Vietnamese schoolchildren born with physical problem, apparently due to the lingering effects of Agent Orange sprayed during the Vietnam War, are getting a helping hand in the shape of a scholarship from a Japanese film director.
"Most of those who were exposed to the toxic chemical during the wartime have been living in poverty, but the disabled children possess great potential," director Masako Sakata said. "If they could be provided $25 each per month, they could attend colleges or vocational schools."
Under the "Seed of Hope" scholarship program, Sakata and a victims' group, Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) have collected $18,000 (¥1.45 million) from about 50 donors in Japan and started providing the money earlier this year to 20 students to attend school for three years.