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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.