Posts Tagged ‘Free Hugs’

Activities

07:51 AM

Established in June 2009, up to now Free Hugs Vietnam has reaped major success with the following activities:

  1. The Free Hugs Vietnam campaign
    Initiated in 2004 by Juan Mann (Australia), the Free Hugs Campaign extended to more than 80 countries all over the world. The first campaign held by FHV in Vietnam 2007 drew the attention of nearly 1000 young people in 4 major cities: Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh, Hai Phong, Nha Trang; and received substantial support from the online community. Free Hugs – “Embrace the Heart, Share the Love” appeared on certain television channels like VTV1, VTV2, VTC6, … along with such important newspapers as VnExpress, Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre, Vietnamnet, Hoa Hoc Tro, etc.
  2. E-swimming
    E-Swimming by Pi C&E is the swimming instruction program for those who are completely unable to swim, especially small children so that “Not any more children will drown”. The outstanding characteristic of this program is that children were taught to swim even before entering the pool. E-Swimming was mentioned on major channels of communication, including Khoa Hoc & Doi Song, Gia Dinh & Xa Hoi, The Gioi @, VTC News, aFamily, Vietnam Post Office, …. Free Hugs Vietnam promoted E-Swimming online and gave swimming sessions every Sunday in Ha Noi.
  3. Partnering with HOW
    Helping Orphans Worldwide – based in California, the US, is a non-profit organization committed to providing hope, health, and security to abused, abandoned, and neglected children living in the most deprived areas of Vietnam and Philippines. Free Hugs Vietnam was responsible for recruiting FHV members (online registration and interview) for the interpreting and assistant roles to help HOW with their charity programs in Vietnam, starting from September 25, 2009.
  4. Nutritious meals for orphans
    Many young people grow up to the material and mental comforts of life, whereas others are deprived of such privileges. In order to raise awareness of the community towards orphans – not just the superficial attention but specific steps taken on each aspect of their lives like nutrition, living and studying conditions, etc; Free Hugs Vietnam started the program “Nutritious meals for orphans” from August 09, 2009 with Huyen Trang Pagoda, 456/35 Huynh Tan Phat, District Nha Be, HCMC as the first location.
  5. Full moon festival 2009
    Nearly 100 Free Hugs Vietnam and Helping Orphans Worldwide volunteers gathered at the Cultural Center for the Youth (Ho Chi Minh City) and were divided into 2 groups, walking to various locations in the city centre like 23/9 Park, the Municipal Theater, Turtle Lake, Notre Dame Cathedral, Bến Thành Market, etc to give gifts (mooncakes, milk, and lanterns) to less unfortunate people, especially children.
  6. Recruiting and training volunteers
    Free Hugs Vietnam continually recruits and trains volunteers for all present and upcoming activities.

Benefits of being an FHVer

  • Joining a young, dynamic, open, and talented Free Hugs Vietnam network.
  • Having the opportunities to work with large volunteer organizations in the world, thereby interacting with international friends
  • Developing soft skills
  • Drilling linguistic capabilities
  • A plus for extra-curricular activities in your personal profile

Requirements for registration as FHVers

  • High school or university students, in the age range of 16-25
  • Able to communicate in at least one foreign language
  • Dynamic, committed, and enthusiastic

For the time being Free Hugs Vietnam just recruits members in HCMC and Ha Noi. In order to become an FHVer, please download the registration form, fill in all the required information & send it to linhmd@freehugsvietnam.com (if in Ha Noi), quang.luu@freehugsvietnam.com (if in Ho Chi Minh City) or registering online.

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Do you ever need a hug?

09:14 PM

Dear friends,

You possess how many percents of prejudice, how many percents of reservations, and how many percents of laziness each time having to hold out your hands to give and take a hug?

One hug will not make you any 5 kilos slighter, I am more than certain!

One hug, pertaining to all of its implications, will not detract from your perfection in other people’s viewpoint.

One hug is likely to make you blush, yet out of the joy of sharing and loving rather than embarrassment.

Just with the banner “Free Hugs” and all the hugs and hearts willing to reach out to one another, Juan Mann from the “kangaroo kingdom” breathed deep meanings into his own life and everyone else’s

Dear friends, have you ever drifted through a state of loneliness and isolation? Have your hearts ever sunk when facing work obstacles? Have you felt torn apart following the loss of some friend or relative? In such moments, you must have yearned for a tight hug, a sense of pervasive warmth and understanding. Nonetheless, the hectic wheels of life have rendered most of us increasingly reluctant to give our nearest and dearest even one hug.

I am well aware that with the Oriental culture where spiritual values and subtle expressions of human love reign, hugs become somewhat rare and hard found. But dear friends, open up yourselves a little bit! You will miss out on that simple happiness by continually being rigid, shy, lazy, or worried about other people’s subjective evaluations.

I was impressed when reading the lines of Charles Faraone once wandering on the Internet: “Think about friends and relatives in your life. Wanna give them a hug? Don’t procrastinate. Take the initiative!…

We need 4 hugs every day to survive, 4 hugs every day to resume our existence, and 12 hugs every day to be growing up…”.

Starting from the hugs of a lonesome man and traveler on his own homeland Juan Mann, the “Free Hugs” campaign has extended throughout Australia to the America, Korea, Japan, China, … and Vietnam as well. It drew the attention and support not just of the willing-to-share hearts, the forlorn minds in need of consolation, but also of every single individual who dreams about a brighter life – a better future.

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