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The ABCs of "Kids Helping Kids"
The Australian, British, Canadian Program
Organizations that succeed view "problems" as "opportunities"and go about finding a way to achieve. This attitude has been lived by our founder (Dawn Degenhardt) passed down to our Vietnam Project Director (Joy Degenhardt) and now it seems as though we have the beginnings of a third generation of Degenhardt volunteer leaders...
 In September 2013, when funds ran out for the Autism Project and our dedicated volunteer, Duy Lyford, returned home, Joy needed to find other resources to continue the program. Chelsea, Joy's daughter, attends the Australian International School (AIS) and on several occasions was allowed to leave school to participate in the different medical/dental missions and other charitable projects that Joy was developing and managing. The principal of the school was very encouraging to Chelsea and said she would always be allowed to leave school for such a noble cause. As Joy, the principal and the staff discussed more of what she was developing for Aid for Kids they asked if AIS students could become involved. And that is how it began - KIDS HELPING KIDS - or The A B C Program.
The first official project with the Australian International School (AIS) was in December 2013 when the NOVA University medical mission team was providing free medical care in Ben Tre Province, one of the poorest cities in along the Mekong delta. My daughter, Chelsea, a teacher, and four other students from AIS travelled with them to prepare all aspects of a Christmas party for 150 orphaned children that was being sponsored by the NOVA group. Purchasing food and gifts, gift wrapping, planning for games, doing Christmas decorations etc. was the focus of the AIS kids. Both the NOVA University medical graduates and the young AIS students worked together to arrange a very exciting Christmas party for the children. They ended up hiding 150 baby Christmas stockings (filled with candy & chocolate in the bloody hot weather) as a treasure hunt and the kids were running everywhere to find their very own stocking. Officials also got their very own stocking and then Santa arrived and the kids were ecstatic The medical students and the AIS students helped Santa to make sure each child got their own gift. Everyone had a wonderful time and there is more discussion for future projects.
 
Currently, there are 13 AIS students are volunteering once a week to work and play with the children under supervision of a trained instructor. It is an AIS requirement that before graduation all students must volunteer a certain number of hours to community projects. Chelsea is now Chairman of the Fundraising Committee for AIS Aid for Kids projects. The committee is currently working on plans to raise funds for the Tu Xuong (TX) Rehabilitation Center projects.
After meeting with the British International School (BIS) and discussing what the AIS students were focusing on, discussions were had to decide how the BIS students could be involved with the REHABILITATION CENTER FOR THE DISABLED CHILDREN AT TU XUONG, HO CHI MINH CITY, where AFK is developing the autism program. We have a volunteer, Nicola McSweeney, who is specializing in special needs children & autistic children at BIS. Each week the autistic kids from Tu Xuong Center are taken to the BIS campus where they have a safe soft inside play area. Time is spent with the BIS students working and playing with the TX kids, under supervision, working on development and motor skills, including playing in the pool and the sand center.
  
When the Canadian International School (CIS)learned of the needs of the TX Center, two teachers, Ted & Rita Miller (husband and wife) from CIS volunteered to develop the procedure therapy autism manual & teaching English. Our volunteer Ted has had training and experience in providing therapy for Autistic children and the volunteers thought it was important to have a autism training manual which they will develop and write based on the previous material provided. Nicola and Ted will be developing this manual together. The CIS high school students will be providing the translations for all the material. The students will also be fundraising for the materials for books, arts and crafts and other educational materials/equipment needed for this project. Rita is the ESL Coordinator & Teacher at CIS. She will be volunteering her time teaching ESL to the TX staff.
We wondered how we would be able to continue the project when we ran out of funds. Both Joy and Chelsea, along with the three ABC schools and their staff have put together an amazingly creative successful project to meet the needs of not only the Tu Xuong Rehabilitation Center kids but in teaching awareness of others needs who are less fortunate. High schools around our country are more and more teaching community service and awareness of others and including volunteerism in their curriculum. It will be interesting to watch further development of this amazing project with the International Schools in Saigon. The needs are so great - but I am convinced that there many volunteers of all ages eager and willing to carry on this program in better and more effective ways.
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Dawn Degenhardt
Executive Director
(dawn@aidforkids.org) |
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