Traumatized children need security. They need a sense of belonging: to someone; to somewhere. Thien Binh Orphanage provides a home for more than 100 orphaned children. The children are safe and well cared for. And they have a future.
The orphanage is home not only to abandoned and homeless children but also to elderly people. Like the children the elderly people have no homes and no families to support them. So the residents of the Thien Binh Orphanage range in age from a few months to 87 years!
The orphanage is operated by the Committee of Social Charities of the Catholic Diocese of Xuan Loc.
Thien Binh orphanage is located in the countryside of Dong Nai Province south of the city of Bien Hoa, near the site of the Bien Hoa airbase, the main US military base during the Vietnam War.
Vietnam today By any measure Vietnam is a poor country. Certainly it's economy has grown markedly recently, but this is relative. The average annual per capita income is a little over $US2 800 and the country is ranked 166th in the world in terms of GDP per capita.
There are estimated to be around 1.4 million abandoned or parent-less children in Vietnam. Children born out of wedlock, children with disabilities and parents too poor to afford to feed their children are some of the most common reasons for abandoning children. The annual death toll from disease, floods and traffic carnage all create ever more orphans.
There are a number of state-run orphanages, but the majority of orphans and elderly people without families are generally cared for by religious charities and NGOs.
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Education is vital to the future success of the children at Thien Binh. In Vietnam education is not free. Fees are required at every level of the education system.
Many of the buildings at Thien Binh Orphanage have become badly run down and need to be refurbished to bring them up to a standard that ensures safety and health.
Transport is an urgent need for the orphanage. Located in a rural area several miles from the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau highway, the orphanage has no means of transport.
The main ailments that affect children are fever and diarrhea. The orphanage always needs to replenish supplies of medicines such as analgesics and antidiarrheal medication.