East Meets West (Non-governmental organization)
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| Founder(s) | Le Ly Hayslip |
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| Type | NGO |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Location | Offices in California, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, India and Timor Leste. |
| Area served | Southeast Asia and South Asia |
| Mission | East Meets West transforms the health, education and communities of disadvantaged people in South and Southeast Asia by building partnerships, developing opportunities and creating sustainable solutions |
| Employees | 110 |
| Website | eastmeetswest.org |
East Meets West is the largest non-governmental organization acting in Vietnam, with additional programs in Southeast Asia and South Asia, which describes itself as "the foundation for learning, healing and health." It was founded in 1988 by author and humanitarian Le Ly Hayslip, and is based in Oakland, California, USA.[1]
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[edit] Mission
East Meets West declares its belief, that every person should have access to clean water, proper medical treatment and decent education, which are estimated as fundamental elements of normal life.
It operates in the fields of public health, education, and economy aiming to help Vietnamese people to achieve self-sufficiency.[2]
Among the key programs are: providing low-income children with a good education, clean water and vital medical care, surgery program to heal heart defects in children (Operation Healthy Heart), scholarship program to improve educational outcomes (SPELL), dental program, support for children with disabilities, and an innovative clean water and sanitation program.[3][4]
The Organization in partnership with Atlantic Philanthropies also participates in building of Vietnam's medical and educational infrastructure, including university libraries and general hospitals. A 200-bed cardiovascular center in Huế and a twelve-story English Language training center in Da Nang were completed.
In the year of 2009, East Meets West spent 5,377,316 USD on its programs.[5]
[edit] Programs
[edit] Education Programs
East Meets West's learning programs provide a comprehensive response to a common development problem, helping children from poor families gain a solid education. The Scholarship Program to Enhance Learning and Literacy (SPELL) program provides 10-year scholarships to children from Vietnam's poorest families. Over 5,000 students now have the opportunity to complete high school and get a good job.
The anti-trafficking ADAPT program, implemented by EMW’s partner Pacific Links Foundation, works to stop trafficking at the source by providing vulnerable girls with the resources they need to create a brighter future.
The School Construction program builds primary schools and kindergartens in rural areas so more children can attend school. Vietnam does not have enough schools to meet the needs of its population EMW has also helped fill in the gaps in Vietnam's higher education system by building key educational facilities such as university libraries, research centers and sports complexes.
Village of Hope is EMW’s disadvantaged children’s center that provides children from the most difficult circumstances with a safe haven where they receive a full education, job training and skills to help them reintegrate into society.[6]
[edit] Medical and Healthcare Programs
Through the medical programs, EMW provides direct assistance to individuals, supports families, trains medical staff and works to improve systemic capacity by developing and constructing improved medical facilities.
The Breath of Life: Neo-natal Health program saves over 15,000 babies a year through appropriate technologies.
The EMW Dental Program serves 15,000 Vietnamese annually, offering 45,000 services.
The Operation Healthy Heart program addresses the most common birth defect, congenital heart disease, by providing lifesaving cardiac surgery to critically ill children. In addition, EMW provides training to medical staff in numerous hospitals.
EMW provides a comprehensive support system for the disabled through its Support Network for People with Disabilities (SN-PWD) and its INSPIRE Sports program. Many of these disabilities are caused by exposure to Agent Orange and dioxin, an issue EMW is addressing through a new campaign of healing for Agent Orange survivors.
EMW builds key medical institutions that are a crucial link between our grassroots development programs and large-scale capacity building. In the past decade, with major support from the Atlantic Philanthropies, EMW has invested over $50 million in building large-scale hospitals in Vietnam.[7]
[edit] Clean Water & Sanitation
Water-related illnesses are the world's leading cause of sickness and death, daily taking the lives of some 6,000 people—most of whom are children under five. Through the Clean Water & Sanitation Program, EMW provides a sustainable water supply to communities and ensures that the local people are fully invested in the project. To maximize the health benefits, EMW incorporates a hygiene and sanitation training component to address the need for improved sanitation, another critical public health issue.[8]
[edit] Partners and Funders
EMW partners with government organizations, international organizations, foundations, local associations, hospitals, and educational institutions to enhance the quality of their programs and expand its scope and impact. Key partnerships include: GE Healthcare, Design that Matters, Blue Planet Network, VNHELP, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, Osprey Packs, Masimo, International Children Assistance Network (ICAN), and Pacific Links.[9]
EMW receives funding support from government agencies, foundations, corporations and individuals. Key funders include The Global Partnership on Output-based aid, USAID, AusAID, Irish Aid, The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Lemelson Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The Boeing Company, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[10]
[edit] History
East Meets West was established by Le Ly Hayslip, whose life story was chronicled in two books she wrote and in Oliver Stone's film, Heaven & Earth, based on her memoir When Heaven and Earth Changed Places. In 1988, she visited her native village in Ky La in Central Vietnam to begin healing of the war wounds and plant the seeds of reconciliation.
From Le Ly's early projects - Mothers Love Pediatric Clinic and Peace Village Medical Center - East Meets West emerged as a respected non-governmental organization (NGO) in Vietnam, which realized many socially important projects in the country.
In the nineties of the last century, East Meets West received a grant from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and constructed the Village of Hope, a shelter and safe haven for 136 needy children from Central Vietnam.
In 2003, John Anner left the Independent Press Association to head East Meets West.[11]
In 2006, East Meets West co-organized medical equipment donation for Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi.
[edit] Geographic Areas Served
East Meets West is currently serving communities in seven countries throughout Asia, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, India, the Philippines, Myanmar and Timor Leste.[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ About Us. East Meets West/
- ^ VietNamNet Bridge News
- ^ Global Partnership on Output Based Aid, GPOBA grants US$3m to East Meets West to improve Access to Water Services to rural Vietnam, November 2007
- ^ AmCham Vietnam
- ^ Charity Navigator Rating
- ^ EMW Education Programs.
- ^ EMW Medical and Healthcare Programs.
- ^ EMW Clean Water and Sanitation.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ "S.F. nonprofit helps small magazines stay alive" SF Gate (December 12, 2002)
- ^ East Meets West Overview
