Anantara Hoi An Resort joined hands the Kianh Foundation – a not-for-profit charity providing full-time, customised, special needs curriculum for children with disabilities in Quang Nam Province, Central Vietnam.

The partnership is part of Anantara’s global Dollars For Deeds initiative that encourages guests at Anantara properties to support local communities by donating USD $1 a night to raise funds for a range of worthy causes, with Anantara matching each guest’s contribution.

There are no services in the area for children with special needs and as a demographic these children receive no mainstream schooling opportunities or specialised health care provision. The Dien Ban community (adjacent to Hoi An City) is an agricultural commune with low levels of education and an extremely impoverished area with an average monthly family income of US$75. Kianh’s founder Jackie Wrafter recognised the need for a bridging institution that could provide the extremely important physical and mental healthcare; coupled with international standard special needs curriculum delivery that these children so desperately need.

The availability of a full-time educational placement for children with disabilities also provides an enormous impact on concerned family finances allowing two partners to garner income and also aid with in-home care. The ripple effect of Kianh’s placement in the community is enormous and only possible with donations and cooperate support.

Pieter van der Hoeven, area general manager of Minor Hotels, Vietnam said about the partnership: “There are very limited options for employment available for a person with a disability in Vietnam. The Kianh Foundation is establishing an aquaponic farm in Hoi An where children can continue developing in the Kianh environment after completing their vocational training. By buying their aquaponic produce for Anantara Hoi An restaurants, we are helping to create a fully sustainable project. With the launch of this new partnership, our guests can now support Kianh by choosing to make a donation that will go towards the foundation’s projects in around Hoi An.”