The NSW Education team was established in 2007 to support educational needs in the Ba-Ria Vung Tau Province of Vietnam. They have helped Bong Trang and Long The Vinh primary schools by providing educational aids, equipment, and uniforms to these disadvantaged rural schools. In 2010, the team funded a project to refurbish and reopen the Nui Dat Kindergarten.
After 7 years of service to the local community, the Education Department built a large kindergarten nearby with a capacity for more than 300 children, making the Nui Dat Kindergarten unnecessary.
From then on, the NSW Education team became the NSW Community Aid & Education team. In 2020, a small team of members led by Steph Minshall and Madi Gillespie had been running humanitarian aid projects in Vietnam for a number of years, with a particular focus on children affected by Agent Orange. Since 2020, Steph and Madi have operated under AVVRG and have been going to Vietnam every year.
Agent Orange is a highly toxic dioxin and persistent organic pollutant that is linked to cancers, diabetes, birth defects, and other disabilities. It is still present in the soil and water supply in certain areas across Vietnam. The NSW Community Aid & Education team provides monthly support to children and families affected by Agent Orange.
During their 5-day trips across 6 different provinces in Vietnam, the team provides a variety of humanitarian aid. This includes performing over 300 cataract surgeries, providing 1,200 families with rice and staples for a month, building a house for a disadvantaged family, purchasing 3 wheelchairs for children affected by Agent Orange, and visiting and supporting a community of blind people. The team works closely with a network of local Vietnamese people to assist them in identifying those who need humanitarian help.
