Starting from late 2020 to early 2021, Colby Pham, an AASuccess student in the US, organized a fundraiser to support the victims of Typhoon Molave in Vietnam. Since early October 2020, Vietnam has been battered by storms, heavy rains, and floods which have affected more than a million people. Typhoon Molave caused mass destruction in Vietnam, leaving millions of people without electricity, and 56,000 houses in damage. Many families in Quang Nam are living on roofs and struggling to survive as they have lost many things to this storm. Vietnam urgently needs financial support to recover.
Empowered by the partnership with LaSan Vietnam Organization, Colby Pham took the initiative to start a fundraiser to support the victims’ recovery and the rebuilding process. Below is an interview with him about the projects and the results:
Q: When did you start doing this project?
Colby: I began working on this project in January, and it has been a long road to go. A fundraiser for the victims’ recuperation and the country’s reconstruction in Viet Nam came to me as an idea. Although I was born in the United States, I am still Vietnamese. Therefore I have a strong desire to give back to my native land. And I’m not working on this project alone; I’m fortunate to have the LaSan Vietnam Organization on board as a valuable collaborator.
Q: What was the most memorable memory when you did the project?
Colby: The part that stands out the most to me is the kind and enthusiastic support I received while working on this project from those close to me, especially my parents. Their support helped me complete my assignments in a more timely manner.
Q: How did you raise funds for your project?
Colby: I was hoping to raise money for this project by making advertisements, and creating flyers but it didn’t work so well at first. I turned to my family and friends for help. Thanks to their support, I was able to meet my budget target after a few months. Although the fundraising process took a long time, it was well worth it.
Q: Did you encounter any difficulties doing this project?
Colby: Obviously, I say. To begin, I had no idea where to begin this project, and as a result, I kept running into roadblocks. As previously mentioned, it took me a few months to complete this budget for the project. However, this is something I continue to strive for. I built a to-do list and set deadlines for each item on the list to urge me on to enhance productivity. My parents as well as AASuccess also spread the news and offered advice whenever I needed it.
Q: What was your feeling after completing this project? What did you learn?
Colby: The fact that I had so much fun working on this project made it even better. I am glad to know that my efforts can help others who are going through tough times. Due to geographical distance, I was unable to work with my Vietnamese collaborators face-to-face, but seeing their cheerful faces in the photos they shared on social media while they were working on the project made up for it. This project was extremely beneficial to me, as well. I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my ability to communicate after learning how to be outgoing and honest about my thoughts and feelings with others. Another benefit is that I learn how to take responsibility for the duties I am given or whenever I am involved in any activities or tasks.
Q: Do you think the younger generation should focus more on social activities and how important are social activities?
Colby: Obviously, I say. Social activities, in my opinion, are crucial for young people like us. Getting out of your comfort zone early in life is extremely beneficial for you since it allows you to meet new people, learn how to deal with challenges, and develop your confidence and outgoing personality. In comparison to other youngsters who don’t participate in these activities, these social activities help you make significant progress.
The project brought about significant changes for at least 132 students in the affected areas by Typhoon Molave. In Quang Nam, 78 sets of textbooks were delivered to 3 places in Quang Nam provinces. Some books are still waiting to be picked up, as one of the locations is still locked down due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam at the moment.
In addition, LaSan has helped distribute 54 sets of textbooks to underserved children in various villages in Ha Tinh province. We appreciate the quick response and dedicated work of LaSan for helping AASuccess to reach out to more in-need students in Vietnam. AASuccess hopes to bring more resources and use our platform to support students both in Vietnam and the US in the future.
