Helping child victims of the Agent Orange disaster - Vietnam

Helping child victims of the Agent Orange disaster – Vietnam

Charity:
Helping Victims of Agent Orange

Helping child victims of the Agent Orange disaster

Country

Vietnam

Start Year:

2009

Run Time:

1 Participant Age:

6-11 years

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What is Co-Funding?

Co-funding with the ALMT allows individuals, other Trusts and Foundations, and Companies to contribute funds directly to individual, vetted and approved, project partnerships. With fifteen years of experience awarding grants and working in partnership with children’s organisations around the world, the ALMT is best placed to support you in your philanthropy.

Two friends of the ALMT, Anna Lovell-Knight and Melanie Williams embarked on a journey to Ho Chi Minh City in October 2009 in search of a child they had read about in an article that had touched their hearts. This young boy (Minh An, now aged 13) had been abandoned as a baby and thrown on a rubbish tip. He was taken into Tu Du hospital, which specialises in the care of children who are victims of the “Agent Orange” disaster, the herbicide which affected vast areas of crops throughout Vietnam during the War. These children suffered horrific deformities and were abandoned by their families.

Anna and Melanie found Minh An’s hospital and were able to see for themselves the horrendous disfigurements that he and the other children were left with. Minh An spent his days either tied to his bed or to a plastic chair. He had no books to look at, no toys to play with, no music to listen to. After only 3 days’ application of aqueous cream, his skin showed a remarkable improvement and the agonising itching lessened.

The introduction of a few cheap toys stimulated the children enormously. The ALMT made a grant to assist Anna and Melanie to be able to decorate the wards, provide stimulating toys, basic medication and equipment.