East Meets West Foundation
Encyclopedia
East Meets West Foundation is the largest non-governmental organization
acting in Vietnam
, with additional programs in Southeast Asia
, which describes itself as "the foundation for learning, healing and health." It was founded in 1988 by author and humanitarian Le Ly Hayslip, and is based in Oakland, California
, USA.
It operates in the fields of public health, education, and economy aiming to help Vietnamese people to achieve self-sufficiency.
Among the key programs are: providing low-income children with a good education, clean water and vital medical care, surgery
program to heal heart
defects in children (Operation Healthy Heart), scholarship program to improve educational outcomes (SPELL), dental
program, support for children with disabilities, and an innovative clean water and sanitation program.
The Organization in partnership with Atlantic Philanthropies
also participates in building of Vietnam's medical and educational infrastructure, including university libraries and general hospitals. A 200-bed cardiovascular center in Huế
and a twelve-story English Language training center in Da Nang
were completed.
In the year of 2009, the Foundation spent 5,377,316 USD on its programs.
The anti-trafficking ADAPT program, implemented by EMW’s partner Pacific Links Foundation, works to stop trafficking at the source by providing vulnerable girls with the resources they need to create a brighter future.
The School Construction program builds primary schools and kindergartens in rural areas so more children can attend school. Vietnam does not have enough schools to meet the needs of its population EMW has also helped fill in the gaps in Vietnam's higher education system by building key educational facilities such as university libraries, research centers and sports complexes.
Village of Hope is EMW’s disadvantaged children’s center that provides children from the most difficult circumstances with a safe haven where they receive a full education, job training and skills to help them reintegrate into society.
The Breath of Life: Neo-natal Health program saves over 15,000 babies a year through appropriate technologies.
The EMW Dental Program serves 15,000 Vietnamese annually, offering 45,000 services.
The Operation Healthy Heart program addresses the most common birth defect, congenital heart disease, by providing lifesaving cardiac surgery to critically ill children. In addition, EMW provides training to medical staff in numerous hospitals.
EMW provides a comprehensive support system for the disabled through its Support Network for People with Disabilities (SN-PWD) and its INSPIRE Sports program. Many of these disabilities are caused by exposure to Agent Orange
and dioxin, an issue EMW is addressing through a new campaign of healing for Agent Orange survivors.
EMW builds key medical institutions that are a crucial link between our grassroots development programs and large-scale capacity building. In the past decade, with major support from the Atlantic Philanthropies
, EMW has invested over $50 million in building large-scale hospitals in Vietnam.
, Osprey Packs
, Masimo
, International Children Assistance Network (ICAN), and Pacific Links.REF
EMW receives funding support from government agencies, foundations, corporations and individuals. Key funders include The Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid
, USAID, AusAID, Irish Aid, The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Lemelson Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The Boeing Company, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
.
's film, Heaven & Earth, based on her memoir When Heaven and Earth Changed Places
. In 1988, she visited her native village in Ky La in Central Vietnam to begin healing of the war wounds and plant the seeds of reconciliation.
From Le Ly's early projects - Mothers Love Pediatric Clinic and Peace Village Medical Center - East Meets West emerged as a respected non-governmental organization
(NGO) in Vietnam, which realized many socially important projects in the country.
In the nineties of the last century, the Foundation received a grant from United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) and constructed the Village of Hope, a shelter and safe haven for 136 needy children from Central Vietnam.
In 2003, John Anner left the Independent Press Association to head the East Meets West Foundation.
In 2006, East Meets West Foundation co-organized medical equipment donation for Viet Duc Hospital
in Hanoi
.
, Laos
, India
, the Philippines
, Myanmar
and Timor Leste.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
acting in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, with additional programs in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, which describes itself as "the foundation for learning, healing and health." It was founded in 1988 by author and humanitarian Le Ly Hayslip, and is based in Oakland, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA.
Mission
The Foundation declares its belief, that every person should have access to clean water, proper medical treatment and decent education, which are estimated as fundamental elements of normal life.It operates in the fields of public health, education, and economy aiming to help Vietnamese people to achieve self-sufficiency.
Among the key programs are: providing low-income children with a good education, clean water and vital medical care, surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
program to heal heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
defects in children (Operation Healthy Heart), scholarship program to improve educational outcomes (SPELL), dental
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
program, support for children with disabilities, and an innovative clean water and sanitation program.
The Organization in partnership with Atlantic Philanthropies
Atlantic Philanthropies
The Atlantic Philanthropies is a private foundation created in 1982 by US businessman Charles F. "Chuck" Feeney. The Atlantic Philanthropies grant-making supports health and social projects in Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam...
also participates in building of Vietnam's medical and educational infrastructure, including university libraries and general hospitals. A 200-bed cardiovascular center in Huế
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
and a twelve-story English Language training center in Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
were completed.
In the year of 2009, the Foundation spent 5,377,316 USD on its programs.
Education Programs
East Meets West's learning programs provide a comprehensive response to a common development problem, helping children from poor families gain a solid education. The Scholarship Program to Enhance Learning and Literacy (SPELL) program provides 10-year scholarships to children from Vietnam's poorest families. Over 5,000 students now have the opportunity to complete high school and get a good job.The anti-trafficking ADAPT program, implemented by EMW’s partner Pacific Links Foundation, works to stop trafficking at the source by providing vulnerable girls with the resources they need to create a brighter future.
The School Construction program builds primary schools and kindergartens in rural areas so more children can attend school. Vietnam does not have enough schools to meet the needs of its population EMW has also helped fill in the gaps in Vietnam's higher education system by building key educational facilities such as university libraries, research centers and sports complexes.
Village of Hope is EMW’s disadvantaged children’s center that provides children from the most difficult circumstances with a safe haven where they receive a full education, job training and skills to help them reintegrate into society.
Medical and Health Care Programs
Through the medical programs, EMW provides direct assistance to individuals, supports families, trains medical staff and works to improve systemic capacity by developing and constructing improved medical facilities.The Breath of Life: Neo-natal Health program saves over 15,000 babies a year through appropriate technologies.
The EMW Dental Program serves 15,000 Vietnamese annually, offering 45,000 services.
The Operation Healthy Heart program addresses the most common birth defect, congenital heart disease, by providing lifesaving cardiac surgery to critically ill children. In addition, EMW provides training to medical staff in numerous hospitals.
EMW provides a comprehensive support system for the disabled through its Support Network for People with Disabilities (SN-PWD) and its INSPIRE Sports program. Many of these disabilities are caused by exposure to Agent Orange
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth...
and dioxin, an issue EMW is addressing through a new campaign of healing for Agent Orange survivors.
EMW builds key medical institutions that are a crucial link between our grassroots development programs and large-scale capacity building. In the past decade, with major support from the Atlantic Philanthropies
Atlantic Philanthropies
The Atlantic Philanthropies is a private foundation created in 1982 by US businessman Charles F. "Chuck" Feeney. The Atlantic Philanthropies grant-making supports health and social projects in Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam...
, EMW has invested over $50 million in building large-scale hospitals in Vietnam.
Clean Water & Sanitation
Water-related illnesses are the world's leading cause of sickness and death, daily taking the lives of some 6,000 people—most of whom are children under five. Through the Clean Water & Sanitation Program, EMW provides a sustainable water supply to communities and ensures that the local people are fully invested in the project. To maximize the health benefits, EMW incorporates a hygiene and sanitation training component to address the need for improved sanitation, another critical public health issue.Partners and Funders
EMW partners with government organizations, international organizations, foundations, local associations, hospitals, and educational institutions to enhance the quality of their programs and expand its scope and impact. Key partnerships include: Design that Matters, Blue Planet Network, VNHELP, Aspen Network of Development EntrepreneursAspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs
The Aspen Network of Network Entrepreneurs is a non-governmental organization that aims to serve as a global network of organizations that invest money and expertise to propel entrepreneurship in developing countries. ANDE is a membership organization housed within the Aspen Institute, an...
, Osprey Packs
Osprey Packs
Osprey, Inc. is a Colorado-based company that makes backpacks and travel gear. Mike Pfotenhauer and Diane Wren founded the company in 1974. Osprey was one of the first to introduce breathable mesh in their backpack line in 1976. In 2005, Osprey invented a new type of backpack hip belt molding that...
, Masimo
Masimo
Masimo Corporation is an Irvine, California-based manufacturer of non-invasive patient monitoring technologies. The company is best known for its pulse oximetry and it sells more pulse oximeters than any other company. Masimo was founded in 1989 by electrical engineer Joe E. Kiani, who was later...
, International Children Assistance Network (ICAN), and Pacific Links.REF
EMW receives funding support from government agencies, foundations, corporations and individuals. Key funders include The Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid
Output-based aid
Output-based aid refers to development aid strategies that link the delivery of public services in developing countries to targeted performance-related subsidies...
, USAID, AusAID, Irish Aid, The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Lemelson Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The Boeing Company, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
.
History
East Meets West was established by Le Ly Hayslip, whose life story was chronicled in two books she wrote and in Oliver StoneOliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's film, Heaven & Earth, based on her memoir When Heaven and Earth Changed Places
When Heaven and Earth Changed Places
When Heaven and Earth Changed Places is a 1989 memoir by Le Ly Hayslip about her childhood during the Vietnam War, her escape to the United States, and her return to visit Vietnam 16 years later. The Oliver Stone film Heaven & Earth was based on the memoir...
. In 1988, she visited her native village in Ky La in Central Vietnam to begin healing of the war wounds and plant the seeds of reconciliation.
From Le Ly's early projects - Mothers Love Pediatric Clinic and Peace Village Medical Center - East Meets West emerged as a respected non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) in Vietnam, which realized many socially important projects in the country.
In the nineties of the last century, the Foundation received a grant from United States Agency for International Development
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
(USAID) and constructed the Village of Hope, a shelter and safe haven for 136 needy children from Central Vietnam.
In 2003, John Anner left the Independent Press Association to head the East Meets West Foundation.
In 2006, East Meets West Foundation co-organized medical equipment donation for Viet Duc Hospital
Viet Duc Hospital
Viet Duc Hospital is the largest surgical center of Vietnam, situated at Trang Thi Street, Hanoi....
in Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
.
Geographic Areas Served
East Meets West Foundation is currently serving communities in six countries throughout Asia, including Vietnam, CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
and Timor Leste.
See also
- Le Ly Hayslip
- Global Village FoundationGlobal Village FoundationThe Global Village Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization which provides education and health care for children and rural villagers in Vietnam and some other countries of Asia...
- List of non-governmental organizations in Vietnam