President Volunteer Award

PVNF writer September 06, 2023

A Labor of Love

On Labor Day, we honor the dedication and dignity of American workers who are the engines that drive our nation to prosperity.  We also take this opportunity to honor our PVNF volunteers who are the engines that have made significant difference in thousands of lives for the past 27 years.  Our collective efforts have resulted in the recent recognition of the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award.   

In 1990, President George H. Bush established The Points of Light to recognize ordinary Americans from all walks of life who are making a difference in the lives of others. Its mission is to inspire, equip, and mobilize people to take action that changes the world. In 2003, the  President’s Volunteer Service Award was set up to honor individuals and organizations whose services positively impact communities nationwide while inspiring those around them to act. Project Vietnam Foundation did that and more.

Since 1996, our labor of love included 76 missions to Vietnam in 40 provinces.  We have provided medical / dental / vision services to more than 106,970 patients in poor remote areas of Vietnam and performed 2,182 life-changing surgeries on children with birth deformities and eye defects. We have placed 120 life-saving heart pacemakers in patients with dangerous heart conditions and delivered training to over 9,800 healthcare personnel to start or improve medical services for the children of Vietnam. Our Newborn Care Initiative (vitamin K injection to prevent intracranial bleeding and neonatal resuscitation training) was vital in the establishment of Vietnam National Healthcare Policy that affected approximately 1.5 million babies born annually.  This policy directly contributed to the decreased of Vietnam infant mortality rate by 3%. Every year, around 50,000 babies survived because they received successful breath of life CPR from health workers trained with our Neonatal Resuscitation Program. Beginning in 2010, we helped Vietnam built a system to aid children with special needs by conducting training to healthcare and education personnel as well as parents to assist roughly 1 million children estimated to suffer from autism.  Additionally, we have constructed 130 new water filter systems for preschools in central highland.

Our work is to relieve the suffering of those affected by their current situation. As we continuing to make a difference, our Surgery Team will depart in two weeks to perform hundreds of lives changing cleft lips/palate surgeries to the outcast children in Vietnam.  Our Primary Care Team is scheduled to deploy to Vietnam from November 6 - 19, 2023.  We are seeking volunteers to support this mission.  Please sign up here.

Thank you for walking the path in making a difference with PVNF.  I am so very grateful for your continued support and wish you the best of health on this Labor Day.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Quynh Kieu, MD

President, Project Vietnam Foundation