East Meets West is founded in Quang Nam Province by Le Ly Hayslip, a Vietnam War survivor whose life was chronicled in her book When Heaven and Earth Changed Places that was later made into the Oliver Stone film Heaven and Earth. In creating EMW, Le Ly wanted to build programs that would help heal war wounds between Vietnam and the United States.

Le Ly Hayslip supervises the construction of the Mother’s Love Clinic for homelesschildren in her native village of Ky La. The clinic is still open.

The Peace Village Medical Clinic is built on My Khe Beach in Da Nang.

A grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) enables EMW to build the Village of Hope in Da Nang, a center to serve orphaned and disabled children. By 2008, more than 425 children will be provided a safe haven here.

EMW creates the Family Emergency Relief Fund (FERF) to provide assistance to families in times of extreme hardship.

EMW builds new Compassion Homes for several destitute families. Over the next 13 years, over 1,000 of these homes will be built for families in dire need.

A family comes to the EMW office in Da Nang seeking financial assistance for their daughter’s heart surgery to save her life. As a result, Operation Healthy Heart (OHH) is born. By the end of 2007, OHH had provided more than 1,500 lifesaving surgeries to children with congenital heart defects throughout Vietnam.

The Clean Water and Sanitation Program builds its first community well in Quang Nam Province. By 2008, EMW has built 109 rural water systems, bringing clean water to over 150,000 people.

Dr. Charles F. Craft, a dentist from Alaska, starts the EMW Dental Program in Da Nang. By 2008, the program had treated over 50,000 poor children and provided over 175,000 free dental services. This care, worth a humanitarian value of $8.5 million, was provided through EMW’s Dental Clinic and outreach trips staffed with the assistance of dozens of international volunteers.

The School Construction program begins building its first primary school in Da Nang. Over the next 12 years, the program will build 292 schools serving children in the poorest communities of central Vietnam.

Atlantic Philanthropies (AP) makes a significant investment in EMW to begin work on its first Large Construction project at Da Nang General Hospital. Atlantic Philanthropies will become EMW’s largest funder and will underwrite major infrastructure projects including the $2.75 million Da Nang Multipurpose Hospital, $5 million Da Nang English Language Institute, and $8.3 million Hue Cardiovascular Center.

EMW Board member Steve Reynolds and his wife, Dr. Susan Wolf, donate funds for the construction of the Tien Phuoc Orphanage in Quang Nam Province.

The Scholarship Program to Enhance Learning and Literacy (SPELL) is launched with 1,500 children. SPELL, founded through a donation by EMW Board member Eric Hemel and his wife Barbara Morgen, is an innovative dropout prevention program providing scholarships for the poorest children. Funding begins in 3rd grade and is guaranteed through high school graduation. In 2008, more than 4,200 children are enrolled in the program.

EMW Board member Steve Reynolds and his wife, Dr. Susan Wolf, donate funds for the construction of the Tien Phuoc Orphanage in Quang Nam Province.

The An Giang / Dong Thap Alliance to Prevent Trafficking (ADAPT) is founded with a grant from USAID. ADAPT is designed to prevent at-risk girls living near the Cambodian border being trapped in the sex trafficking industry. ADAPT is operated by EMW, Pacific Links Foundation, and the International Children Assistance Network.

EMW launches the Breath of Life program with partner KSE Medical with the placement of 50 Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) machines in hospitals. By 2008, CPAP machines will be placed in over 90% of Vietnam’s provinces and the program will begin providing other equipment to neonatal intensive care units in the country.

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) program is started with the construction of three kindergartens that incorporate modern, interactive learning and teacher training.

With funding from USAID, EMW breaks ground on the Kon Ray Boarding School for ethnic minorities in the central highlands province of Kon Tum. The school will open in 2008.

The Support Network for People with Disabilities (SN-PWD) is established in Quang Ngai Province through a grant from the Ford Foundation. The program expands to Thai Binh Province in 2007.

EMW is awarded $3 million by the World Bank-administered Global Partnership for Output-Based Aid to triple the capacity of the Clean Water and Sanitation Program.

EMW’s Dental Program launches its new Mobile Dental Trailer. The van is outfitted by donors Mel Potter and Howard Lempke and funded by Gil and Barbara Kemp.

East Meets West Foundation is the largest non-governmental organization in Vietnam. EMW’s core programs, which focus on infant and child health care, education for the most disadvantaged, clean water and sanitation, and large infrastructure have served millions of Vietnamese people. Program expenses are expected to be $21.3 million this year, a ten-fold increase since 1997.