Vietnam Staff
Hanoi Office
The Hanoi office is EMW's representative office in Vietnam.
Minh Chau Nguyen
Vice President, WASH Solutions
Minh Chau Nguyen joined the EMW team as Vietnam Country Director in March 2009, and currently occupies a critical leadership role in EMW's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programs. Her previous positions at EMW include serving on the EMW board and on staff as EMW's Chief Strategy Officer. She currently sits on Oxfam's board of directors. Minh Chau spent 25 years working with the World Bank Group in Washington DC. As an economist at the World Bank, Minh Chau was responsible for policy dialogues, project evaluations, and loan negotiations for projects in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. She also served as the head of the Gender and Development Division at the World Bank. In this position, she led the World Bank delegation to the Women's World Conference in Beijing in 1995. Shortly thereafter, Minh Chau joined the International Finance Corporation, a private sector arm of the World Bank, to help direct IFC's operations in riskier markets.
Prior to the World Bank, Minh Chau was a lecturer in economics at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. She is a co-founder of the ISIS Management Group, which promotes women entrepreneurs' access to venture financing. She has also worked with Small Enterprise Assistance Funds to help increase equity financing for small and medium enterprises in emerging markets. Minh Chau received her B.S. from Macalester College, an M.S. in economics from the University of Washington, and Advanced Management Training at Harvard Business School.
Read interview held with Minh Chau just prior to her assuming the EMW Country Director position.
Administration and Finance
Loc Lan Huong
Assistant
Huong joined EMW's A&F team in March 2012 as an intern and began working as an assistant the following June. She graduated from the University of South Australia in Malaysia with a BA in Management (Marketing) in December 2011. Learning about NGOs in her final year of school made Huong thankful for the people who dedicate their time and work for others, and determined to enter that world. EMW provides her the best opportunity to learn and work in an international and professional environment; she is impressed by the helpful and warm hearted staff.
Huong is currently helping to organize and manage the Hanoi office and support EMW’s team there. She is pleased to be a part of the EMW family, and to contribute to a meaningful cause.
Huong likes to watch detective shows, action movies, and movies based on true stories.
Breath of Life (BOL)
Dr. Tran Dinh Chien
Clinical Director
Dr. Chien joined EMW in November 2007 as Program Officer managing the Support Network for People with Disabilities Program (SN-PWD) in the northern coastal province of Thai Binh. Hundreds of disabled children and adults have benefitted from the program Chien capably implemented and managed for two years.
Chien studied medicine at Thai Binh Medical University; upon graduation, he practiced obstetrics and gynecology for ten years. He then moved on to work with a number of NGOs such as Family Health International, Marie Stopes International, and Pathfinder International, specializing in reproductive and newborn health care.
Since 2009, Chien has worked with the Breath of Life program where he especially enjoys newborn health care. Chien’s long experience contributes to the success of the program’s goal of saving as many infant lives as possible. Chien likes to relax by spending time on the internet and taking long evening walks.
Katherine Maningas
M & E National Manager
Katherine first joined the Breath of Life team in June 2012 as an intern, and in August 2012 stepped into her current position, supporting pilot studies along with the development of all program activities. Prior to joining EMW, Katherine worked with the Sustainable Health Development Center in Hanoi, assisting with project development relating to mother and child health in the disability sector. She has worked in Sydney, Australia for five years as a neonatal registered nurse and has a Masters of International Public Health from the University of Sydney.
Katherine has a growing interest in public health and believes that individuals can only achieve their fullest potential, and live a valued and meaningful existence, if they have access to good healthcare. She looks forward to working in the BOL program and gaining a greater appreciation for the field of newborn healthcare in developing regions.
Nguyen Xuan Hoi
Program Assistant
Cardiology and Disability
Quach Thu Trang
Program Officer
Trang joined EMW in March 2012. She worked at a number of different businesses before joining EMW (hotels, real estate, international school, branding & advertising). She got her bachelor's degree from RMIT International University Vietnam in 2008, and a Masters of Marketing Communications from the University of Huddersfield in the UK in 2010.
Trang loves the office location and its neighborhood; the West Lake area has always been her favorite place to get away from the crowded and chaotic life of Hanoi. The peaceful area and lovely office inspire her in her work every day. Trang enjoys going to the cinema, sports (swimming, aerobics, gyms, dancing), hanging out at coffee shops, and sometimes partying with close friends.
Nguyen Hong Hoa
Program Assistant
Hoa joined EMW in 2011 as an intern for OHH/TTCE After three months she became Program Assistant, and is now working for both OHH/TTCE and OHH Plus. Her main duty is to be in charge of case management and follow-ups with family doctors as well as the patient’s family.
She graduated from the Ha Noi University of Culture and will complete her second degree at the Ha Noi Foreign Trade University. Previously, Hoa worked for FHI and volunteered for Peace Vietnam as an assistant and work camp leader, which inspired her to do community work, particuarly in public health. Working for East Meets West provides her with an opportunity to study and improve herself, and she loves her job. In her spare time, Hoa enjoys watching scary movies and reading novels, especially French literature.
Community Hygiene Output-Based Aid (CHOBA)
Nguyen Hong Hanh
Program Officer
Hanh joined EMW in August 2011 to work on Sanitation program after receiving her MSc degree from the University of Queensland, Australia. Since May 2012, she has been working as Program Officer for the Community Hygiene Output-Based Aid Program (CHOBA), which aims at enhancing sanitation and hygiene practices among the rural poor.
Aware that many rural poor communities lack access to basic sanitation in her country and other developing countries, Hanh has found her passion for working as a development worker in rural sanitation, particularly EMW’s CHOBA program. CHOBA is an innovative program based on results-based approach to sanitation and hygiene aid, which requires an initial investment from recipient families and communes, and then rewards them when results are achieved. Hanh is responsible for ensuring effective, high-quality implementation of program activities in three provinces in northern Vietnam.
Prior to joining EMW, Hanh worked as a water supply and sanitation engineer for a consultancy company and urban utility. She has a BSc in Water Supply and Drainage Engineering and and MSc in Integrated Water Management.
GPOBA Upper Secondary Education Enhancement
Ha Thi Thu Huong
Program Manager
Huong joined EMW in July 2010 as Program Assistant for the Upper Secondary Education Enhancement Program, which aims at improving access to high school level education for poor students who would have otherwise dropped out of school due to financial difficulties. After graduating from the Italian Department at the Hanoi University of Foreign Studies, Huong began working for an Italian NGO, an experience that changed her career path. During her three years there, she became deeply interested in working on social issues, particularly to benefit children and people in difficult circumstances.
Huong joined EMW out of a strong belief that EMW provides opportunities and access to a better life for disadvantaged people. She truly enjoys her work and likes the EMW staff, whom she finds nice and helpful. Huong feels happy when she sees the smiles of those she is helping and she is proud to make this small contribution to her country. Huong will finish her second diploma at the Foreign Trade University in the near future.
Tran Bao Ngoc
Program Assistant
Ngoc started with EMW in March 2012. Her work gives her the opportunity to work with many schools, teachers, students, and families from all over Vietnam. Ngoc feels very moved by the many families that she has visited, and also happy to get to know the students who make great efforts to overcome difficulties and get good results at schoos despite of their families’ difficult economic situation. She is pleased that through her work she can contribute a little bit to the program, and help poor students continue their education.
Before joining EMW, Ngoc worked with two other NGOs, which helped her better understand development work and how to perfrom her current tasks. She has a BA from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. Ngoc likes music and singing, as well as reading books and seeing her friends. She also participates in voluntary activities for youth development.
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