On October 5, 2017 we brought the Mid-Autumn Festival to the Nhan Ai Orphanage. Nhan Ai is a large orphanage in Cam Ranh, to the south of Nha Trang. It’s a loving home to over 120 orphans of all ages, in a peaceful country setting. Because the orphanages are dependent on donations for survival, the children don’t often get to celebrate the big holidays. We endeavor to ensure that these wonderful children get to experience all the big festivities in Vietnam, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the favorites among children. Traditionally, children get to enjoy yummy treats such as mooncakes, parade about in the evening with glowing lanterns, and sometimes even get to watch lion dances.
With Nhan Ai being such a large orphanage, this project took a lot of coordinating. On the day of the new moon, we brought mooncakes and balloons to the orphanage, and prepared for the big celebration in the evening. After dusk, the children performed their own lion dance with accompanying costumes and drums. The children then moved into the main courtyard with their lanterns, and got to see a professional troupe perform another lion dance. The children then paraded about with their lanterns, in true celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. It was a wonderful experience!
This holiday for the orphans was made possible through the kind donation of Erin Turner and a discretionary award from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation.
Thank you!!!
