by Jennifer Goette, Holt Director of Programs, South and Southeast Asia

During my first trip to Vietnam in my new role as the Program Director for South and Southeast Asia, there were many moments that led me to confront the power of the human spirit. Visiting orphanages supported by Holt, I was impressed by the loving care and genuine affection provided to each child. I was also touched by the need that emanated from each child, young and old, to be loved and cared for. Some of the children would find loving, permanent families through domestic or inter-country adoption; my heart went out to the other children – often older children and children with special needs—who would probably wait for years hoping to find a family of their own.

I was profoundly moved by a quiet young man with a determined spirit who has been living in care for most of his childhood. Tuan Ahn has a quick smile and is shy about his accomplishments. Orphaned at the age of eight years old when both of his parents passed away from infections believed to be caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Tuan was sent to live with his grandparents. After only two years, his grandparents were too old to care for the young boy and placed him with an orphanage supported by Holt International outside of Ho Chi Minh City. There he has received care and positive encouragement for more than nine years. Read the rest of this entry »

Keri Horn-Bolivar, the first child adopted from Vietnam through Holt International, recently won the Florida Beginning Teacher of the Year Award, given by the Florida Council of Teachers of English. Keri teaches English to 8th graders.

She earned her M.A. in English at the University of South Florida earlier this year, and an M.A. in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix in 2004.

Keri lives in Tampa, Florida, with her husband, Rick Bolivar. She came home to Ann Horn-Gross and Kermit Horn in 1972 and grew up in Eugene, Oregon.

For more about recent Holt graduates, see the Fall edition of Holt International magazine.

You can give critically needed items to orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children through “Gifts of Hope.” Our online catalog lists items and services you can fund to bring hope to children in our projects around the world. These items also make especially meaningful gifts in honor of someone you care about. Give an item from Holt’s “Gifts of Hope,” and we’ll send an acknowledgment card to your spouse, sibling, parent or friend. Imagine… children in Ethiopia receiving milk formula because of a gift given in your name. Wouldn’t you feel honored?

When it comes time to share your spirit of giving, what better way to do so than by helping a vulnerable child. Together, we can make the world a better place for children–one child at a time.

by Gary Gamer, President and CEO

Hanoi, Vietnam—The Holt-supported Tu Liem childcare facility in Hanoi is a tranquil reprieve from the hustle, bustle of Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. Inside this bright and cheery center are precious children in need of families.

For some of the children, Holt is working with their single moms, providing counseling and economic support so that they can better care for their children upon their return. Others will be adopted by Vietnamese families. But for many, international adoption is their only hope for a family. Unfortunately, this option is now at great risk. The governments of the United States and Vietnam need to conclude an agreement by the end of August for international adoptions to continue. Read the rest of this entry »