Mái Ấm Hồng Ân Orphanage

Mái Ấm Hồng Ân (Blessed Sweet Home) orphanage is unique among many similar organisations. It owes its existence and growth to the generosity and tenacity of a remarkable woman: the paraplegic Vương Ngọc Sương, who, at the age of 24, was rendered disabled by a fall while doing charity work.

Ms Vuong Ngoc Suong and the orphans at the Tay Ninh site

Ms Vương Ngọc Sương and the orphans at the Tây Ninh site

Despite her handicap, with boundless love, compassion and energy, Ms Sương takes into her care abandoned children. Some were abandoned because they were severely disabled, needing 24-hour care or thought by many as having no prospect of survival. Ms Sương cares for them, feed them, sends them to schools and some time even marries them off when they have grown up.

The Tay Ninh site, viewed from the front entrance

The Tây Ninh site, viewed from the front entrance

Part of the Tay Ninh site: children's playing and eating area

Part of the Tây Ninh site: children’s playing and eating area

The orphanage was originally in only one location, Ms Sương’s own home in HCMC.

Due to the need to care for the growing number of discarded children, Ms Suong enlisted the help of her parents, turning their property in rural Tây Ninh into the second site for the orphanage.

The original site now looks after about 12 children.

The Tây Ninh site caters for about 30 younger children, aged from a few months to 16 years old, some of them severely disabled

Meal time at the orphanage

In May 2009 the Foundation helped the orphanage with the renovation of the living, sleeping and studying areas for the children at Tây Ninh site, providing them with ceiling fans, book shelves, beds, beddings and mosquito nets.

Studying area is also used as sleeping area for the children

Chidren sleep on bare floor

In addition, we also helped the orphanage to acquire 20 piglets and to install a biogas system. The original piglets have produced many generations of offspring, which are now the source of food and income for the orphanage.

The wastes from these pigs are used as fuel for the biogas system, and are now the source of free, clean energy for cooking.

The VND 8 Million investment in the biogas system has resulted in the saving of VND 10 Million off the orphanage’s VND 18 Million fuel bill annually.