Events
Vn Flood Relief 2009

Vietnam Flood Relief 2009 / Cứu trợ khẩn cấp cho Miền Trung 2009

Field Update

A message from our member visiting the flood affected area to give out food packages: "We handed 120 packages in Tam Ky. Hard to see there are so many who went home empty..."

"Day 2. To Dai Loc. 8am, the van is on strike. It’s now 9.30am. We have to go now so SC Chung Lien and I escort the truck containing rice and noodles to our destinations. It will be a 2hr journey and Dai Loc is promised to be a devastated and tragically poor. Only 75 families are lucky today. The rest will have to wait…."

There are many more families in desparate need, please keep those donations coming! [more info & photos]

H4H Vietnam Flood Appeal - Donation To Date:$14,369.65

Vietnamese:

Tính đến ngày 16 tháng 10, quỹ cứu trợ bão lũ H4H 2009 tăng lên $14,369,65 (tính luôn quỹ của H4H $3,000) , số tiền chưa chi dùng sẽ được Ban Chấp Hành lên kế họach giúp trực tiếp gia đình bị ảnh hưởng bão lũ vừa qua, đặc biệt tại Kontum, Phú Yên, Quảng Ngãi, Đập Gốc etc…. Chúng tôi sẽ giữ trang này, cập nhật hóa tin tức cho đến khi quỹ cứu trợ chi dùng xong.

H4H Vietnam Flood Appeal - Donation To Date:$14,369.65

Nhóm Góp Một Bàn Tay kêu gọi đóng góp cứu trợ khẩn cấp cho Miền Trung

Bão cấp 9 Katsana là một trong những cơn siêu bão đã đỗ bộ vào miền Trung sau khi ghé qua Phi Luật Tân vào cuối tháng 9 vừa qua. Theo báo chí địa phương cũng như các hãng thông tấn xã nước ngoài, tính đến nay đã có hơn 165 người thiệt mạng, 11 người mất tích và 629 người bị thương sau khi bão Katsana càn quét qua các tỉnh miền Trung vào tuần qua. Khi người dân chưa kịp hoàn hồn thì lại có tin bão Parma đang trên đường đến miền Trung. Theo ước tính thì hiện nay có hơn 12 tỉnh bị ảnh hưởng với thiệt hại lên đến 120 triệu đô la. Miền Trung thường bị ảnh hưởng bởi mưa giông và bão lụt, tuy nhiên bão Katsana được đánh giá có sức tàn phá thiệt hại lớn không thua gì cơn bão lụt vào năm 1999.

Nhóm Góp Một Bàn Tay (GMBT) sẽ chi ra $3000 đô Úc trong tiền quỹ cứu trợ thiên tai để giúp đỡ 300 hộ tại hai tỉnh bị thiệt hại nặng nhất là Quãng Nam và Quãng Ngãi. Chúng tôi kêu gọi quí vị rộng lòng hổ trợ thêm để nhóm GMBT có thể giúp đỡ những người dân trong cảnh chiếu đất mùng trời ở các tỉnh khác. Đây là chương trình cứu trợ có tính cách tạm thời. Nhóm GMBT hiện đang có một thành viên đi thị sát các tỉnh bị thiệt hại nặng và sẽ có những dự án hổ trợ lâu dài, nhất là những nơi mà các em học sinh trong các dự án giáo dục đang cư trú.

Trong những tuần vừa qua các mạng thông tinh truyền thông chính mạch tràn ngập các tin tức về thiên tai tại đảo Samoa, Phi Luật Tân và Indonesia nhưng dường như không nhắc đến những người dân bất hạnh tại miền Trung. Đây là thời gian họ cần cứu trợ và giúp đỡ hơn bao giờ hết, xin quý vị hãy góp một bàn tay để chúng ta cùng giúp người dân miền Trung vượt qua cơn hoạn nạn này.

Nếu quí vị muốn đóng góp xin gửi thẳng vào trương mục hoặc dùng Netbank**
Tên tài khoản: Hands for Hope Inc
Tên ngân hàng: Commonweath Bank
Số chi nhánh: 063-123
Số tài khoản: 1026 87 18
Nếu dùng Netbank, xin vui long điền VnF09 và tên họ vào ô “To account description’’ thí dụ “VnF09 Nguyen Van A”
Khi gửi tiền vào trương mục xong, xin vui lòng gởi biên lai và email: hoặc vào hộp thư nhóm PO Box 809 Sunshine MDC Victoria 3020.

Nếu muốn biết thêm chi tiết xin liên lạc chúng tôi qua số 0403 569 121

Ban Điều Hành nhóm GMBT

H4H Vietnam Typhoon Appeal 2009

Thursday 08 Oct 2009
Media Release: Desperate Calling from Vietnam for flood victims

One of the most destructive storms in years, Ketsana first made landfall in the Philippines on 26 September before strengthening over the South China Sea has struck central Vietnam.

State media reported 165 people had died, 11 missing and 629 injured after typhoon Ketsana swept through central Vietnam late last week and it is forecasted that Typhoon Parma is not far away from central Vietnam. The government initially estimated damages in five of 12 affected provinces at more than $120 million. Typhoon is a common occurrence in central Vietnam, but typhoon Ketsana is comparable to the disastrous flood in 1999.

Hands for Hope has pledged $3000 in relief aid for the worst effected areas and is calling for further donation so that they can give assistance to 300 families in Quang Nam and Quang Ngai, two of the hardest hit provinces, beside Kontum. This is a temporary relief effort, further assistance will be assessed while our member is surveying the extended of destruction, especially in regions where disadvantaged children under H4H sponsorship program are residing.

News of natural disasters from Samoa, Philippines and Indonesia has diverted our attention the last few days, except those flood victims from central Vietnam. Please dig deep to help those less fortunate through this disaster.

HOW TO DONATE?
Netbank/direct deposit:
Bank: Commonwealth Bank
Account: Hands for Hope Inc
BSB: 063-123 Account: 10268718
Netbank Ref: VnF09 and Your name eg "VnF09 Mr ABC"

Email your donation details to for record and receipt purposes (including your full name, address, donation amount and banking date). Your donation receipt will be issued in due course.

Please contact H4H member on 0403 569 121 for further details.
Hands for Hope Management Committee

-- End of English Media Release --

View Relief Report

Nhóm Hands for Hope (H4H) thành lập cũng từ sau cơn bão Linda tàn khốc năm 1999, nên chuyện cứu trợ bão lũ là chuyện không xa lạ với chúng tôi nhưng lần này bão mạnh và càn quét thật lâu mà lũ lại cao, ở Đại Lộc, nước dâng tới 4 mét.

Tôi về Việt Nam được 8 ngày vì chuyện gia đình và vì lời hứa với người bạn chí thân. Liên tiếp 3 ngày sau tôi giành nhiều thời gian ngồi trong khách sạn ôm máy tính, hoặc nói điện thọai liên hệ và kêu gọi hỗ trợ từ Việt Nam đến Úc, tạm quên bạn và gia đình. Đến chiều thứ Ba, số tiền quyên góp từ thành viên của H4H và gia đình là $700. H4H có một ngân quỹ cứu trợ thiên tai hằng năm là $2,000. Ít quá, nên nhóm quyết định chi thêm $1,000. Tôi thầm nghĩ, với $3,700, ít ra cũng có 270 gia đình được cứu giúp trong vòng 1 tuần tới, trước khi họ được hỗ trợ thêm.

Ba tỉnh bị thiệt hại nặng nhất bao gồm Kontum, Quảng Ngãi và Quảng Nam. Đến chiều ngày thứ 4, nhóm chuyển về $5,140, tương đương 83,000,000VND, lòng vui khôn siết vì sẽ có 400 gia đình từ Quảng Nam nhận được quà gồm 15kg gạo, 30 gói mì và 50,000VND.

Đến ngày tôi đem quà cứu trợ tới thì bão đã qua và nước đã rút, chỉ còn lại những vết tích của bão lũ ở những nơi tôi đi qua. Tôi không biết giải thích thế nào khi mỗi lần ra miền Trung là tâm trạng lại xót xa, mười lần như chục. Lần này, tôi bấm bụng thân gái một mình đến tận nơi, mong trao những tấm chân tình từ phương xa đến những con người cùng khổ. Đến đâu, tôi cũng nói đây là những món quà từ bà con bên Úc xa xôi gởi đến, còn tôi có nhiệm vụ trao đúng 100% số quà quyên góp được đến tận tay bà con, mong xoa dịu một phần cỏn con cho sự mất mát của họ.

Tôi ở Quảng Nam đúng 42 tiếng đồng hồ, đủ thời gian đến trao quà và an ủi các đồng bào tại Tam Kỳ, Duy Xuyên, Đại Lộc, Đại Sơn. Riêng Đập Gốc thì xa xôi mãi tận Huế, nên có đại diện tín cẩn của H4H tận tay lo. Tôi thầm tiếc không có thêm khoảng 2 tuần nữa, lúc đó tôi sẽ lặn lội đến Kontum, đến Quảng Ngãi, đến ngõ hẻm của Đại Lộc, Đại Sơn, của Đập Gố để chính mình ủy lạo cho những nạn nhân bị bão lũ dày xéo nặng nề nhất mà cho đến giờ phút đó, đường đi vẫn chưa thông.

Sau đây là một những dòng chép nhanh trong lúc tôi ở Việt Nam.

Thân kính
Thanh Nhàn

Xin xem hình ảnh cứu trợ bên dưới

Flood Relief Report

I went to Vietnam for 8 days on family matters and to visit a close friend. At the same time Ketsana Typhoon reached central Vietnam with an immense destructive power.

Hands for Hope (H4H) was formed after the disastrous cyclone Linda in Vietnam in 1999, so we are familiar with the emergency relief work. However, typhoon Ketsana was beyond comprehension in term of intensity and duration of destruction with flooding to a level unseen previously, for instance in Dai Loc water raised over 4m high.

Putting family visit aside, I spent the next three days in the hotel either on the internet or on the phone in contact with friends and supporters back in Australia making desperate call for donations to help these people. By Tuesday, the amount raised by H4H members and their family reached $700, with another $2000 from H4H’s annual emergency relief fund. The management committee then decided to approve a further $1000 making the total amount of $3,700 which would help at least 270 families in the coming week. The three worst affected provinces were Kontum, Quang Ngai and Quang Nam. By Wednesday afternoon, H4H transferred $5140 (which is equivalent to 83 VND millions), I was ecstatic knowing that 400 families from Quang Nam province will receive our relief package consisting of 15kg of rice, 30 packs of instant noodles and 50,000VND.

By the time I began my relief trip, Katsana has moved on leaving behind a disastrous path of destruction. It’s difficult to describe my feeling, but every time I visit central Vietnam heartache and sorrow seemed to be common feelings for this disaster prone region. A lone female traveller to this region not easy, but I pushed on to deliver these packages in this time of needs hoping to ease their pain and suffering.

I stayed in Quang Nam province for 42 hours, enough time to visit and hand out emergency relief packages to people at Tam Ky, Duy Xuyen, Dai Loc and Dai Son. While in Dap Goc, Hue, we had a trusted H4H representative helping us to distribute the relief aid. I wished I had more time where I can go further to other provinces like Kontum, and Quang Ngai or walk all the streets of Dai Loc, Dai Son and Dap Goc to help the rising number of unfortunate people needing assistance.

As of 16th October, donations for the emergency relief fund reached $14,369.65 including the $3000 from H4H’s annual emergency relief fund. H4H management committee will plan how best distribute the remaining unused fund to directly assist other families affected by Ketsana typhoon especially in Kontum, Phu Yen, Quang Ngai and Dap Goc. We will certainly keep you posted of the outcome of this emergency relief effort via our website.

Nhan Nguyen

Images from the affected areas are below.

Email 2 am Wed 7th October 2009.

You’ve received this email because you've donated to the Special Typhoon and Flood Relief Appeal for Central Vietnam 2009 (STFRA)

FUNDS AVAILABLE TO DATE
Thank you so much for your prompt and very generous response to the desperate calling from VN for the Ketsana Typhoon and Flood victims of central Vietnam. You've exceeded H4H pledged amount of $2,000.

I confirmed the receipt of 83,000,000VND at noon 7 Oct (Exchange rate 1AUD:16,147VND)
Donations from Vietnam:10,000,000VND
Total VND on hand 93,000,000VND

As mentioned, I will personally fly out (at my own cost) in a few hours and work with H4H Reps to manage the distribution. 73,000,000VND will be used to distribute amongst 400 families in Quang Nam and Hue tomorrow. The remaining 20,000,000VND together with donations received after 12pm Wed 7 Oct will be used to assist victims from other provinces eg Quang Ngai, Hue, Phu Yen and Kontum in re-establishing their lives.

I will take the opportunity in the next 2 days to assess the destruction and report directly to you in a timely manner. Please check our website for regular updates going forward (saving me time typing up email addresses) :)

We have obtained the list of 400 families from the following areas who will
receive your gifts tomorrow:

PROVINCE VILLAGE/TOWN NO OF FAMILY/Package
Quang Nam Tam Phu/Tam Ky 120
Quang Nam Duy Xuyen 50
Quang Nam Dai Loc 75
Quang Nam Dai Son 50
Hue Gap Goc 100
TOTAL 395

Each package contains 15 or 10kg rice, 30 packs of instant noodles and
50,000VND

CORRECT BANKING INSTRUCTION -
To avoid fraudulent when the appeal email is circulated, please refer to our contact page for correct banking instruction. Please ensure that you notify us of your donation via finance@handsforhope.org.au

I will ensure the security for money you've raised and the distribution of your gifts as above in the most effective manner. Thank you those who've shown concerns for my safety. I dont think Perma typhoon will hit VN land any soon and I will bring myself home safe and sound :)

Regards
Nhan

Day 1 - Oct 8th 2009
My destinations for today are:
1 Tam Ky 120 packages
2 Duy Xuyen 50packages

5:20 am - the alarm was supposed to go off an hour earlier, my flight was scheduled at 6:40 am and I need to be at the airport 60mins before boarding

5.40 am - The girl at the counter told me my flight was booked for yesterday 7th Oct and my ticket is forfeited lol.

8 am - Arrived in Da Nang. I could smell the sadness and great loss in the air. I’d Mi Quang for breakfast on the way to Tam Ky (first stop to hand 120 packages) i couldn’t finish the bowl. I wanted to get there as quickly as I could.

10.10 am - Arrived in Tam Ky, every thing is ready. Su Co Chủng Liên from Tịnh Xá Tân Kỳ greeted me at front door, 120bags of rice have been transported to the meeting point in an empty building in the village. She drove me to the meeting point by a van transporting the remaining 120 bags of instant noodles.

12.10 pm - They were there waiting since 8am, each held a notice handed out by Sư Cô Chủng Liên the day before. I finished handing out 120 packages to 120 families.

There were so many people in need. It was sad to see many went home empty handed.... Feeling empathetic, I took out my pocket money, there were 500,000VND left. I handed 50,000VND each to the old people who didn't get their rice, noodles and money. Then I realised there weren't just 2 of them who didn't get their ration ......

12.30 - Back to the temple, had very quick vegetarian lunch. So yummy!!! :)

1 pm - Went for a ride with Su Co Chung Lien further into the village, many houses were empty, people have been evacuated because their houses are now without roof of totally destructed by Ketsana typhoon. Help is needed enormously but I know we won't be able to help based on our leftover funds.

3.30 pm - A driver drove a company's employee from Tam Ky to the airport. He was gladly gave me a lift to my second destination, Duy Xuyen, which is half way from Tam Ky to Da Nang.

Got there at 4:30 pm, an hour late. People were gathered at Hà Linh temple at 2pm and have gone home. Finished handed 50pacakges by 5:30 pm, in time to get a return lift from Phu on his way back to Tam Ky.

10 pm - I spent the evening with the orphans or disadvantaged students who board at the temple. Sư Cô Chủng Liên paid for their education since they were little. They are now made it to university, TAFE or other training courses to become a useful people in a few years time. I saw the kitchen was busy.....

5 am - Day 2 -- .... Interesting findings at an early hour of day 2...but... it's now day 2 and I've to head off to Đại Lộc to hand 75 packages and 50 packages to Đại Sơn. They said these 2 areas are badly affected...

Day 2 - 9th October 2009
5:07 am – “Wake up Nhan” – Sư Cô Chủng Liên knocked on the door. It’s time to get up….
It took me 7 mins before I reported to Sư Cô Chủng Liên downstairs. It was now explained why the stoves were on last night at 10pm. We spent the next 2 hours driving from one hospital to another to give out congees to patients from 6 hospitals in the province. 800 bowls of congees were given out to patients from all over Quang Nam province and the temple has been doing this every morning since 1995.

8:30 am – as per my sms

11:30 am – We got to Dai Loc, this was one of the worst hit area of Quang Nam. The water was raised 4 meters high. We could not go into the village due to blocked muddy roads thus the people had to gather in town centre to receive their gifts. I handed the gifts to exactly 75 families who have been waiting since 8am. An elderly man was trembling when I handed him the 50,000VND, he was too weak to carry the 15kg rice to his bicycle so Hau, a volunteer had to come and help him. He told me . he hasn’t had anything in his stomach since yesterday and he knows that he and his wife won’t go hungry for the next few weeks if they just cook congees from this bag of rice.

Father N T L is a new arrival to the parish in Đại Lộc. Prior to my trip, he advised me that he was warned by the government officials that if people receive assistance from religious groups, they won’t receive anything from the government. It has been 7 days and government’s promises have not arrived. Father NTL was very nervous to meet us…. It was very sensitive here and I appreciated where he was coming from. I offloaded the rice and noodles myself as the volunteers were an hour away. I asked Fr NTL to give me the list of 50 families from Đại Sơn who he will organize private delivery before they die of hunger.

I slept 2 hours each night last few nights. Within 2 days I could not make it to Hue and so 100 packages to Đập Gốc, Hue Province will be organized by our long-term, trusted representatives. Dung is a very sweet girl who has been helping H4H with our educational projects for the last 7 years or so.

H4H VN Flood Relief effort photos


Nhan helping Su Co Chung Lien and her team handing out congee to patients at the local hospital.
Trucks containing your gifts to Dai Loc and Dai Son
Mudsss…. The aftermath – on the way to Dai Loc


School yard - Drying books – On the way to Dai Loc
Hau a volunteer assit an elderly man securing his food relief.
Nhan handing out relief aid
Volunteers counting tickets from the recipients at Dai Loc
Truck with 50 packages for Dai Son

H4H Relief packages arriving in Tam Ky
The local people waiting to collect their relief packages
Locals recieving food relief packages


Food relief notices to eligible families

H4H Vietnam Flood Appeal - Donation To Date:$14,369.65

There are many more families in desparate need, please keep those donations coming!

Hands For Hope News

Monday 26th October 2009

Dear friends,

At 8am today 26 October 2009, Thu Duong, one of our project co-ordinators is in Đập Gốc, Huế province, meeting up the families of H4H’s sponsored students whose houses have been totally or partially destroyed.

Victims of natural disasters are usually being forgotten after the storms and floods have passed, the funding and compassion have dried out. Thanks to your continuous donations since our first desperate calling from Vietnam 3 weeks ago, we’ve managed to allocate another $5,000 from the Special Fund to help families from Hue and surrounding areas rebuilding their destroyed homes.

Province	No of houses Damaged 100%	No of houses Damaged 50-80%
Huế	39	45

Below are pictures of some of our students’ houses in the province above.

Thu Duong is in Vietnam for H4H’s medical field trip, organising surgeries for 100 children with disabilities, and she is usually extremely busy while expediting the project. However, we will endeavour to give you an update about Monday distributions as soon as possible.

If you’ve made a donation, your receipt is being issued no later than early next week.

Nhan T T Nguyen
President


Example of Typoon damges in the local area