DUC DUC - the Street Children Care Program in Saigon, Vietnam

3,000 Euros from Rotary Munich International to the street children project in Saigon in 2007/08

Since its inception six years ago DUC DUC has been supported by different private Vietnamese and foreign donors. The annual budget is about 20,000 US dollars. Rotary Club Munich International is supporting DUC DUC in the Rotarian Year 2007/08 with a donation of 3,000 EURO (about US dollars 4,500).

In the former Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) even thirty years after the end of the war, many children live in extremely difficult circumstances as a result of economic and social problems. The number of street children is assumed to be around 12,000.

Photo left: Weekend pleasure for DUC DUC children

Photo right column: Performance of the DUC DUC children at the Christmas Party 2006

DUC DUC - which translates into "education to honesty" - is a Vietnamese non-governmental project, where nearly 200 street children find support. The organization has rented two tiny buildings in district 1 and district 3 of the city. These are the places where those children can find support, who have no or only limited opportunity for schooling and have to earn their living by themselves. Their ages vary from 5 to 18 years. Many of these children live without parents, some even without any housing.

DUC DUC supports the street children with various activities

• About 50 children are sent to school, supported by scholarships.

• Vocational training is provided for some of them in sewing classes in one of the small buildings (Photo: Vocational Training at Sewing Machines in DUC DUC House) , as well as English language lessons. Some of them learn motorcycle repair.

• Health care trainings and exams are given for: HIV prevention, and how to avoid other health risks like hepatitis, petechial fever, eye problems, malnutrition, and tuberculosis among others.

• Courses on traffic regulations, on children's rights and how to avoid being lured into criminal activities of gangs help these children from slipping any further into disparagement.

• Entertainment is also offered for the children through weekly meetings on Sundays in parks and in the nearby Zoo as well as swimming excursions and Mid autumn -, Christmas - and Tet - festivities with vivid active contributions like dance performances of the members

You would like to support DUC DUC? Please contact us here . For the past ten years he has been spending one or two months every year living in Vietnam. He is in permanent close contact to DUC DUC and provides assurance for the correct use of the donations to this project.