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N
guyen Thi Phuong, a former
student at the College of Com-
munity Medicine, was the re-
cipient of a Swing for the Kids
full scholarships in the academic year
2010-2013. She has now completed
her studies and is working for the Health
and Population Initiative Centre, part
of the Vietnam Union of Science and
Technology Association (VUSTA), as a
promoter of environmental policies.
Previously, Phuong was employed
on two social projects funded by the
Family Health International (FHI) involv-
ing taking care of HIV affected people
and drug addicts.
Phuong says: “The Swing for the
Kids scholarship was not only a moti-
vating force helping me through the
hardship of study, but it also got me to
recognise the value of sharing. That is
why I have taken my current job. What
I have had today came from the devo-
tion and support of many people. So, in
my future carrier, I will try to support as
many people as possible.”
Dinh Van Hoc, a graduate of the
National Economics University’s Bank-
ing Faculty, is another Swing for the
Kids scholarship recipient.
He is now working at the Bank for
Investment and Development of Viet-
nam’s customer relations department
thanks to his brilliant academic record.
“Swing for the Kids helped me
reach my dream,” Hoc says.
Hoc and Phuong are among the
first students who received a Swing for
the Kids full scholarship package worth
VND10 million ($500) per year.
This year, the golf tournament’s
organising board has granted scholar-
ships to two students: Thao Seo Phi, a
first year student at Thai Nguyen Uni-
versity of Agriculture and Forestry; and
Le Van Tu, a first year student at Hanoi
University of Pedagogy.
Each full scholarship, valued at
VND10 million, aims to support high-
achieving students facing difficulties.
Phuong and Hoc are just two of
thousands of students who have re-
ceived support from Swing for the Kids.
This explains why the charitable golf
tournament has become increasingly
popular in society and gained ever more
support from the business community.
According to Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan,
editor-in-chief of
Vietnam Investment
Review
and head of the golf tourna-
ment’s organising board, the board has
given over 10,000 scholarships to high-
achieving students from needy families,
as well as helped to repair and build
new learning facilities in 38 provinces
and municipalities countrywide. The to-
tal donated to date stands at VND6.4
billion ($305,000).
Last year alone,
VIR
visited nine lo-
calities in the country to directly donate
scholarships worth VND577 million
($27,500) to needy students. This sum
was spread across 958 scholarships.
“Though the scholarship is not big,
it has inspired the students to surpass
the difficulties and follow their dream
for a bright future,” says Tuan.
Besides granting scholarships
over the past three years,
VIR
has
funded visits for needy students to
Hanoi, Nam Dan district of Nghe An
province (the homeland of President
Ho Chi Minh), and Dong Loc, a na-
tional historical site in the central
province of Ha Tinh. Such visits are
designed to help the students better
their knowledge and also provide a
look back on the country’s traditions
inspiring the youth to be grateful to
their benefactors.
Chairman of the Vietnam Study
Promotion Fund, Pham Huy Hoan, says
the fund has provided half of Swing for
the Kids total funding to date. Besides
cash donations,
VIR
and the fund have
also built a bridge for a poor village
42
timeout
The results of the many
scholarships given via
the Swing for the Kids
charitable golf tourna-
ment are now clear,
with many graduates in
quality jobs. Words by
Thuy Dinh
BEARING FRUIT
SPECIAL
FEATURE