AVE is particularly concerned by the cause of handicaped children. More than 40 years after the North-South conflict, the 80 million litres of dioxin (« Agent orange ») poured over the country by the American army still cause casualties. According to the Vietnamese gouvernment, quoted by AFP in 2013, 150 000 children were born with various kind of disabilities, either mental or physical. Thus, Vietnam shows one of the world’s highest rates of infantile handicap. There are many trisomic and hydrocephalic children.
A disabled child is a very significant burden for families, therefore, abandonment is common. Poor families cannot afford costly treatments so many children grow under tough conditions.
Because they get no stimulation, they cannot make progress.
Almost 300 handicaped children are helped
AVE supports:
- 69 children aged 3 to 13 years old divided into three specialized classes at Suoi Nho School (Northeast of Ho Chi Minh City),
- 75 children divided into seven classes at Binh Gia School (Southeast of Ho Chi Minh City),
- 94 children at Doc Mo School,
- 55 children at the Hoang Nguyen psychomotricity center.
What is done in those two sites is a small sign of hope for those children and their families, but the needs remain considerable.
A specialized school under construction
To help compensate for the lack of suitable facilities, AVE is funding the construction of a new school for children with disabilities in the suburbs of Ho Chi Minh City. It will be able to accommodate between 110 and 130 students across 11 classes when it opens at the start of the 2026 school year.