Nhat Hong School, Tam Hai, Thu Duc, HCM

Nhat Hong School, Tam Hai, Thu Duc, HCM

Compare this gate to the "gate" to the old facility! This is the new Nhat Hong Center for the Blind located in Thu Duc.

This new 4-story facility opened in September of 2007. The property belongs to the Sisters Lovers of the Cross of Thu Duc and the building was funded by the Christian Blind Mission. The Blind Vietnamese Children Foundation paid for the furnishings. 30 children live here with a dozen sisters and some volunteers. Some of the children attend school close by. The sisters escort the children to school on motorbikes

Some of the residents at the new facility are "multi-impaired." Bang is autistic as well as blind. He recognizes Sister Van Nga when he touches her watch.

This volunteer helps dress the children.

On Saturday, January 12, a special Mass was celebrated by Fr. Thuan at the new center. At this mass 20 guests (friends of the BVCF) from the United States were welcomed by the Sisters, staff, volunteers, and residents of Nhat Hong. After the Mass, the children performed a number of songs for the guests. The children are typically not shy and love to perform!

Phong (L) played the keyboard at the Mass and accompanied the performing residents afterwards. Phong teaches music at Nhat Hong and is himself completely blind. He was trained in music from the age of 14. He reads music in Braille and plays piano, guitar, and the drums. Besides teaching at the school, he performs at a coffee house in a band every night. His real dream is to play classical music (his favorite composer is Beethoven). Unfortunately due to his busy schedule, the lack of access to a real piano makes it hard for him to pursue this dream. The gentleman next to him is named Giap and is one of Phong's students and plays the flute.

The gentleman on the right speaking with Fr. Thuan is also blind. He was schooled at a government-run school. Now he is a treacher here at Nhat Hong.

There are 30 students at this center ranging from pre-school to adult. As at all of these facilities, the residents live like a family. The real families of these children live at a distance. Roads and travel in Vietnam make it difficult for familes to visit their children very often.

Lunchtime at Nhat Hong.

A "welcome home" hug for Sister Phong.

There is little that the students can NOT do. Here is an arrangement of silk flowers. The flowers were made by a blind person and arranged by the Sisters.

One "story of success" is this Photocopy shop. Part of the sisters' motherhouse in Thu Duc was converted to a storefront and the Blind Vietnamese Children Foundation awarded a grant to purchase the equipment

"Graduates" of Nhat Hong, Thao and Linh, work here.

Thao and Linh. Thao and Linh who work here have stories of their own to tell. Thao won an international art competition for sight-impaired in Slovakia for her paper collage (now hanging on my wall). Linh's family sold their home in order to pay for eye surgery in Singapore which was mildly successful. These ladies work quite independently and are very busy in their store. In the afternoon they fry up fish and sell it to hungry passersby!

Thao's award-winning color paper collage.

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	Compare this gate to the "gate" to the old facility! This is the new Nhat Hong Center for the Blind located in Thu Duc.
	This new 4-story facility opened in September of 2007. The property belongs to the Sisters Lovers of the Cross of Thu Duc and the building was funded by the Christian Blind Mission. The Blind Vietnamese Children Foundation paid for the furnishings. 30 children live here with a dozen sisters and some volunteers. Some of the children attend school close by. The sisters escort the children to school on motorbikes
	Some of the residents at the new facility are "multi-impaired." Bang is autistic as well as blind. He recognizes Sister Van Nga when he touches her watch.
	This volunteer helps dress the children.
	On Saturday, January 12, a special Mass was celebrated by Fr. Thuan at the new center. At this mass 20 guests (friends of the BVCF) from the United States were welcomed by the Sisters, staff, volunteers, and residents of Nhat Hong. After the Mass, the children performed a number of songs for the guests. The children are typically not shy and love to perform!
	Phong (L) played the keyboard at the Mass and accompanied the performing residents afterwards. Phong teaches music at Nhat Hong and is himself completely blind. He was trained in music from the age of 14. He reads music in Braille and plays piano, guitar, and the drums. Besides teaching at the school, he performs at a coffee house in a band every night. His real dream is to play classical music (his favorite composer is Beethoven). Unfortunately due to his busy schedule, the lack of access to a real piano makes it hard for him to pursue this dream. The gentleman next to him is named Giap and is one of Phong's students and plays the flute.
	The gentleman on the right speaking with Fr. Thuan is also blind. He was schooled at a government-run school. Now he is a treacher here at Nhat Hong.
	There are 30 students at this center ranging from pre-school to adult. As at all of these facilities, the residents live like a family. The real families of these children live at a distance. Roads and travel in Vietnam make it difficult for familes to visit their children very often.
Lunchtime at Nhat Hong.	A "welcome home" hug for Sister Phong.
	There is little that the students can NOT do. Here is an arrangement of silk flowers. The flowers were made by a blind person and arranged by the Sisters.
One "story of success" is this Photocopy shop. Part of the sisters' motherhouse in Thu Duc was converted to a storefront and the Blind Vietnamese Children Foundation awarded a grant to purchase the equipment	"Graduates" of Nhat Hong, Thao and Linh, work here.
Thao and Linh.	Thao and Linh who work here have stories of their own to tell. Thao won an international art competition for sight-impaired in Slovakia for her paper collage (now hanging on my wall). Linh's family sold their home in order to pay for eye surgery in Singapore which was mildly successful. These ladies work quite independently and are very busy in their store. In the afternoon they fry up fish and sell it to hungry passersby!
	Thao's award-winning color paper collage.