German State Minister Visits Children in Ho Chi Minh City

Minister-president of the German state of Hessen Volker Bouffier and his wife spent a morning visiting World Vision’s activities at a primary school and a club of children with disability in Ho Chi Minh City on October 6.

“Beside sparkling lights of Ho Chi Minh City, there are still poor people in District 8,” he addressed at his speech at Van Nguyen Primary School. “Our delegation of Hessen wants to take a part in helping local people and we understand the support should be long-term.”

Mr Bouffier also confirmed his assistance to the children when visiting Rang Dong Club of children with disability. “What the children want is love and care. Their teachers are doing their jobs very well,” he said. “The club needs more financial assistance. We hope we’ll continue our funding for the children.”

At Van Nguyen School, Mr Bouffier and his wife had a short talk with some girls who used to be former sponsored children under World Vision’s programme. Most of them have graduated from their college and university or found a stable job.

The president was accompanied by a delegation of more than 30 people from the state, including Ambassador of Federal Republic of Germany in Vietnam Jutta Frasch. World Vision Germany's Chief Executive Officer Christoph Waffenschmidt, World Vision Vietnam’s National Director Daniel Salvanayagam and other senior staff of the two offices also participated in the president’s visit. 

World Vision has assisted Van Nguyen School to upgrade its infrastructure and to train teachers on active learning methods so as to improve learning conditions for their students. The children at Rang Dong club have been provided with learning kits, functional rehabilitation equipment and toys while their teachers have received training courses on caring children with disabilities.  

“We decided to visit World Vision because the organisation has worked in the city for 15 years. On behalf of our people, our researchers and our lecturers in Hessen, I would like to thank World Vision and to honour their work,” he said. “We hope the activities will be expanded in District 8 and more work will be also carried out in District 4.”

World Vision started Urban Area Development Programme in District 8 in Ho Chi Minh City in 1997, focusing on health, education, child participation, livelihoods and capacity building. The third phase of the UADP, which lasts from 2010 till 2014, will benefit 22,000 people in the district. 

“When working with World Vision, we have satisfied with such successful models as the prevention of HIV and AIDS, clubs of children with disabilities, which help them integrate into their communities, and the livelihood assistance for poor people. We are expanding these models in other non-World Vision working areas,” Nguyen Thi Ngoc Bich, Vice Chairwoman of District 8 People’s Committee, delivered her welcoming speech to Mr Bouffier.