Our Impact

At Friends of the Lepers, we believe in the power of compassion and action. Since our inception, we’ve been deicated to changing lives and providing hope to those affected by leprosy in Vietnam. Here’s a glimpse into the impact we’ve made:

Transforming Lives Through Medical Support

  • Healthcare Initiatives: We’ve funded numerous healthcare programs, ensuring that individuals receive the necessary treatments and medications to combat leprosy.
  • Medical Camps: Our mobile medical camps have reached remote areas, providing care to those who would otherwise go without.

Nurturing Hope with Education

  • Schools for Children: Understanding the importance of education, we’ve built schools to educate the children of leprosy patients, giving them a chance for a brighter future.
  • Vocational Training. We offer vocational training to adults, empowering them to gain skills and achieve financial independence.

Building a Foundation for the Future

  • Housing Projects: We’ve constructed homes for families, creating safe environments where they can live with dignity.
  • Agricultural Development: By developing sustainable agricultural practices, we’ve helped communities become self sufficient.

Stories of Change

Want an even closer look at the impact our work has on those in the Leprosy Villages of Vietnam? Read first-hand accounts from the caretakers, volunteers, children of the lepers, and even the lepers themselves here. To access the full letters, click on the quotes individually.

Mac Van Hoa

“I would like to express my deep gratitude to the benefactors of the Leper Friends Association for loving and supporting our grandparents, parents, and us for the past 26 years, from 1995 until now. We also hope that the Association will continue to help provide the minimum living conditions of a human life and students to have the opportunity to continue to study.”

Sr. Lucia Hoang Thi My Dung

“[During COVID] Many families of patients in the camp were also infected and had to be quarantined, and our sisters also found ways to help them during the outbreak of COVID after Tet holidays. Thanks to your gifts and subsidies , our patients of Quy Hoa leprosy camp were not afraid of hunger during Tet holidays, even though our camp had been isolated.”

Sr. Tran Kim Chi

“The conversation with him encourages us to bring that feeling to so many people who need love and sympathy. He passed away with nothing but a basket and a blanket from someone who had given him but not yet used. But, I firmly believe that after his death, a path will be opened to bring the rich and the poor closer together.”

Fr. Peter Nguyen Dinh Phung

“Their gratitude is profound for those who love them generously, without any expectation of repayment, and for those who contribute warm hearts to alleviate the challenges in their unfortunate lives. A heartfelt acknowledgement is reserved for the ‘Friends of Lepers in Vietnam’ for their unwavering support and benevolence.”

Nguyễn Ngô Phương Thảo

“My respect and gratitude to HBNC and its benefactors cannot be fully expressed, but can only be summed up in three simple phrases: Always remember you, Always be grateful to you, and Always appreciate you. I promise to study hard so as to not disappoint your tremendous efforts.”

Mai Ca

“Although we don’t often experience it, through the sisters, the Association has given us a beautiful impression of human love. It’s a source of life surging from the bottom of my heart. I am very grateful to the benefactors for helping me, both materially and spiritually. I live more joyfully, happily, and think about life more brightly.”

Doan Thi My Truc

“I know that the financial assistance provided by the ‘Friends of Lepers’ is more than just money; it represents the effort, enthusiasm of compassionate benefactors. This realization deepens my appreciation, prompting me to value it even more. I have turned this gratitude into my academic pursuits.”

Nguyen Thi Hong Hoa

“Mrs. Sinh’s family today has enough rice and warm clothes, thanks to Friends of the Lepers Association and your loving kindness and compassion. You bring joy and hope to them. Through you, they can feel like they are still human beings, loved, supported, and know that their fellow human beings understand their pain.”

Do Tri

“During their visits, the Association did not hesitate to look at every single chronic ulcer on the patients’ feet. The Association’s capacity is limited while the needs of poor leprosy patients are too big and too much. We really need more loving hands helping lepers so that they can have opportunities to escape from dark, miserable lives, and to live one worthy of a human being and as children of God.”

The Lovers of Holy Cross

“In the beginning, lepers were not well known. Their parents, neighbors, and society at large shunned them. Even now, lepers feel inferior – many people keep far from them when they’re near. Yet, this association removed barriers of inferiority and fear. This charitable group has helped alleviate physical and mental pains.”

Sr. Maria Phúc

“July 2023 became a memorable milestone for poor patients at Ben San Leprosy Camp, Binh Duong. A drinking water filtration and delivery system was installed inside the camp, and will reduce diseases and increase life expectancy. This joy was apparent in the patients’ faces when using the clean drinking water on premise.”

Huy Dang

“The kindness of overseas people has silently helped my family. I am so grateful, deeply ingrained in my heart, and full of admiration. In response to that selfless love, I voluntarily became a member. I am a bridge to transfer financial aid to hundreds of students who are children of leprosy patients in the way that I had received before.”

Lương Huyền Trâm

“I didn’t dare to dream to become a doctor because the cost was too high, but through the encouragement of HBNC, I boldly entered the Medical University in Da Nang. Thanks to HBNC, I am now entering my 6th year at medical school in Duy Tân Đà Nẳng as a general practitioner.”