Mai Tam House of Hope (also known as Mai Tam Shelter), is a home and centre for HIV/AIDS positive widows, mothers, and children that provides shelter, medicine, medical care, education, and referrals for its residents and the many walk-ins it receives in need of support. The children living at Mai Tam are both infected and affected by HIV/AIDS – some are HIV positive or have AIDS and some are the children or orphans of persons with HIV/AIDS. It is the first and still the only facility of its kind in Ho Chi Minh City – supports more than 500 women and children in need. We feel blessed to come across Mai Tam House of Hope and discuss how we could help with Father Son Van Trinh. Despite medicine being a big issue, one of his concerns was more of everyday needs to feed the children and to ensure they were living in a clean environment. We were quick to act upon their needs as two members of Mai Tam House of Hope joined us to the supermarket. The cost breakdowns are as follows:
Comfort laundry softener: 10x 102,000VND = 1,020,000VND
Comfort laundry softener: 5x 114,000VND = 570,000VND
Laundry bleach: 14 x 17,000VND = 238,000VND
CIF detergent spray x1 = 28,800,000VND
CIF kitchen cleaner x1 = 28,800,000VND
CIF kitchen spray: 3 x 33,000VND = 99,000VND
VIM lime scale remover: 10 x 29,700VND = 297,000VND
VIM floor cleaner: 8 x 81,600VND = 652,800VND
Poly: 4 x 38,000VND = 152,000VND
Mops: 5 x 49,000VND = 245,000VND
Tuong An butter: 10 x 12,000VND = 120,000VND
La Vache Quirit cheese: 24 x 27,800VND = 667,200VND
La Vache Quirit cheese (extra calcium) x1 = 53,500VND
Chilli sauce: 10 x 25,700VND = 257,000VND
Black bin bags: 10 x 41,900VND = 419,000VND
Fish sauce: 20 x 26,800VND = 536,000VND
Vealz sausages: 2 x70,000VND = 140,000VND
Roma sausages: 3 x 58,900VND = 176,700VND
Lucky sausages: 5 x 50,000VND = 250,000VND
Total cost = 5,950,800 VND (approximately £191.96)
We hope there will be more HIV/AIDS centres across Vietnam in the near future to help children that are infected with/affected by HIV/ AIDS. As always, a special thank you to Michael Russell-Mott, Brenda Smith and Father Joseph for making it all possible. Together there is hope.