Two hundred and thirty Harvey World Travel agents visited Vietnam last month for their annual Business Symposium. The event was particularly special as the region is home to the travel company’s two main charities, the Loreto Vietnam Australian Program (LVAP) and Friends International, who both took part in the opening ceremony of the Symposium at the historic Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City.

Managing Director of Harvey World Travel, David Rivers, says that the company is proud to have a role in helping to change the lives of future generations in Vietnam. 

“By supporting LVAP's mission to reduce poverty in Vietnam and Friends International’s dedication to provide education and skills, we're helping Vietnam's poorest people to learn, grow and develop self-sufficient, sustainable communities.  I know that each and every delegate was emotionally moved by the joy of the children from LVAP who gave a musical performance during the opening of the Business Symposium,” says Rivers.

In the past 12 months, Harvey World Travel has built a computer room for deaf students, donated school backpacks and uniforms, and provided bicycles, helmets and cycling lessons for the ‘Wheels for Education’ project.  At the Business Symposium at the end of October, agents and suppliers further donated another 268 bikes as well donating toys, clothes, sports equipment and school stationery which they brought from Australia.  

LVAP, which celebrated its 15th anniversary this year, has touched the lives of 25,000 children.  The charity was founded in Vietnam by Sister Trish Franklin in 1997 to help underprivileged and disabled children in Vietnam.  It is dedicated to breaking the vicious cycle of poverty by providing enhanced educational opportunities for their specific needs.  Since beginning, the charity has fostered an encouraging learning environment and, with additional support from Harvey World Travel, it continues to make a huge impact on local communities. 

Harvey World Travel also donates to Friends International, which provides education, training and employment in hospitality and tourism for children at risk.  The charity is dedicated to saving lives, building futures, and providing a child safe network.  Heidi Bain, Corporate Liaison & Social Awareness Manager at Friends International explained that the charity’s hospitality restaurants in Cambodia have become one of its greatest achievements by helping to provide training for young people in preparation for employment.

James Brodie, from Harvey World Travel road tested all the three restaurants and recommends them for Australian travellers.

“After hearing Heidi speak I got the details for Friends & Romdeng restaurants in Phnom Penh and the new Marum restaurant in Siem Reap and put it on our must-do list. They are all different and serve some of the best Asian food I’ve ever had,” says Brodie. “Importantly the restaurants are spotlessly clean, very vibrant and all food is washed in purified water. It’s a wonderful feeling supporting the great work Friends International does and making a difference to the young people’s lives who are employed.”

David Rivers, Managing Director at Harvey World Travel, said that the company’s goal is to play a positive role in these children’s lives and in the future of Vietnam and Cambodia.

“It is a humbling experience to be involved with such amazing charities and to meet individuals like Sister Trish who has devoted 19 years of her life to helping these communities.  As a franchise network we have a strong sense of community and as a leading travel business we have a long association of supporting charities in places where Australians travel overseas.  Tourism into Indochina has experienced huge growth and this is our way of giving back.  Our partnership with these charities is a legacy we want to leave behind."