CHIA Foundation

Children’s Hope in Action (CHIA) is an Australian-registered charity founded by Australian woman Robyn Morley in 2006.

Robyn moved to Hoi An in 2000, where she volunteered at an orphanage with disabled and disadvantaged children. While working at the orphanage, she also helped some sick and disabled children still living with their families, who desperately needed assistance to access surgery, medical assistance and disability support. She noticed a large gap in the availability of services in Hoi An for these children, and found that many families were forced by their financial conditions to send their children to the orphanage so that they could access treatment. Robyn felt that if she could help parents to continue caring for their children at home, the children and their families would be happier and healthier, and the burdens of the government would be reduced. In response to this problem, in 2006 Robyn founded Children’s Hope in Action to provide care and assistance for some of the most disadvantaged children and their families in the Quang Nam province.

CHIA first focused their efforts and resources in three key areas – Health and Medical Assistance, Disability Services and Education Support. In September 2009, typhoon Ketsana (the worst typhoon in fifty years) hit the Quang Nam province and left a considerable number of people homeless and with very battered homes. The Water, Sanitation and Housing (WASH) project was set up to provide typhoon-resistant housing for underprivileged families.

CHIA supports over 500 children in the Quang Nam Province and is expanding to reach more disadvantaged children from rural areas, who are otherwise unable to attend school or be provided good nutrition due to their families’ difficult social and financial situations.

Children’s Hope in Action’s office is situated in Hoi An City, where operations are supported by four Vietnamese staff, Family Therapist Jeanne Grant, founder Robyn Morley and numerous international volunteers.