VES is very proud of our lunch program. Many kindergartens in Vietnam have small kitchens and gardens. Staff members prepare lunch and snacks for the students. This ensures that the children receive a meal each day. Having the children looked after and fed for the entire school day also means that both parents can work in the fields all day, thus providing the family with a higher income. In the Vietnamese pre-school system, parents are charged a small monthly fee for these meals. Many families cannot afford to pay even this low charge. This means that those poor children sit off to the side while the more fortunate children eat their lunch.

VES pays annually for the school lunches for all the children at VES schools whose parents cannot afford the fee. We now pay for about 150 – 200 children every year. This ensures that all children at VES kindergartens (those with kitchens) are fed a healthy lunch each school day. This has a huge impact on these youngsters. The children are weighed and measured at the beginning of the school year and again at the end. The results show a significant improvement in health and well-being. Malnutrition and stunting rates decline dramatically. By the end of the school year almost all the children are on track for weight and height for their ages. The lunch program changes lives for the better!

VES works with the Pacific Links Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping stop human trafficking along the border regions in Vietnam.

As Pacific Links describes the situation, "In these impoverished, remote, and porous regions that are plagued with high unemployment and limited economic opportunities, young girls and women face the highest risk of being trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation. ADAPT's unique and comprehensive program model includes prevention, reintegration and community awareness raising components."

The Pacific Links Foundation's academic scholarship program keeps girls ages 11-18 in school and safe from human trafficking. Vocational scholarships are also offered. These programs enable young women and girls to "pursue an education, gain a trade and obtain jobs with livable wages," thereby decreasing their risk of being trafficked. A scholarship for one girl for a year is $300 and covers:

• school supplies, school fees, mandatory insurance, books and uniforms
• tutoring and/or + exam preparation (9th grade and 12th grade) expenses associated with students coming to events, teachers' conferences, family days, home visits
• scholastic achievement prizes, incentives for girls to study harder and to stay in school, and graduation gifts

VES provides 50 academic scholarships for at-risk girls ($10,000 per annum).

The Pacific Links Foundation also runs a summer camp for 750 at-risk girls (from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and living in areas with high incidences of human trafficking) to increase their access to education and understanding of the risks of trafficking. The camp focuses on life skills and gives the girls the opportunities to discuss topics like future job opportunities and reproductive health. It also builds a sense of community among the girls.

VES annually funds a significant portion of the costs of the camp.