Nhat Hong center for children with visual impairment has been founded and operated by the congregation of Holy Cross lovers of Thu Duc in Ho Chi Minh City since 1995.
This children center was established in Binh Thanh district 24 years ago by the congregation’s sisters upon seeing street children with low vision and illiteracy without a special school for them to come in the locality at the time.
Initially, the center provided accommodations and knitting basket training for visually impaired children. After that, some of the children were sent to the special boarding school known as Nguyen Dinh Chieu Special Public School.
The congregation also started sending sisters to professional training institutions in the country and abroad.
Since 2001, Nhat Hong center has received financial assistance from the Dark & Light Association and technical support from Perkins School (Program for early intervention and education for children with multiple disabilities). It was also professionally aided by Overbrook-Nippon Network on Education Technology (ONNET) and the International Council on Education for People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI).
By 2007, the Nhat Hong center set up branches in Bao Loc city of Lam Dong province and Thu Duc in Ho Chi Minh City. The branch in Thu Duc, built with assistance from CBM Organization, has become the personnel training center providing professional kills for those working in Nhat Hong’s facilities across the country.
In addition to accommodations provided for children with visual impairment, Nhat Hong Center has also provided several vocational trainings and skills for making handicrafts, helping them better integrating into the society and improving their life in the family.
Nhat Hong Center currently has eight branches in Ho Chi Minh City and provinces of Lam Dong, Hau Giang, Dong Nai, Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, etc, and it is taking care of 300 children with low vision from five years old and over.
Sister Lê Thị Kim Phụng, Director of Nhat Hong Center, shared her wish to further receive support and assistance from sponsors and donors so the center can keep on caring and bringing a better the future for children with visual impairment in Vietnam.
PTT
