The concept of a Website was a new idea for the Vietnamese Australian Welfare Association (VAWA), even though the term “Website” was not new in this Information Technology Age. Setting up a website is an essential task to communicate information widely.  If everyone knew what VAWA is and what services it provides, there will be more people accessing these services and asking for help. In the 20 years from its founding, VAWA only produced one bulletin (paper) to promote its services...”a long time ago”,  then it sang “a song of goodbye” and ended.

In November 2011, the idea of creating a VAWA Website was suggested at the extended meeting of VAWA Management Committee. Everyone responded warmly to this suggestion but no-one could clearly picture the Home Page let alone understand the complexity of running an entire Website.  Issues included how to design a high quality, content rich website with articles and links appropriate for the site’s target readership. A key challenge was to design the website so it  portrays a sense of youthful vitality to the readership.

A Website is an electronic newspaper, an online newspaper- it is “The Space” that contains articles, images, news...”wandering” in the air, flying into the white clouds under the blue sky, “taking a nowhere and everywhere journey” figuratively and literally until we open our computers and drag them down. With a click, information flies into our houses and appears on the computer screen for reading, enjoying, studying, criticising.  These categories of news, articles, images, music...”flying around the sky” are too abundant - each website provides the specialised or recreational topics and depending on their needs, readers can easily find the right website to spend their time and enjoy what the electronic world offers.

VAWA HOME PAGE

VAWA stands for the Vietnamese Australian Welfare Association. Translated into Vietnamese is HIEP HOI AN SINH XA HOI VIET UC. The name “VAWA” is for daily used because of it is convenient, fast and compact. The purpose of social welfare is to provide support to families who need help to improve their quality of life. Therefore, VAWA is very eager to provide the social services to the community with a constructive spirit and a true sense of democracy.

Upon accessing the VAWA Website, readers will find a home page divided into three sections - Left, Middle, and Right.

On The Left Section of the home page, readers will find a number of headings which serves as a forum of specialised articles. From this forum, readers can clearly understand the services provided by VAWA thereby enabling them to introduce these services to their families, friends and acquaintances needing help.

The Middle Section of Home Page provides links to Related Agencies.  Upon clicking on this column, the readers will be taken to the home page of the selected Agency allowing readers to access documentation on social, community, health services provided by these related Agencies.

The Right Section is the entertaining and learning part with the items such as HEALTH, WORLD NEWS, CULTURE, SPORTS, COMMUNITY and COOKING...

Through the articles and photos of community sport section, readers can see the sporting activities for youth of our Vietnamese community. To complement for the wide range of services provided in the office, school, and in the home, VAWA organises outdoor sporting activities to encourage the young people to participate in healthy recreational activities.

The VAWA Website is a point of a connection for readers to discover the services provided by agencies for the Vietnamese community, thereby making it more convenient for members of the Vietnamese community to access them when required. A practical and simple example is the case of a family with elderly parents. Because of busy jobs, many children/grandchildren cannot look after their elderly relatives through the day and night.  Care such as eating, bathing, medication can often be provided by professional staff at nursing homes.  Through the VAWA Website, these people can locate nursing homes with Vietnamese speaking staff  and/or those that cook Vietnamese dishes. Other examples include finding information about the care services for the elderly, child care for the young or the community activities for those of retirement age looking to attend the healthy programs with their fellow senior citizens.

Many adults like to “surf the net” and on the VAWA website, they can read weekly news, entertaining topics or articles on culture and the arts. In the counselling section, readers explore the methods of solving specific problems in the physical or mental field. A large number of difficulties in the family, society and school have been assisted by VAWA staff with the positive results such as getting more stable lives for our fellow community members. As a result, some family relationships become warmer. Better life will bring more value and meaning and is a reason to create peace and happiness for the family. VAWA Management Committee, staff and volunteers are always eager and enthusiastic to perform these works.

VAWA Home Page was launched on 28/02/2013 with the aim of providing information about the activities and services of the association to the wider community. The VAWA webmaster has carefully selected the articles on various counselling topics and legal issues that are written in a straightforward manner that can be easily understood. This section includes useful knowledge in the legal areas, education, health, family, employment...to support readers in dealing with their everyday difficulties.

VAWA expects that the readers will spend their time regularly to visit this Home Page. In case you have any requirements of welfare services, please contact VAWA workers at:

  6 – 8 Bankstown City Plaza

  Bankstown

  Phone: 9793 7129 or send Email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you need to understand a few facts of reference documents, please email to:

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• Vietnamese-Australian Welfare Association, NSW INC

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