David Hadley with Loreto's Program Coordinator, Trish Franklin
This morning, Vietnam Swan, David “Angry” Hadley, attended the official opening of Sunrise Special School in Saigon. See David’s report below.
It was with great pleasure that I accepted an invitation from Trish Franklin, head of , to attend the opening of the new Binh Minh special school. I had already learnt of the fantastic accomplishments that Loreto has achieved in supporting and assisting children who are disadvantaged, poor and disabled in Vietnam and was looking forward to being a part of this celebratory day. I arrived to the sounds of a large brass band and could feel the anticipation and excitement in the air.
These singers are dressed to impress in the traditional ao dai dress
The formalities were broken up with the children dancing to an array of Vietnamese themes, playing music and providing other entertainment. Non performing students were cheekily watching proceedings from the overhead balconies. There was much pride and happiness in all of the speeches and you could see waves of emotion flooding Trish as she explained what this school means to the children.
When the formal part of the morning was finished, we all went on a tour of the school. The facilities and layout of this new school really blew me away. The library, music room and special rooms for deaf and blind children were just some of the highlights. Other specialty rooms showcased how the children will go onto learn skills that they can use in the workforce.
The classrooms are well fitted out
I enjoyed having a few moments with Trish after the ceremony to discuss the new school. The planning started in 2007 and the building started 8 months ago. Trish would visit the school on a weekly basis throughout the construction, marvelling at how quickly and brilliantly the “palace” was taking shape.
Thank you Trish and Loreto Vietnam for inviting me to the opening. I was deeply humbled and in awe of what has been achieved. I will definately be taking up the offer to come back in six months time when the school is well established.
This Saturday, 28 November, (the Saigon International Music Festival) will be playing at RMIT University, District 7, Saigon. It starts at 2pm and doesn’t finish until 11pm. “Along with the awesome musical entertainment for this year’s event, there will also be an extensive array of kid’s activities including games and toys set up by Smart Kids; pony rides; face painting; 6-aside football; a climbing wall and so much more!”
So, get down to Loretofest and help raise much needed funds for Loreto’s next project. The main focus of this project is to provide everyday schooling for children and to target poor schools in District 9. Please email for further information about , including sponsorship opportunities.