THE BUI CHU ORPHANAGE -  SAINT AN’S FAMILY

       In the Northwest side of the Bui Chu Cathedral is the traditional charity Centre of Bui Chu Diocese. It is called Nha Duc Anh (Orphanage House). The house built in 1852 by St. Bishop Diaz Sanjurjo An (1852-1857) (Canonized Martyr on June 19^th ,1988) consisting  of 3 buildings with the aim of gathering orphaned poor children under 12 years old for education, food, clothes and love. At that time, it was named “ NHA THIEN THAN “ (Angelic House). At that time, children living here could be adopted by Catholic families and those who were not, the Angelic House took responsibility to give them food, ensured they were educated and prepared them with a vocation – training that could make them self-supporting later…During this time the Church was persecuted, the House was completely destroyed; brick and wood were confiscated to build other buildings in the area.

      In 1993, under  the authorization of the late Bishop Joseph Vũ Duy Nhất, the board of the leaders strived to increase and train the group of volunteers who serve in the Orphanage.

     After suffering damage by heavy rains and storms, in 1995, the board of the leaders implemented restoration, and upgrades to the infrastructure and buildings in accordance with their plans to provide adequate means to feed and shelter the children.

     Population of the area (6 districts) of Bui Chu Diocese is about 1,300,000; over 30% are Catholic; the number of handicapped and abandoned children is about 3,5%. The amount of children far overwhelmed what we could provide for, so the board of Director realized we had to come up with away to provide for all of the children.  So we enlisted the help of the community by such things as instilling responsibility in our community by such things as the slogan “ Cộng Đồng Trách Nhiệm “ (Responsibility of Community). In other words, its calls everybody, every organization as well as relatives of the children to share the responsibility for them. Therefore, the Orphanage House is organized as a Humanitarian Centre with the following ways:

      1.  Setting up a group to  look after the children without discrimination of religion.

     2. In order to get income to support them as well as to train the children vocationally, the House sets  up groups of making mats, embroidery, planting, keeping animals…

      3.  Opening personnel  training courses such as: health, education, vocation…in order to serve the Center and localities.

      4.  Those who  take part in the courses are volunteers who serve the Centre. After graduation they work by turn, in the Centre. When they live in their locality, they can cooperate with the Church Organization of their commune or district.

       Thanks be to God! The kindness of benefactors and relatives near and far, inside and outside of the country and with the above methods, from 1999 to September 2002, the Centre has gained significant achievements in helping the poor as follows:

       * Saint An's has been nourishing over 60 orphaned and handicapped children at the Centre, supporting them also so they can attend schools such as: the N⁰1 Central Kindergarten Teachers’ Training College: 1 student, Senior Secondary School: 1 student, Junior Secondary School: 6 students, Primary School: 7 students, Kindergarten: 5 students.

 ** The Centre has also helped to nurture 358 orphaned and handicapped children out of the 550 who sent an application to the Centre asking for help (it means that children are living with their parents or relatives in the community) in the amount of 40 thousand VN dong ($2.50) per child a month.

(The above – mentioned children (*,**) were provided by Saint An's without discrimination of their religion or residence, are from provinces: Tuyên Quang,Yên Bái,Quảng Ninh, Phú Thọ, Cao Bằng, Bắc Giang, Bắc Cạn, Hà Nội, Hà Nam, Nam Định, Ninh  Bình,Thái Bình, Hà Tĩnh, Đắc Lắc,Đồng Nai .)

Our hopes at the Centre is that we will be able to aid all 550 children above.

*** From 01/01/1999 – 31/12/2001, Saint An's granted rice to 72 poor, alone, elderly persons without discrimination of religion every month (10 kg per person). They live in villages: Bùi Chu, Liên Thuỷ, Trung Linh, Ngọc Tiên, Bách Tính, Quần Cống và Bắc Câu, belonging to  Bùi Chu Diocese.

In order to continue and operate more effectively, we are looking forward to receiving the attention and aid of both individuals and organizations.

          Thank you very much!