On October 7, 2011 we re-visited the Mai Am Nhan Ai Orphanage to check up on the construction. After our last visit, we sent out an email to previous donors, letting them know about the orphanage’s construction project. We received word from Tony and Lan Warren that they wished to help the orphans in Cam Ranh. A friend of the Warrens, Lois DePiesse, also made a kind donation for the orphanage’s cause.

On Friday afternoon Khanh and I drove the 60 kilometers to the orphanage on our motorbike. The rainy season is just around the corner, and we were blessed with cool weather all the way out. We took a long walk through the ongoing project, and I saw construction workers laying down new tiles and finishing the outer walls of the orphanage.

Most of the older kids were at school, but we visited the little ones, who were just waking up from their afternoon naps. We then had a long talk with Sister Bao Quyen, and she showed us in detail what needs to be done. We specified how the donation was to be used, and Sister Bao Quyen wrote a confirmation and thank you letter to the kindhearted donors in the USA.

This will help ensure that the orphanage is finished on time. Thank you Tony, Lan and Lois for your generosity in helping the orphans of Cam Ranh.

Read below for more information on the orphanage’s expansion project.

The Mai Am Nhan Ai Orphanage Expansion Project

On a visit to the orphanage in 2009 we had a long talk with Sister Bao Quyen. The number of children being cared for had steadily increased, and the living quarters were no longer adequate. Most of the younger kids were sleeping two per bed, and the boy’s rooms were overcrowded. Health inspectors had insisted that the orphanage be improved to better care for the children. Sister Bao Quyen wished for nothing more than to immediately build new facilities, but a project of that nature required funding that she didn’t have at the time.

Over the past two years the nuns at Mai Am Nhan Ai have endeavored to save enough money to begin the project. A testament to their dedication to helping the orphans under their care, and to the amazing generosity of those who contributed! Completely on their own, they raised the funds and began construction in early 2011. At present, the main walls of the structures have been built, and they hope to be finished by early 2012.

There is still so much that needs to be done, however. New bunk beds for the children need to be bought, as well as basic amenities such as desks, sinks, showers, and toilets. The nuns also said that so much as gone into construction that they are now struggling with monthly food costs. Any help at this point would go a very long way for the orphans at Mai Am Nhan Ai.

To donate to this cause, click the Donate button at the bottom of the page. Be sure to specify how you wish your donation to be used (bunk beds, food, etc.).

Thank you!

Here are pictures of the construction project from October 2011.