Dear donors and friends,

Recently, thanks to the support of our donors and friends, Y Tam completed the Solar Lights for Villages project in the 2 villages of Yang Hăn and Ea Hăn, Cư Drăm commune, Krông Bông district, Đăk Lăk. The project is still in its trial-run period, and after 1 month Y Tam plans to inspect everything to see whether any repairs or maintenance are needed to finish it, then hand the project over to the people of the 2 villages.

Program: Lantern Festival 9/2024 – Cư Drăm, Đăk Lăk

That timing also lines up with the coming Mid-Autumn Festival, so Y Tam has decided to kill two birds with one stone: hold the handover signing ceremony and a Mid-Autumn program at the same time, while also giving the children a boost for school as they welcome the new school year.

The 2024 Lantern Festival program plans to hold Mid-Autumn festivities for more than 1,000 children in the 4 most remote villages of Cư Drăm commune, about 90% of whom are H’Mông children.

I/ PROGRAM DETAILS

1/ Hold the handover signing ceremony for the Solar Lights for Villages project with the Commune People's Committee and the people of the 2 villages.

2/ Give school supplies to children in hardship, including white school uniform shirts and desk lamps…

3/ Hold a Mid-Autumn night with a lantern procession around the village and a campfire for the children.

4/ Hold a Mid-Autumn festival for more than 1,000 ethnic minority children and give them more than 1,000 Mid-Autumn gifts such as sweets, milk…

5/ Time, location and schedule:

– The 2024 Lantern Festival program will be held on 14-15/09/2024 (solar calendar), which falls on the 12th-13th days of the 8th lunar month

Location: Yang Hăn Primary School, Cư Drăm commune, Krông Bông, Đăk Lăk

Schedule: planned departure from Saigon on the evening of 13/9, returning on the afternoon of 15/09/2024 (Y Tam will send the detailed schedule to the volunteers who sign up for the program)

Transport: 45-seat bus

II/ COST ESTIMATE

1/ 500 white uniform shirts as gifts for 500 primary school pupils in hardship who have no white shirt to wear to school:

– Planned: 500 shirts for 5 grades, 100 shirts per grade for 100 pupils. Ordered from the workshop at 54,000 VND × 500 = 27,000,000 VND

– Desk lamps for 100 children in especially difficult circumstances, estimated at about 10,000,000 VND

2/ A Mid-Autumn night lantern procession for more than 1,000 children.

– Materials for making lanterns out of beer cans, estimated at 1,000,000 VND

– Decorations, candles, and costume rental for Cuội the Moon Boy and the Moon Lady, Chị Hằng: 3,000,000 VND

3/ A Mid-Autumn festival with 15 folk game booths for the children: 5,000,000 VND

4/ Cooking about 1,000 breakfasts for the children at the festival: 8,000,000 VND

5/ More than 1,000 Mid-Autumn gifts, including cakes, sweets, milk…: 25,000,000 VND

6/ Cargo truck: 5,000,000 VND

7/ Contingency costs (estimated): 3,000,000 VND

TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF THE 2024 LANTERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM: 87,000,000 VND

III/ JOIN AS A VOLUNTEER

Hey friend,

For 2 years we've missed our date with the lanterns, so this year we're absolutely not missing it again! Let's light candles together, light up Y Tam's beer-can lanterns, play with the children, and go back to our childhood and all its beautiful memories!

Y Tam will need you in 2 stages:

1/ Before the trip: preparing logistics for the program, like making lanterns out of cans together: collecting cans, then gathering at the Y Tam office to make them, or picking up materials to make them at home. All in all, we'll be preparing about 1,000 lanterns!

2/ Joining the trip: this part is super important, so remember to arrange your time and work so you can come. These tickets back to childhood sell out fast, so when Y Tam posts the link, be sure to sign up right away!

– Participation fee: 450k per member (of which transport is 400k & food is 50k; Y Tam has already covered part of the cost for you)

- Fill in your registration details via this link: https://forms.gle/V3KvMuNHH8X5zqwT6

Or contact Y Tam's human resources team, Uyên Đỗ

– Phone: 0906278942

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uyen.do.393?mibextid=LQQJ4d

V/ SUPPORT THE PROGRAM

Dear donors!

While carrying out the solar power project in the 2 villages, Y Tam came to deeply understand the hardships of the ethnic minority villagers here. They struggle not only economically but also with the distance and the roads, which are still difficult to travel. As a result, the children's path to school is full of obstacles.

Ahead of the new school year, Y Tam would love to hold a Mid-Autumn program to encourage the children to go to school. At the same time, most of the children have no white shirt to wear to school, and Y Tam truly wants to help them with this. As for notebooks and textbooks, the children already received those over the summer!

So Y Tam hopes to receive the support of donors near and far. You can choose to contribute financially or with in-kind donations such as desk lamps, sweets, milk, toys, stuffed animals… Every contribution, large or small, is equally treasured.

ALL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 2024 LANTERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM CAN

BE SENT TO:

Y Tam Volunteer Organization

Operating office address: 4/3 Núi Thành Street, Ward 13, Tân Bình District, Ho Chi Minh City.

Phone: 098 567 4772

Bank account:

Account name: Đào Thị Minh Lệ

Techcombank: Account number: 1207110487

Note: When donating, please add this information to help Y Tam keep records easily: Donor's name + TSLĐ (Lantern Festival)

Sincerely!