Hillfield Strathallan College – Canadian and World Issues Award

Little did we know when we founded the Children of Vietnam Benevolent Foundation 10yrs ago that our journey would be blessed with so many beautiful, kind, and inspiring individuals along the way. One of these individuals is only a high school student, but she is making a world of a difference in the lives of so many underprivileged children across the sea. Thank you, Madeleine Le, for surprising us from all the way in Burlington, ON with your amazing gift to the children! And thank you so much, Hillfield Strathallan College, for nurturing such socially-minded world citizens!

In Madeleine’s words:

“My name is Madeleine Le, I am from Burlington Ontario and a student attending Hillfield Strathallan College. As a recipient of the 2022 Grade 12 “Canadian and World Issues Award”, I was thrilled to direct my donation prize towards the charitable Children of Vietnam Benevolent Foundation. The work the organization partakes in Vietnam is inspiring and draws a personal connection, as my father was a Vietnamese Boat refugee in his early childhood. As his father worked for the United States American army against the Vietcong regime, he was forced to flee the country, leaving behind his mother, younger brother and sister. Spending several years in a refugee camp in Indonesia, he has shared with me and my brother many tales of hardship, heartbreak and horror. My donation provides me with a sense of connection to my culture, my father’s country and those who were not as fortunate as him. I hope through my contribution, I play a small part in building strong, resilient Vietnamese individuals, much like the refugees who came before them and organize important foundations like the CVBF.