About us – ReachVN

"to look after orphans and widows in their distress"

Our mission

ReachVN helps with relief in poverty and works on the long-term survival of each child.

Our programs and activities primarily seek to reduce suffering and transform lives for orphans, their families and communities, ultimately moving towards self-sufficiency.

Poverty relief

Poverty denies children of their basic human rights. They are robbed of their childhood, better living conditions, basic health care, education and career opportunities.

The causes of poverty are due to low income and inequality. Specifically in the Gia Lai region, geographic factor and living standards are the major determinants of poverty. Notably, higher incidents of death related to dangerous working conditions and poor health causing high rates of children left without one or both parents.

Reaching out

We are currently helping over 400 orphans with ethnic background, living in remote areas of Gia Lai, Vietnam. The help provided is on the basis of need. We serve all people regardless of religion, ethnicity or gender, and work in partnership with local churches. The team is comprised of volunteers who are committed in reaching these children in remote rural areas.

Our team

Our team consists of all volunteers passionate about making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged orphans.

1st mission trip - June 2008

2nd mission trip - June 2011

FAQ

1Why ReachVN?

ReachVN embodies our vision and that is to "Reach Vietnam"

2How and when was ReachVN established?

Mid 2008, a team of young passionate Vietnamese Australians joined forces to bring small gift packages to unfortunate orphans with ethnic backgrounds living around the Pleiku area of Vietnam. It was our first mission to reach and bring a smile upon these children living in poverty. Following this event, we decided to maintain strong dedication and commitment in helping these disadvantaged orphans. ReachVN legally registered in Australia as a non-profit charity organisation in October 2009, under the 1981 Incorporation Act, with registration number A0053691X.

3What is ReachVN's mission?

ReachVN helps with relief in emergency situations and works on the long-term survival of each child. Our programs and activities primarily seek to reduce suffering and transform lives for orphans and their families living in poverty.

4Does ReachVN hold any political or religious beliefs?

ReachVN is a Christian organisation with a non-profit, non-political, non-sectarian focus that aims to better the life conditions of disadvantaged orphans living in poverty.

5Who are ReachVN's representatives in Vietnam and what are their roles?

There are a team of volunteer passionate church representatives supporting orphans and leprosy colonies in Vietnam. Within this team there is one representative who regularly visits the orphans and does the adminstrative tasks and is the primary contact point for our team here in Australia.

6How are funds transferred to sponsored children overseas?

Funds are distributed to the children via the local project contact who distributes the money to each individual orphan's family. All payments are recorded and verified by each recipient.
Our aim is to maximise the amount that gets distributed to the orphans. As such, we rely on direct money transfers as much as possible and avoid using 3rd party money transfer agents (such as Western Union) as this will incur administrative overhead. We want to "Reach Vietnam" directly while incurring as little cost as possible. Currently, we utilise money swapping agreements with church members in Vietnam that either have children studying in Australia, or have businesses/assets in Australia. This ensures that 100% of the donations we collect in Australia is directly transferred to Vietnam.

7What is the annual administrative cost?

Currently, our administrative cost is less than 1% of the total donated funds as our unpaid volunteers takes care of all the administrative tasks. However, we recognise the travelling expenses incurred from project work for our representative in Vietnam, hence she is supported by ReachVN quarterly with the amount of AUD $150.