school for a long time. She loves music and wants to become a music teacher one day.




Dao Thi Thuy - Grade 6

Thuy has two brothers who are also in school. Their family lives on a small farm that provides an income of about $15US per month.  After the harvest season, both of her parents try to earn extra money by doing temporary work. Her mother makes paper offerings used in death ceremonies, but this brings in very little income.

Thuy is a good student in school and hopes to continue getting support to pay her school fees.




Nguyen Thi Luong - Grade 6

Luong has two brothers. Her father works on a construction site, earning about $15US per month. However, this job is not steady and doesn’t provide a continuous income. Luong’s mother has severe back problems from farming the land for so long, therefore she struggles to do other work to earn extra income for the family.

Luong lacks some of the school equipment she needs to help her study at home, but she is an excellent student and particularly enjoys maths.


Thank you for supporting the children of Vietnam!

www.streetkidsinvietnam.com

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