50 school children started the new year with boxes of gifts, courtesy of the staff of Swiss Reinsurance based in Singapore.
These kids, aged between 6 to 15, are under the care of Humanitarian Services for Children of Vietnam (HSCV), and live in the Ba Vi district of Hanoi, Vietnam.
Some are orphans, while others live with the parents in rural areas. All come from farming families whose source of income is from growing rice, vegetables or raising poultry or cattle.
While some of the adults from these families are able to earn extra money by working as construction workers, most of these families continue to struggle below the poverty line because it is hard for the working adults to find part time jobs because of a lack of jobs in the area.
These children receive financial support from HSCV. PHF has been partnering with HSCV since 2009, supporting education and training related programmes managed by the local NGO.
In December 2012, Swiss Reinsurance wrote to PHF to ask how its employees can make a difference during the season of giving.
PHF then put Swiss Reinsurance directly in touch with HSCV. Within days, the good staff of Swiss Reinsurance sprang into action, buying the necessary gift items comprising of soap bars, socks, toothbrushes, toothpastes and other useful items as advised by HSCV based on the needs of these children.
The staff then met up and lovingly giftwrapped the items into boxes, and promptly shipped them over to HSCV for their assistance to distribute to the children.
Receiving the boxes in good order, HSCV visited Khanh Thuong A Primary School, Khanh Thuong B Primary School and Khanh Thuong Secondary School to give out the presents on behalf of Swiss Reinsurance.
Project Happy Feet would like to thank the staff of Swiss Reinsurance Singapore for their generousity and HSCV for their assistance in giving out the gifts to the 50 children.
