Dong Thuan Technical School

Back on the road again for Aide Au Vietnam. Today, the journey was to take us down near the Mekong Delta.

« Dong Thuan » Technical School, near Vinh Long, was our destination, and so Minh Trang, Minh Thu and I set off early for the 3-hour drive, accompanied by Fr. Hung (Joseph) the local manager of the project.

« Dong Thuan » Technical School is run by the Don Bosco Salesians of Vietnam. The school accommodates around 250 internees (200 boys and 50 girls) from the age of 15-18. Children from poor families throughout all of Vietnam, mainly from the countryside, they are usually school drop-outs, or teenagers having conflicts with their parents. « Dong Thuan » is their last chance to get a decent education and learn a trade for their future life. Education consists of a general education as well as an apprenticeship as a mechanic, welder, electrician or a skilled lathe operator. The girls usually visit sewing or hairdresser classes.

Aide Au Vietnam, having been approached by the Salesians in 2018, I visited the school in 2018, to find out their needs. It appeared, that the center desperately lacked workbenches, tools, lifting platforms, secondhand motorbikes, cars, and engines to train with.

The Board of Aide Au Vietnam decided to help. Originally planned as a co-financed project with the Cooperation Ministry (MAEE) of Luxembourg, the project ended up as a joint project of AAV and «Beetebuerg Hëllëft». Together we decided to help with a donation of 20.000 € for the purchase of the needed items. The duration of the project is from 01.03.2019 to 01.09.2019.

The school works closely with local companies, where the young apprentices can perform a practical training, and later join the company. One company has even set up a garage on the grounds of the school, where the apprentices can repair bikes and cars for the locals. The success rate of the school is very high. One of the former students even made it to University, and will be returning to «Dong Thuan» as a teacher. Unfortunately, there was not much activity, as the school holidays are still on, and the students are at their homes.