The Need, The Solution & Theory of Change
Why do we do what we are doing?
The Need and The Solution: Focus on Vietnam
As A Thousand Hopes embarks on its mission, our current efforts are focused primarily on Vietnam, a country where we are more familiar while many rural schools in the country still lack the resources necessary to foster a thriving educational environment. In this section, we will explore the specific challenges faced by students in Vietnam and how our programs—Adopt a Book and Sponsor a Student—are working to address them.
As we expand our work to other countries in the future, we will provide further insights into the unique needs and solutions we bring to those regions.
The Need: Bridging Educational Gaps in Vietnam's Underserved Communities
In many rural areas of Vietnam, educational disparities are stark, particularly among children from low-income families. While Vietnam has made significant strides in improving overall educational access—with a primary school enrolment rate of 98.4%—children in rural and impoverished communities continue to face major barriers to quality education.
Poverty and Education: According to UNICEF Vietnam, till 2021, approximately 21.1% of Vietnam’s 26.2 million children live in multidimensional poverty, meaning they lack access to basic needs such as quality education, nutrition, and clean water. By age 19, only 20% of students from the poorest households are still in school, compared to 80% from the wealthiest families. This highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions in education for the most vulnerable groups.
Resource Scarcity in Schools: Many schools in Vietnam, especially in rural areas, still operate with resource constraints. Libraries, meant to be places of learning and discovery, often contain outdated, irrelevant, and worn-out books that fail to engage students. Schools heavily rely on second-hand donations, which are often not age-appropriate or aligned with the current curriculum, leaving students deprived of stimulating materials. This lack of engaging, age-appropriate reading resources contributes to declining literacy rates and missed learning opportunities, especially in rural regions such as Mekong River Delta, Northern, and Central Highlands, where learning outcomes consistently lag behind urban areas.
Economic Barriers to Education: In Vietnam, education is not free, and while the country has experienced significant economic growth and made efforts to improve access to education, the cost of schooling and related expenses, such as study materials, remains a burden for many families. For low-income households, these costs often compete with other basic daily needs, making it difficult to prioritize education. As a result, many parents are unable to cover the necessary expenses, leading to high dropout rates among disadvantaged students. Without financial support, bright and motivated students are often forced to leave school early, missing out on crucial opportunities to break the cycle of poverty.
Long-Term Implications: Without intervention, these educational inequalities perpetuate poverty and prevent children from reaching their full potential. Addressing these disparities is crucial not only for individual students but for Vietnam’s future development, ensuring that all children—regardless of their background—have the opportunity to succeed.
The Solution
A Thousand Hopes: Bridging the Gap Through Targeted Support
At A Thousand Hopes, we believe that every child deserves the chance to learn, grow, and succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances. Our two core programs—Adopt a Book and Sponsor a Student—are designed to address the specific challenges faced by underfunded schools and students in rural Vietnam.
Promoting Reading Cultures
through Adopt a Book program
Our Adopt a Book program connects generous donors with schools in need by providing a simple and impactful way to support their libraries. We work directly with schools to create wish lists of the books they need most, ensuring that the new additions are both relevant and age-appropriate. Through negotiations with publishers, we secure these books at discounted prices, allowing your donations to go further.
By adopting a book, you are directly contributing to the enrichment of a school’s library, providing students with access to fresh, engaging content that can reignite their love for reading and learning. Each book donation helps to create a vibrant, educational environment where students can discover new ideas, improve their literacy skills, and foster a lifelong love of reading.
Educational Support
through Sponsor a Student program
The Sponsor a Student program is dedicated to supporting students from low-income families who struggle to afford the costs associated with their education. By providing scholarships, we ensure that these students have the financial support they need to purchase essential study materials for the school year.
Your contribution not only helps students stay in school but also empowers them to reach their full potential. With your support, these bright young minds can overcome the financial barriers that stand in their way and continue their education with the resources they need to succeed.
THEORY OF CHANGE
A theory of change is a method that explains how a given intervention/program, or set of interventions/programs, are expected to lead to specific development changes.
This is also a roadmap that outlines the steps by which A Thousand Hopes plans to achieve our vision through our programs.
