Gala event raises funds for Van Kieu, Pa Co ethnic communities

The ethinic communities of Van Kieu and Pa Co are being given a helping hand by a fundraising gala dinner, hosted by American non-government organisation, Global Community Service Foundation.

This old house: The first communal house built in the Spanr Village in central Quang Tri Province last year. It has been instrumental in boosting the quality of life for local inhabitants.

The gala, which aims to raise US$100,000 for the Adopt-A-Village campaign, will bring together supporting governmental agencies, international businesses and not-for-profit entities, on January 18 next year at Hanoi’s Sofitel Metropole.

The Van Kieu and Pa Co people live in Quang Tri Province’s Dak Rong District. One of the poorest provinces in the country, Quang Tri was a fierce battle zone during the American War, the impacts of which are still visible today.

The fund will be used to build eight pre-school complexes and cultural community houses, aimed at preserving the material and spiritual legacies of the two groups.

Cultural community houses play an important role in the daily lives of Vietnam’s ethnic minority people, acting as sacred places for villagers to socialise, perform cultural rituals and teach younger generations about traditions, customs and beliefs.

Moreover, Marianne Henderson, secretary of the foundation, notes that benefit goes far beyond merely cultural value.

"We’ve already managed to build the first communal house in Quang Tri’s Spanr Village. It has been the very first basis for local authorities to establish further infrastructures such as roads, toilets or wells," she said.

"What’s more, that communal house is a good place for foreign tourists to rest and enjoy local life".

The NGO, who launched a wide-range of projects in Southeast Asia, firmly believe that constructing cultural communal houses is the most proper and effective way to improve local living standards.

The gala, advertised as "a unique blend of Southeast Asian culture, cuisine and artistry" will play host to live musical performances and an auction of weekend breaks and Vietnamese antiquities.

Among the first donors to the event are Incombank, Vinatex, the USA’s Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Fund and Catholic Relief Services. For more details, check out the website at adoptavillagegala.org.

(Source: Viet Nam News)