HWT & the community
LVAP was founded in 1997 to break the vicious cycles experienced by the nation's millions of underprivileged and/or disabled children by providing enhanced educational opportunities for their special needs.
Over the years, the charity has fostered an encouraging learning environment for more than 10,000 children. Also, thanks to a recent three year agreement with Harvey World Travel, LVAP will be able to continue to provide this assistance, with the construction of purpose built computer rooms for the children.
Many Vietnamese people believe that physical deformities are manifestations of sins from past lives, and as a result, generally turn a blind eye. Yet for the 1.7 million disabled children living in Vietnam, this is just one of the many hardships they must deal with on a daily basis.
The stigma attached with disability is compounded by financial pressures driven by a lack of support and no social services. As a result of a lack of social welfare - financially or otherwise - from the Vietnamese government, parents often prefer to keep their children at home and continue working rather than sending them to school to pursue an education. In some more severe cases, parents would abandon the children altogether. Sadly, such events are far from isolated.
Children living in extremely poor rural and urban areas face similar challenges. Whether they are unable to afford or have no access to schooling for the reason that there is no transport or facilities available to them, millions of children are missing out on the education they deserve, with serious consequences for their long-term prospect of employment in a rapidly changing labour-driven market like Vietnam.
As part of their mission, LVAP assesses areas where there may be a requirement for special facilities, and in conjunction with local authorities, takes the necessary action. This includes instances where there might be a vast distance from the school to the community, where families are struggling to place their children in schools and in areas where there are high drop-out rates for children over seven years of age. In just one village, a single school can provide an enriched education for to up to 300 children.
By taking similar action across the country, the Loreto Program annually reaches out to more than 2,500 children across Vietnam.
Harvey World Travel actively urges all franchisees and customers to consider making a donation to this worthy cause. Every donation made by a Harvey World Travel franchisee will include a dollar for dollar match from Head Office.
Harvey World Travel MD, David Rivers, says the company has always had an interest in sharing successes and contributing to the greater good.
"The partnership with LVAP and the people of Vietnam is a legacy we want to leave behind. At Harvey World Travel, our staff members can be proud of who they work for, a company committed to upholding its values and ethos. With this ideal in mind, our staff are encouraged to be involved in charity work in whatever capacity they can," says Rivers.
