Biniam Haile, former Acting Country Director
I am proud of the accomplishments of CARE International in Vietnam (CVN) over the past 30 years and recognize that CVN could not have delivered on its mission without the support of communities, staff, donors, government allies and industry peers. This anniversary is a time to enjoy, celebrate the dedication, passion towards excellent work and the vision of perfection in everything CVN has been assigned. Congratulations to all CVN staff for having been able to achieve so much.
So on this occasion, I would like to say few words. Organizations are like families. We build them with all our heart, putting our blood and sweat into it with solely one purpose to fulfill, that is to make it grow and flourish. In a family, we take care of each other’s wellbeing and make sure that everything functions smoothly. Similarly, CVN functions as a family where everyone take care of each other, take care of the responsibilities and together strive to make dream come true. The dream of taking CVN to the list of the best organizations in the country, the dream of making it an organization which is known for its quality products, quality services and commitment towards the community it serves.
In all three years of my time with CVN, I have seen it all – success and disappointments, highs and lows, celebrations and watershed, everything. But one thing which did not happen was to ‘give up’. This, high-flier attitude, the faith in each other and commitment towards the community are the factors that have brought CVN where it is now. I would never have been able to enjoy my stay in Vietnam and celebrate my successful journey without the people around me. My coworkers have always been my strength and backbone in my career. Going out for group lunch with a bunch of staff every Friday is one good example that testifies team relationships were very strong. I had a lot of fun!
CVN is among very few CARE country offices that operate fully by national leadership. Given CARE business model, it was not an easy decision to nationalize all positions but I was very confident with Vietnamese professional capability that I witnessed during my 3 years stay with CVN. I consider myself very fortunate to be present when the transition period happen. I was very proud for the opportunity I had to handover my responsibility to the national leaders. I am glad to learn CVN continues to boost under the national leadership.
Reflecting at person level, Vietnam has a lot of tube in my personal life. To say the least Vietnam is where my son started his preschool; my oldest daughter completed her preschool and transitioned to elementary. In many ways, Vietnam is our second home country. My family and I still have wonderful fresh memories and no wonder that everyone is so eager to visit the country anytime soon. As family, our take away from Vietnamese people include but not limited to unreserved love, respect and loyalty. When I was chatting with my wife while putting together my notes, my wife said, “Please don’t forget to mention that Vietnam and its people are my favorite from all the countries I visited. I very much enjoyed the friendship and hospitality of the Vietnamese people”
Lastly, I wish CVN many more anniversaries, many more success stories and many more achievements. Please keep up the good work and keep aspiring for more. As they say “those who dream big, achieve big”.
With love,
Biniam Haile
Former CVN staff