Help Us Make A Difference

Your help is still needed!

An international team of 90 volunteers from diverse backgrounds, talents and skills to provide medical, educational, vocational and emotional support to a large group of disadvantaged children in Southern Vietnam (Kien Giang & Dong Thap Province and Saigon).

Four years ago Catalyst Foundation became concerned with the alarming increase of young girls that are enslaved in sex houses because their parents "sold" them to a trafficker that promised to find them "good jobs” and families living in extreme misery that girls will often leave their homes to prostitute so that she can earn less than $1 a day to feed them. Caroline Ticarro-Parker, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Catalyst Foundation, says, “Our greatest fear is that there is an entire generation of children, and specifically girls in rural villages of Vietnam that will grow up without any chance - without any hope - without any safe choices - without an education.”

Dong Thap is located in the Mekong Delta, bordered on the north by Cambodia, located about 100 miles south west of Saigon. Due to the common 33 mile border with Cambodia, people cross the border easily (and illegally), a fact that is hard to control. There are over 40,000 families in Dong Thap Province, mostly hired laborers living in extreme poverty (less than $370 in annual income). The poor families support some 80,000 children of which 11,000 are poorly fed, nearly 2500 have to work to feed themselves or live off the streets. Children from these poor families do not have sufficient means to go to school, and if they do, may drop out at any time to earn income for their family. Of the number of illiterate children in the villages we work in, nearly 60% of them are girls. They are potential victims of child trafficking.

Catalyst learned about the garbage dump village of Kien Giang just over a year ago from a Vietnamese official. Families have lived in the squalor of the dump for four generations. Residents of the dump, which is about the size of three football fields, build make-shift homes from materials they find in the dump and dig for their daily food and clothing buried in the spoiling refuse. The Vietnamese government doesn’t consider these families citizens, because they lack birth certificates or other paperwork. No paperwork means no school for the children. They work among the garbage, gathering recyclables, which they sell for less than 15 cents a day. They pay rent to be allowed to live in the dump. And their cycle of poverty and illiteracy continues from one generation to the next. But that’s not the worst thing. They learned that girls as young as 4 or 5 living in the dump are often kidnapped or purchased by traffickers in the sex trade. “These girls in Kien Giang are especially at risk because Kien Giang is so close to Cambodia,” Caroline explains.

90 U.S. volunteers - ages 7 to 70 - will travel to Vietnam this March and working to improve the living situations for these children, as well as promoting education and good health. The team will be repairing homes, distributing a month’s worth of rice to the 200 of the poorest families in each location, giving 250 new bikes to the children living farthest away from school, providing free medical exams to 2000 people, and visiting 4 primary schools to give gifts from children in the U.S. The week will end by bringing 250 children to Vung Tau see the ocean for the first time for a few days of simple playtime. Each child will receive two outfits, sandals, and basic toiletries. Three nourishing meals a day will be served, room and boarding will be made available for every child. Over 40 additional Vietnamese social workers, volunteers and staff will be with the children at camp.

At camp the 8th Annual "My Vietnam" Art Contest will be celebrated. The kids have always amazed us each year with their creativity and we can't wait to see the new entries! The winners are provided with scholarships so that they can attend and finish school. Most of these children have never known the feeling of a full stomach or believed that anyone would travel across the world just to spend time with them. It’s a heartwarming two weeks where friendships - and memories - are made.

The Catalyst Foundation Vietnam Aid Expedition is a coordinated way to positively impact a large amount of children in a short period of time. Caroline sums up the trip quite simply, “Our goal is to give each child a few days of deserving playful memories that will show them that they are loved and not forgotten by society”.

For more information about Catalyst Foundation visit the website at www.catalystfoundation.org.

Meet Our Amazing Team

Here's a quick look at our team (in no particular order) the biggest ever at 90 people - WOW!

The breakdown:
25 kids (youngest is 7 - oldest is 16)
4 college students
24 alumni (including kids)
8 fluent in Vietnamese
1 canadian


Caroline, Scott, Natalie & Cassidie and Anthony - MN
That's me and my family. Natalie and Cassidie will be 10 years old for their 5th Aid Expedition. On this trip we're excited to bring our godson, Anthony who is 16.

Dana - MN
He's one of the very first supporter of Catalyst - and known us since college days! We're so excited he'll be coming to Vietnam for the first time with us!

Audrey & David and daughter Thuy - NJ
Their first AE, but veterans of the Vietnam Culture Camp on the East Coast. Thuy will be 9 years old soon.

Gina - CT
Mom to two great daughters from Vietnam and already fundraising!

David - CA
College student at DeAnza College going to vietnam for the first time!

Sandy & Patty and their kids Noah & Jesse - CT
Noah & Jesse were born in Vietnam and will be ages 9 & 8 for their first trip back with their parents.

Dorothy & David and their children Liam & Maia (ages 9 & 7) - PA
The family have attended Vietnam Culture Camp (and Cambodia Culture Camp for Maia). Liam was born in Kien Giang where we'll start our Aid Expedition.

Jack & nephew Alex - CA
Jack is a professional Aid Expedition member! This will be his 4th one! Alex is brave enough to travel with him and will be almost 14 for the trip.

Dave & Kathy and daugther Clare (age 10) - MN
This adventurous family are also alumnus to the AE - this will be their 3rd one and we're always glad to have them!

Aileen & Blake and sons Josh & Tri (ages 9) - TX
Aileen went on AE 2004 and sang her entire way through Vietnam. Now we expect her boys to teach us new songs!

Brian, Maria and son Robert - MN
Robert just turned 10 and this will be his first trip back to Vietnam since he was adopted!

Amy - PA
Amy is a practicing attorney and will be going on this volunteer vacation without her husband and 3 children!

Mike & Jo and daughters Miriam & Naomi - NY
Mike & Jo have been taking Vietnamese lessons for some time now so maybe they can help all of you newbies! Miriam will be 14 and Naomi 10 when they travel. This will be Mike & Miriam's first trip to Vietnam ever and Jo & Naomi's first time back sine Naomi was adopted.

Henry - NY
An avid international traveler but this will be his first visit to Vietnam.

Judy & Kai (age 9) - MN
Judy is our trusted dentist and this is her 3rd AE, and Kai's 2nd one! We're happy to have them back with us!

Kate & Matt - MN
Kate first came to AE when she was just a "teenager" - now we're thrilled to have her back with her friend Matt.

Laura & Harriet and their son David - MN
David is 9 years old and excited to return to Vietnam with his parents - it's everyone's first aid expedition!

Don - MN
Don's volunteered for us in Vietnam for a month last year and then an additional week on the August aid expedition.

Pete - NC
Talked into this crazy trip by the crazy family in Texas we're very excited to have a professional carpenter on our team!

Anna - MN
Anna is a long time Catalyst volunteer and just went to Vietnam on a much smaller Aid Expedition in August 2007 - she had to come back for more! (or just enjoys missing some more time away from her pharmaceutical studies).

Sue, her sister Delores & niece, Cynthia (age 13) - CA
This is Sue's 3rd Aid Expedition - and she's not tired of me yet :)! This trip she's bringing her sister and niece to join the fun!

Barb - ME
Barb will be joining her daughter (Dr. Jenn) and give us all the inside info during her first Expedition with us.

Krysty and son Benjamin - IA
Krystine went on the 2006 expedition and now bringing her 16 year old son to help carry all the medical and orphanage donations :).

Huong - MD
Huong is a traveling nurse and one of the fluent Vietnamese speaker on the team. We'll make sure we sign her up for some karaoke!

Jennifer - ME
This will be Dr. Jenn's 2nd AE and she joined Scott on the 2006 bike ride from HCMC to Dong Thap.

Catherine & Emily (age 9 ) - NJ
I always assume that Catherine will join us - this will be her fourth AE and Em's 2nd time.

Stacy & daughter Alicia - CT
Alicia is a college student at Southern Conneticut State. They're good friends of Gina Bonfietti and she talked them into this adventure!

Mary & Charlene and their children Sophie, Samuel (ages 9) and Noah (age 7) - MN
All three children are adopted from Vietnam and excited to go back with their parents!

Sue & daughter Brianna - WI
Brianna is 9 years old and also from Kien Giang. This will be their first time back since she was adopted.

Charlene - CA
Charlene grew up in Vietnam and now living in the Bay Area. We're excited to have her join the expedition!

Deb & daughter Lan - NE
Lan will be 11 years old when she travels back to Vietnam with her mom since her adoption.

Brenda & son Zachary (age 8) - PA
Brenda & her family have been to many Culture Camps. It will be great to have them see Vietnam again!

Leslie & daughter Leah (age 10) - OH
This will be their second Aid Expedition and whirlwind shopping trip!

Elizabeth - ME
Liz works with Dr. Jenn and couldn't pass up this opportunity to help us! This will be her first trip to Vietnam.

Kathy - PA
Kathy and her husband have adopted 3 children from Vietnam. But they all stay home when she travels with us!

Chris - NJ
Chris has traveled the world - and now Vietnam for the first time!

Christine - MA
This will be Christine's 2nd Aid Expedition and we didn't scare her off - yet!

Carolyn - Canada
Carolyn emigrated to Canada when she was 10 years old, she continues to be fluent in the language and only back once before.

Michael - CA
Michael is fluent in Vietnamese joined us on the August Aid Expedition and made sure that we worked efficiently (and quickly!)

Kayla - SC
Kayla is a hard working nurse who found us by chance. We're lucky to have her join us!

Bruce - NJ
Bruce and his family have attended all of our Vietnam Culture Camps on the East Coast. His daughter has already raised over $1000 for bikes for the kids in Vietnam.

Sue - OH
Sue's twin boys are from Kien Giang. She's been waiting to go on expedition since she read our blog in 2006!

Kathleen - CA
Kathleen has been waiting for the "perfect time" to join us and we're excited tha it's right now!

Martha and daughter Maya - CT
Maya is 9 years old and excited to join the expedition with other good friends from CT!