The arrival of the Year of the Horse (2026) brought a special energy to our January visit to Song Lo Orphanage. While our monthly support usually focuses on the essentials, this trip was transformed by the spirit of Tet—Vietnam’s most sacred and joyous season.
Working with the caretakers, we navigated the bustling local markets to secure a bounty that balanced daily nutrition with holiday tradition. This month’s delivery was heavy on the staples required for festive vegan feasts, including:
- Protein & Pantry: Tofu sheets, diverse mushroom varieties, vegan meats, and savory vegan fish sauce.
- Hearty Staples: Racks of chicken and quail eggs, peanuts, various noodles, and boxes of instant pho.
- The “Tet” Touch: Traditional New Year snacks and specialty sweets that the children rarely get to enjoy. There were also Li Xi (Red Envelopes) for each child.
- Household Care: Fresh supplies of laundry detergent, fabric softener, shampoo, and dental hygiene kits.
The highlight of the day was watching the children laugh and play with the balloons our team brought. So fun!
These moments of pure childhood joy are the direct result of your generosity. Our heartfelt thanks to Jef O’Riley, Yocheved Samdaga, Florian De Rop, Autumn Mejia, Roger Puckett, Littlechad Newfield, Elaine Nguyen, Anh Vo, and Bellisa Bui. Thank you for your continued kindness toward the children of Song Lo.
ABOUT THE SONG LO ORPHANAGE
The history of the Song Lo Orphanage’s beginnings is heartwarming. As the story goes, a Buddhist monk was traveling in the countryside when he encountered a woman who said she could not care for her 2 children. She left the babies with the monk and fled. Not expecting to have 2 babies to care for, the monk made his way to the Song Lo pagoda, and the head nun at the pagoda, Sister Cat, agreed to care for the children. From that point on, orphans have been either brought to the pagoda, or abandoned at their gates. Formed in 2012, the Song Lo Orphanage cares for a small group of young children. Located adjacent the Son Lo pagoda, it’s a small facility deep in the countryside west of Nha Trang.
