Project No. 1 – Bedrooms for the elementary school in Xin Cai in the north of Vietnam

Project No. 1 – Bedrooms and sanitation for the primary school pupils in Xin Cai, Ha Giang province in the north of Vietnam

Status December 2015

On December 9, 2015 we (Isabelle Müller and Rebecca Müller) visited (at our own expense and not at the expense of the LOAN Foundation/LOAN Stiftung) the Xin Cai commune in the province of Ha Giang in the north of Vietnam. Xin Cai is located at an altitude of 1523 meters in an area that is difficult to access. At the local elementary school, we found poor accommodations and deficient sanitary facilities. Most pupils need to stay on the school grounds overnight for security reasons; there was a lack of rooms with solid roofing and windows, as well as a shortage of other materials such as beds and blankets. Except for four outhouses, there was no running water installed for the total of 300 pupils to wash their hands. No showers were provided.

With the intention of providing help as directly as possible, the LOAN Foundation (LOAN Stiftung) was established as a turnover foundation. While waiting for the official recognition of the foundation, which took place on May 9, 2016, we worked together closely with the Vietnamese authorities in charge, in order to define the structure of the cooperation and components which were needed the most in detail. At the end of May 2016, the final draft for this cooperation was determined on the basis of specific plans and cost estimates.

Status June 2016

Starting from June 2016, the LOAN Foundation (LOAN Stiftung) will sponsor the following:

1. One building with five bedrooms, each fitting six bunk beds; costs amounting to approx. 22,500.00 USD
2. One sanitary facility with four toilets, four showers, six sinks and hot water connection; costs approx. 12,300.00 USD
3. Furniture and equipment (bunk beds, mattresses, winter blankets, summer blankets, curtains, etc.); costs approx. 6,800.00 USD

Total costs: 42,000.00 USD (approx. 38,000.00 €)

In cooperation and in continuous contact with our Vietnamese partners, we will also supervise and guide this project personally and on-site. We hope for successful and transparent implementation and approval before winter starts, and will report on the progress regularly.

Status July/ August 2016

Our Vietnamese partners keep us informed on a regular basis, as specified in the contract. Every other week we receive pictures and short videos showing the progress of the construction works. These have been progressing faster than expected, though heavy rainfall at the end of August/ beginning of September 2016 made work difficult. Nonetheless, the construction manager still aims to finish before the winter of 2016.

Status September 2016

Three members of the LOAN Foundation team (LOAN Stiftung) (Isabelle Müller, Gabriele Siegloch, Corinna Buchholz) travel (at their own expense and not at the expense of the foundation) to North Vietnam in order to examine the project personally. We arrive on September 13, 2016 in Xin Cai and receive a joyful welcome. There had been work day and night prior to our arrival. We were surprised with the outcome: just in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival (the second-most important holiday in Asia), the construction of the first building and bedrooms had been completed, furnished and equipped, so that 60 children could move in on the day we arrived!

Status October 2016

The sanitary facility was completed on October 5, 2016. From now on the children of the Xin Cai elementary school can shower in separate shower cubicles with warm water, use a “normal” restroom and wash their hands afterwards.

Visit of June 22, 2017:

Our team (Isabelle Müller, Corinna Buchholz and Werner Huemer) visits the community of Xin Cai and drops by spontaneously. Happy faces everywhere. The bedrooms are utilized and kept in good shape. We are delighted!

Our first important mission has been a success. Cooperation with our Vietnamese partners was honest and transparent. The receipts, as well as the expenditure of work are still being reviewed. The LOAN Foundation (LOAN Stiftung), together with the Vietnamese partners, will arrange for the refund of the VAT (given it is a social project in Vietnam), so that this money remains available for further projects.

We continue our work: new projects need our help.

We would be delighted if you were to provide us with moral and financial support in this endeavor. Thank you very much!