Project No. 00 (20) – Construction of sanitary facilities (toilets and showers) for the boarding secondary school in Xin Cai commune, Meo Vac district, Ha Giang Province in the north of Vietnam

Meo Vac district is 164 far from Ha Giang city, in the northeast of Vietnam. It is next to China to the north, Dong Van and Yen Minh districts to the west and Cao Bang to the south. The total land area is  57668,61 ha, among them only 22,5% agricultural area and 23%  forestry land. The district counts 14627 households (77023 people) coming from 17 ethnic minorities.              The H ´Mong ethnic minority (78%) is the largest one.

The distance between Xin Cai commune and the center of Meo Vac district is 32 kilometers. Due to its geographic location, the economic development and education in this commune are far behind. In the North, Xin Cai borders Thuong Phung commune, in the South it lies next to Giang Chu Phin and Son Vi communes. China is its neighbor in the East (8.7 kilometers shared border). Pa Vi and Pai Lung communes are adjacent in the West. Xin Cai consists of 19 villages (6 of them are bordering China), divided into two groups. Group one has 10 hamlets (Co Tang, Tia Cho, Khai Hoang 2, Khai Hoang 3, Xin Cai, Ban Chuoi, Bo Song, Phuong Luong, Ban Trang und Tia Kinh). This group is next to Nho Que river. Group two has 9 hamlets (Lung Van Chai, Lung Thung, Sa Nhe Lu, Sua Nhe Lu, Lung Thang, Me Nang, Pao Sang, Co Lang und Ngai Tro).
Xin Cai commune is located at an altitude of 1200 meters and encompasses a total of 3,590.51 ha. 2,211.3 ha thereof are used for agriculture only, 1,200.93 ha are forest (with 968.22 ha of nature reserve) and 178.28 ha are not cultivated. The steep slopes (average gradient 25%) made of limestone are hard to cultivate and the climate is harsh and dry. The cold season causes much damage due to freezing. Snowfall is not unusual here. The yearly mean temperature is 15.7 °C, the highest monthly temperature 19.7 °C and the coldest is 12.9 °C on average. The winter comes with dense fog and temperatures drop down to -6 °C. Erosion in the rain season, drought and water scarcity are consequences. .
923 households (5186 people) live in Xin Cai commune. 57,2%  (528 households) of all households are poor. The commune is composed of 9 ethnic minorities: H´Mong (70,18%), Dao, Lo Lo, Giay, Tay, Xuong, Nung, Hoa and Kinh. Most of them live from agriculture (cultivation of corn, rice, soy, other crops and animal feeds), forestry and animal husbandry.
On May 11th, 2018 the LOAN Foundation team (LOAN Stiftung, Isabelle Müller and Corinna Buchholz) visited at one’s own expense and not at the expense of the foundation the boarding secondary school in Xin Cai commune, Meo Vac District, Ha Giang Province in the north of Vietnam. There we met the teachers and the pupils. This time, they focused our attention on the horrendous conditions of the sanitary facilities of the school. We had a look at it.
The boarding secondary school of Xin Cai is 32 kilometers far from the center of Meo Vac district, next to the commune center. The school employs 24 teachers. In total 294 pupils go to this school, among them 262 are boarding students. At the beginning of 2018, all the pupils received necessary winter equipment from the LOAN Foundation (LOAN Stiftung, Project No. 13). So they all could overcome safely the extremely hard winter. Still the school has some major deficits: the actual small sanitary facilities (with water hoses as showers) cannot cope with the high number of users. It means that the children and the teachers have to empty their bowels “into the green” and that they cannot wash themselves suitably. The conditions are really horrible!

With the construction of new functional sanitary facilities, the lives of the children and the teachers would be fundamentally relieved. The boarding secondary school would be more “comfortable” and the children would be more motivated to go to school.

Together with our Vietnamese partners, we used plans and cost estimates to determine what is needed. Looking towards the future, the boarding secondary school of Xin Cai commune is in need of the following:

Sanitary facilities with four toilets and four showers

Overall funds needed: approx. 11.669,00 USD (or approx. 10.150,00 €)

As a turnover foundation, the LOAN Foundation (LOAN Stiftung) can provide help directly. We would like to carry out this project, but are dependent on every financial donation. We remain optimistic that we will be able to collect the necessary funds.

In cooperation and in continuous contact with our Vietnamese partners, we will as always supervise and guide this project personally and on site. We will report on the progress regularly.

We would be delighted if you were to provide us with moral and financial support in this endeavor. Thank you very much!

Status July, 2018: The CML Jacob-Hoeft Stiftung in Waldbronn donated € 2.500,00. We say thank you to this faithful sponsor!:)

Status October, 2018: On October 6th, 2018 a two person team of the LOAN Foundation team (LOAN Stiftung) (Isabelle Müller and Corinna Buchholz) visited (at one’s own expense and not at the expense of the foundation) the secondary school in Xin Cai commune. We still need more sponsors in order to finance this project.

Status November, 2018: On 12th November ,2018 the  LOAN Foundation (LOAN Stiftung) makes an aid appeal on Facebook. We renamed the Project “00” and still  need € 7.650 or “306 Packages of € 25,00 each. Each sponsor of a package will be mentioned by name (if desired) with the remark “Christmas Angel for Project 00” here on our Website after receipt of the payment.

YouTube player

Here our aid appeal on Facebook:

Hoping that Christmas keeps its true meaning for most of us, here our Christmas Story 2018

Dear FB-Friends,

now Christmas time is approaching, the time of Love and Peace, and the LOAN Stiftung thought it would be a good occasion to let our “Saving Angels” become “Christmas Angels”. After all, we want to make more children happy. As Albert Einstein said: “There are no great discoveries and progress as long as there is one unhappy child on earth.”

Each donated cent goes 100% into our children´s charity projects, because the LOAN Stiftung pays all administration costs. Your donations are very welcome!

Currently we have 4 projects still in need for sponsors:

No. 18 and No. 22: Construction of a primary school with kindergarten in Cao Chu Phin and Ly Chu Phin, District Don Van

No. 23: Construction of a wall for Can Ty school, in order to protect the children in case of a flood

and Project No. 20: Construction of toilets and showers for Xin Cai High School, District Meo Vac

We selected the last one because in Xin Cai High School the elementary hygienic conditions are still horrible and must be urgently solved, for the sake of almost 300 children and teachers in addition. However we received following immediate feed-back: “This idea in Christmas time is wonderful, but you cannot propose this project: Toilets and showers are not really appropiate for Christmas time…”

We kept this sentence in our minds: “Toilets and showers are not really appropiate for Christmas time…”

Because the LOAN Stiftung is like it is, hereupon we decided to propose obviously this project to call for donations. We answered: “Please tell us when poverty is appropriate! Did these children choose to empty their bowels “into the green” and wash themselves with cold water since years when freezing outside? Poverty doesn´t suit anybody, especially children. Why should we embellish the situation for “the time of love”? Toilets and showers: What is absolutely taken for granted in Europe is unfortunately the biggest wish of some children at the other end of the world. It is hard but a fact.

This is why the LOAN Stiftung deliberately proposes this project. Total costs: € 10.150. We have already received a donation amounting € 2.500 from CML Jacob-Hoeft Stiftung in Waldbronn. We still need € 7.650 or “306 Packages of € 25,00 each”.

Please donate to LOAN Stiftung, Sparkasse Pforzheim Calw, IBAN: DE24 6665 0085 0008 9550 00. Keyword: “Project 00”.

Each sponsor of a package will be mentioned by name (if desired) with the remark “Christmas Angel for Project 00” on our Website in the category “Project No. 00 (20) after receipt of the payment.

Become a “Christmas Angel” – Because it is the true meaning of Christmas. Thank you!:)

Status 19th November, 2018: The donations amount € 3.894,00

Status 27th November, 2018: the donations amount € 4.409,00

Status 3rd December, 2018: the donations amount € 4.814,95

Status 12th December, 2018: the donations amount € 6.527,13

Status 24th December, 2018: We have made it on time!:) Many “Christmas Angels” joined us up and donated for this project! Our deepest thanks to all “Christmas Angels”! We will sign the according contract at the beginning of the year. As always, we will invest each donation one to one into this project and report at regular intervals.

Our lovely “Christmas Angels” are here!:) 

Matthias Albert, Oliver Basten und Christina Teles Da Cunha Basten, Marc, Bui und Thao Bednarz, Bettina Bellmer, Waldemar Braun, Dr. Axel Buchholz, Corinna Buchholz, Minh Chum, Gerhard Cörper, Quy Dao, Dieu Linh Doan, Daniel Diwiki, Thang Duong, Thanh Khang Duong, eastwest-trading GmbH, Marco Eckert, Heinz Erdweg, Bärbel Ferber, Annette Fritsch-Acar, Stefan und Antje Froestl, Matthias und Sabine Georgi, Maia und Rüdiger Gollücke, Kerstin Graf, Mirjam Grössle, Hai-Ly Le, Hannover Things, Heinz-Werner und  Jutta Harzheim, Thi Ha Le, Vuong Diem Phuong Ho, Thomas Hoppe und Greet Hoppe-Simkens, Familie Nicolas Hornung, Karl und Renate Huegel, Chris Jacobson, Tobias Joch, Claudia Johannsen, Najat Kedal, Alina und Joachim Kunz, Rainer Kunz, Igor Lankin, Hanna Lee, Prof. Dr. Marco Lehmann-Waffenschmidt, Sabine Leikep, Vera Liebergesell, Florian und Sabrina Link, Verena und Konstantin Magin, Dieter und Petra Magin, Manuela Markert, Christian Meder, Andrea Michaelsen, Stefan Müller, Arndt Mussgnug, Linh Pham My, Pham Ha My, Ha Ni, Thuy Hang Ngo, Hoang Ngoc, Kim Nguyen, Lien Huong Nguyen, Thuy Hoang Phuong Nguyen, Trung Nguyen, Jörg Oberländer, Marion Pfannenschwarz, Lothar und Karin Pfrommer, Hanna Phan, Pham Thi Minh Phuong, Christian Posselt, Quan (Hanoi), Nikita Radic, Alaleh Rayan, Christa Reis, Biggi Riebel, Felix Rust, Lan TSeifert, Marc Schäfer, Maik Scheske, Sabine Schwandtner, Hein-Joachim Simon, Boris Slatina, Gerwin und Natalie Tasche, Duong Thang, To Trinh, Hoang Tran Thi Thu und Thanh Nhat Vu, Liesel und Werner Waldschmidt, Anna Wentland, Werner Wicharz, Miroslaw Jozef Witoch, Gudrun und Michael Wolber, Wiebke U., Nicole Zinthäfner

We say Thank You to all the direct and anonymous donors!:) 

Status January, 2019:  The contract was signed. The construction work will start at the beginning of March, 2019 and the acceptance of the construction work was set on May, 2019.

Status March, 2019: On March 18th, 2019 the LOAN Foundation (LOAN Stiftung) team (Isabelle Müller, Corinna Buchholz and Truc Pham) visits (at one’s own expenses and not at the expenses of the foundation) the commune of Xin Cai, Meo Vac district, Ha Giang province. Our Vietnamese Partners waited for us to start the official ground breaking ceremony, at which “Mother Earth” was asked for permission and blessing.

Status April, 2019:  The fundaments are done and first walls of the sanitary facilities are visible.

Status May, 2019: On May 10th, 2019 the LOAN Foundation (LOAN Stiftung) team (Isabelle Müller and Corinna Buchholz) visits (at one’s own expenses and not at the expenses of the foundation) the commune of Xin Cai, Meo Vac district, Ha Giang province. The new sanitary facilities are officially inaugurated with a wonderful handover ceremony. The old sanitary facilities have also been renovated (because we could save some money with the new design of the new building) and equipped with new, strong and lockable doors. (Both buildings will be repainted well as soon as the weather gets warmer/Report will follow). Now over 300 students and teachers have proper toilets and showers. The joy of all is immense. Our deepest thanks to our “Christmas Angels”, to our sponsors and to the CML-Jacob-Hoeft Stiftung that made the realization of this wonderful project possible!:)

Status October, 2019: Our Team visits on October 30th, 2019 Xin Cai. The new sanitary facilities are in good shape. Everybody is happy. We are satisfied!:)

YouTube player