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VVAW Library Project - Open for Business

By VVAW

We are excited to announce that construction on the VVAW/Pho Vinh Middle School Library in Duc Pho, Quang Ngai has been completed. The site is 30 minutes south of My Lai/ Son My. The library dedication took place December 22, 2021. The free-standing, two-story library is next to the current middle school and is now serving the students' needs.

For many years, John Zutz and the Milwaukee chapter of VVAW supported the efforts of Chuck Theusch and the Library of Vietnam Project. In 2018, VVAW supported a computer lab at one of the libraries.

For quite some time, John Zutz had been suggesting that VVAW should fully fund a library.

In 2018, we received a very large anonymous bequest. With that in hand we were able to fundraise the rest of what was needed and the project was set to begin in 2019. Complications with the original planned site and COVID delayed things quite a bit, but through the perseverance of Chuck and the partners in Vietnam, it is now fully operational.

We have already used extra funds raised to put a computer lab in the library, which was not part of the original plan.

As soon as students returned to school after the COVID-19 epidemic, they organized a lot of activities at the library. They put together a New Year's Day event to plant trees around the library.

They also encouraged students to read books at the library and organized the writing of book reviews to inspire their friends to read.

In addition, they also obtained books from the Zhi-Shan Foundation Project Organization with 11 bookcases for 11 classes. They are holding a book festival at the school library in April, 2022 with competitions to connect students to books. In the festival, the teachers and students will participate in an annual book donation for the school library.

Soon we are going to make plans with the Library Project and our partners in Vietnam to see other ways we can support the library. We hope your continued support will keep the library thriving.

Ribbon cutting at the VVAW/Pho Vinh Middle School Library, December 22, 2021.

Murals painted by the students.

The library and computer lab in use at the VVAW/Pho Vinh Middle School Library.

Students painting a mural at the VVAW/Pho Vinh Middle School Library.