The Vietnam Blog

A few months ago we reported about progress on the building of new classrooms at an Early Childhood Center (ECC) in Phuong Vien commune in Ha Hoa district, Phu Tho province, Vietnam.

Last week marked the official celebration of the opening of the new school building at the ECC in Phuong Vien.  LCMS World Mission and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) representatives were invited to come and see the completed school building, meet with teachers and commune officials, and then join together in a celebratory meal.

These new classrooms were made possible by the generosity of Nancy Larson, a member of Bella Vista Lutheran Church (Bella Vista, AR, USA), and Bethel Lutheran Church (Westmont, IL, USA).  We thank God for these generous partners who have helped not only the people of Phuong Vien, but also the relationship between LCMS and Vietnam.  Thank you!

What a joy to see the newly completed school!  They did a very nice job, complete with a fresh coat of paint.  The teachers were their to greet us when we arrived, and you could tell by their smiles that they were proud of their new school building.  Classes at this school will begin next week, and no doubt the students will be thrilled with their brand new classrooms!

Quality facilities are a very serious need in communes like Phuong Vien.  With many children wanting to come to school, many ECCs lack enough classrooms to accomodate students.  Class sizes get larger and larger, and the school day is divided in half–a morning class and an afternoon class.  An expansion like the one supported by LCMS World Mission will put less strain on class sizes by providing two brand new classrooms.

Dr. Ngu speaks with commune leaders and school teachers.

Moreover, LCMS World Mission and the NIN often implement nutrition projects in schools across Phu Tho province.  Building adequate school facilities also helps our work of teaching children and teachers proper nutrition and food preparation techniques so that children are not just able to develop intellectually but physically, too.  Having a safe environment for children is important for parents, too, so that they can focus on their farming and other income-generating work.  LCMS is happy, then, to help not just these children but also by extension the entire community!

We look forward to visiting again once classes are in session so we can hear from the students what they think!