Sunshine Foundation have focused on providing education opportunities to students held back by their circumstances to reach their potential.
2022
This year has seen a drastic change from pandemic to endemic. Country borders started to reopen, and trade resumed as normal but the impact from Covid -19 remained huge. More needs to be done – and we are determined to assist. Students and families experiencing disadvantage are facing significant and new challenges: The rising cost of living, ongoing impacts of COVID and the changing nature of education and work mean that we need to redouble our efforts. Sunshine Scholarship Board, with the generous support of our collaborator, International Alumni Network (iAN) and our donors from the US, have granted 126,000,000 VND to over a hundred students in Dalat city and beyond, with the strong belief that education is one of the most powerful agents of change.
2021
As the world entered 2021, the pandemic was still raging, Covid-19 continued to spread around the world, with more than 550 million confirmed cases and more than six million deaths reported across almost 200 countries. Globally, countries closed their borders to one another, and world economies were tremendously affected by the strict restrictions imposed. This lockdown impacted Sunshine Scholarship Board financially, but they were trying their best to ensure the help would continue to reach the students who missed out even more because of the pandemic. As in 2020, there was no public fundraising nor distribution ceremony in the traditional way, but thankfully, some valued supporters of Sunshine Scholarship still donated. We gave more than a hundred grants to students and disabled centres with an amount of 127,405,000 VND.
2020
This year marked a global health crisis caused by Coronavirus disease (Covid 19), characterized as a pandemic by WHO. It attacks the core of societies, affects all segments of the population and is particularly detrimental to social groups in the most vulnerable situations, especially people living in poverty, older persons, persons with disabilities, … To contain its impact in the community, countries around the world entered lockdown with the closure of schools and non-essential businesses leading to a global crisis of unprecedented reach and proportion. However, Dalat, thanks to its remote location from bustling busy centers, suffered less from the virus, students still attended school, but disadvantaged ones were experiencing the effect of poverty even more. Sunshine Scholarship Foundation Board was not able to raise funds, thus decided to gather money (134,302,000 VND) within its own family to help the most vulnerable 100 students from Dalat City and its vicinity, who came masks on to the main office in Dalat to get their scholarships as big gatherings were prohibited.
Although the pandemic marks its toll on human lives and activities, Quy Hoc Bong Anh Duong still sustains its assistance to its scholars, encouraging them to keep schooling.
2019
On October 27, 2019, SF held a magnificent ceremony commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Foundation operations in Lam Dong Province, where both donors and scholarship recipients were honored with the presence of our collaborators, Volunteering Community Service Association (HTNCTVCD) and Ho Chi Minh City International Alumni Network (iAN), our guests from the local government representatives and from overseas and hundreds of student parents. The ceremony was brightened up by students’ beautifully performed singing and dancing, among which those of disabled schools particularly touched the audience heart. SF granted 229 scholarships to students from Dalat City and from surrounding suburbs with a total funding of 273,030,346 VND.
Sunshine Scholarship Foundation will do everything in their power to make sure that poverty will not hold children back from completing their education and achieving their potential.
2018
On October 27th, 2018, SF funded scholarship grants to 121 students from the city of Dalat and 102 students from the neighbouring suburbs, brought together with the collaboration of Volunteering Community Service Association ( Hoi Tinh Nguyen Chung tay Vi Cong Dong ), with the presence of parents, teachers, donors and the supervision of volunteers. The ceremony was heartily acclaimed, students beaming with joy at the distribution of school supplies and scholarships and exceptionally moved by the sharing of life experience by guest speakers. Again SF extended their reach to rural and ethnic minorities students , giving them a solid grounding to move forward and catch up with their urban peer.
2017
In late October 2017, again the Town Hall of Dalat City witnessed 267 students from primary to university coming together to receive their annual grants. They were presented with their scholarships in a heart-warming atmosphere, parents and friends attending. What is making a clear difference from previous years is that all disadvantaged children have been helped to afford their school essentials regardless of their academic results. We just want to provide a child in need with the same uniform, the same books and the same opportunities as the other children at school.
2016
In October 2016, as usual, the scholarship distribution gathered over 200 students of all levels from primary to tertiary, accompanied by their teachers and parents, honorable guests and Sunshine Foundation donors at Dalat City Town Hall with a total scholarship funding of 192,773,045VND. The ceremony was being conducted in a solemn yet cheerful atmosphere, which ended in a “small snack gift” share-out to primary school students as encouragement from a donor. The way forward we provide for all of SF award recipients is made up of small milestones which will hopefully add up to big outcomes-becoming financially independent and gainfully employed contributors to human society.
2015
In 2015, considerable changes have occurred to SF due to government policy reforms regarding social and charitable organisations. SF now limited its activities within the boundary of Dalat City, helping out all schools, even the private and small ones, offering 249 grants with a fund of 218,970,609VND. We want to make sure that all our scholars become active participants in their community, working towards the transformation of their life condition, not merely passive recipients.
2014
The year of 2014 was one worth remembering as SF commemorated its 10-year activities, a period marked by global insipid economic growth. We were glad that the foundation could help so many students below the poverty line from all over the province of Lam Dong – 881students from Dalat City and 11 surrounding suburbs, with a total grant funding of 611,283,780VND. The number of scholarship recipients increased considerably, among whom some achieved outstanding academic results and received local and national awards although their families have been struggling to maintain their sustainability. Their hard-earned achievements were indeed supported by our generous donors who themselves have been trying to steer up their business against the slump of the oil and gas prices.
2013
In the year of 2012-2013, SF expanded to the North of Lam Dong, which is the suburb of Dam Rong, a remote forested area mostly inhabited by ethnic minorities where two thirds of the population live below the poverty threshold. SF granted scholarships to 754 students throughout Dalat city and 7 suburbs in its vicinity, with a total funding of 531,796,546VND.
2012
The year of 2011-2012 shows a tremendous effort of SF workers in spite of global economic slowdown. SF reached out to the most distant suburbs to the South of Lam Dong Province, Cat Tien, Da Teh and Da Huoai, thus helping out 6 out of 11 suburbs. The total scholarship fund comes up to 415,169,285VND which has been granted to 593 students from 111 schools – primary to tertiary. The donors’ generosity undoubtedly motivates the student eagerness to study.
2011
In 2010-2011, SF expanded to the remote villages of Lac Duong, Don Duong and Duc Trong suburbs, organizing separate trips to those three suburbs to give out scholarships to students in late August 2011. In early September 2011, together with the cheerful new school year start, SF celebrated the scholarship distribution in Dalat City. In all, the number of scholars rises to 526, spreading over 74 schools, with a fund of 442,005,231VND
2010
The year 2009-2010 marked the expansion of SF to the surrounding suburbs, notably Lac Duong, Don Duong and Duc Trong. On August 3 & 4, SF director went to the respective suburbs to grant scholarships to 173 students from 35 schools and on 8 August, 2010, at Dalat City Town Hall, SF handed out scholarships to 218 students from 44 schools and universities. The total funding for this year grants amounts to 302,373,906VND, a massive growth compared to that of previous years, which suggests the donors’ continuous effort to assist disadvantaged students in the highlands.
2009
In July 2009, we gathered at the Town Hall of Dalat City to celebrate the scholarship distribution for 2008-2009 with a total fund of 199,258,961VND. 192 students from 46 schools were present together with their parents, the City representatives, school administrative staff and guests. The number of scholarship recipients has increased substantially, among them 34 university and 6 college students.
2008
For 2007 to 2008 SF is organising its important award ceremony to be held in June, 2008 in Dalat. We are looking forward to continue sharing and extending our vision to more deserving students.The scholarship award ceremony was held in June 6, 2008 with scholarship funds of approximately USD11,275 awarded to 180 students from 34 schools (colleges and universities account for more than 10. The ceremony was organised at the Town Hall of Dalat City where all recipients gathered to receive their scholarships in the presence of their parents, respective school administrative staff, government officials and the media. SF welcomed the presence and participation of private SF donors who travelled to Dalat to attend and assist with the event.
2007
For the period from 2006 to 2007 SF organised the scholarship award ceremony in March, 2007 with scholarship funds of approximately USD10,500 awarded to 177 students from 32 schools. The ceremony was organised at the Dalat Town Hall where all recipients gathered to receive their scholarships in the presence of their parents, respective school administrative staff, government officials and the media. We hope that this important event acts as a stimulus for charitable, educational and social efforts in Viet Nam. Importantly, we hope it will be a huge source of motivation for SF recipients as well as those who are in the process of qualifying themselves for the SF scholarships. SF welcomed the presence and participation of SF donors in its first televised award ceremony.
2005 - 2006
In the following period from 2005 to 2006, SF founders raised private funds of approximately USD$ 8,500 and were able to offer a greater number of scholarships to 165 students from 21 schools ranging from primary to junior high, senior high and university. The scholarships were again distributed in ceremonies, as follows:
The first awards took place in August, 2005 at Bui Thi Xuan, Nguyen Trai, Xuan Truong, Xuan Tho, Tram Hanh, Ta Nung, the Disabled school of Lam Dong, Nam Thien, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Lam Son, Dong Da and Chi Lang.
The second award ceremony occurred in February, 2006 and was, for the first time, organised collectively where students from seven schools – Da Thanh, Da Thien, Phan Chu Trinh, Tran Phu, Thang Long, the schools of Ban Me Thuot, Dalat University and Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnical University – gathered at the Assembly Hall of senior high school Tran Phu to receive their scholarships.
2004 - 2005
For the period 2004 to 2005, the first scholarship award ceremonies were conducted in two sessions for 114 students of 13 schools with private donation funds of approximately $US 6,000. The first awards took place in December, 2004 at Bui Thi Xuan, Nguyen Trai, Xuan Truong, Xuan Tho, Ta Nung, the Disabled school of Lam Dong and the schools of Ward 5.The second awards took place in February, 2005 at Chi Lang, Dong Da and the schools of Ban Me Thuot.