19 beautiful pieces in the picture of foreign NGOs in Vietnam

A visitor at the opening event of an exhibition on foreign NGOs at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi (Photo: Quoc Dat).

Xoan started running for her life when she was not yet 18 years old. Faced with the pressure of an unhappy marriage, Xoan had no choice but to run away. She ran away to escape her husband's drunkenness, to escape the beatings, to escape the prejudices around her.

Xoan’s story did not end in tears, thanks in part to Hagar International, a foreign non-governmental organization operating in Vietnam. Gradually, she was trained in violence response skills, and Xoan’s husband was educated. Their relationship improved.

Like Xoan, Giap also saw his life brighten, literally, after having surgery on one eye by the late Professor of Ophthalmology Fred Hollows - whose name is given to the non-governmental organization that has a program to fight blindness in developing countries.

"I believe I have two fathers - my father and Fred. They are the reason I can see and become the main character in this story," Giap recalled as an adult. He is now a math teacher in Ho Chi Minh City.

The story of the character Xoan was told at a photo exhibition at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi (Photo: Quoc Dat).

These are just two of 19 stories of positive changes that have occurred thanks to cooperation between Vietnam and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These 19 stories are told in a photo exhibition at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi, open until November 16.

These stories "are valuable assets that contribute to the warm relationship on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam," Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski said at the opening ceremony on the afternoon of November 9.

The total funding from the kangaroo country for projects of the 19 organizations participating in the exhibition, including Australian organizations, is estimated to be more than 220 million USD, bringing positive impacts to about 12.6 million people, the Australian Embassy said.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski speaks at the opening ceremony on the afternoon of November 9 (Photo: Quoc Dat).

The Australian Ambassador also pointed out that many donors, after seeing Vietnam's relatively good economic growth, have shifted their support money to other less fortunate countries.

"But that's not our philosophy. We want to reward success, so we want to continue working with Vietnam," Ambassador Goledzinowski told Dan Tri , adding that Australia has spent nearly $65 million in aid in Vietnam this year. He expects this figure to continue.

According to Mr. Goledzinowski, the Vietnam - Australia development cooperation relationship is no longer simply a giver - receiver relationship but has become a partnership, helping both countries learn from each interaction.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of VUFO, pointed out that Australian NGOs have participated in supporting and cooperating with Vietnam very early, starting from specific support such as medical equipment, loan support to capacity building, promoting gender equality, etc.

"Legal documents have been and are being adjusted to support NGOs to operate and cooperate with Vietnam more effectively," Mr. Hung pledged at the event on the afternoon of November 9.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/19-manh-ghep-dep-trong-buc-tranh-ngo-nuoc-ngoai-tai-viet-nam-20231109182323919.htm