History
East Meets West was established by Le Ly Hayslip, whose life story was chronicled in two books she wrote and in Oliver Stone's film, Heaven & Earth, based on her memoir When Heaven and Earth Changed Places. In 1988, she visited her native village in Ky La in Central Vietnam to begin healing of the war wounds and plant the seeds of reconciliation.
From Le Ly's early projects - Mothers Love Pediatric Clinic and Peace Village Medical Center - East Meets West emerged as a respected non-governmental organization (NGO) in Vietnam, which realized many socially important projects in the country.
In 1993, East Meets West received a grant from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and constructed the Village of Hope, a shelter and safe haven for 136 needy children from Central Vietnam.
Since 1998 the organization in partnership with Atlantic Philanthropies has participated in building of Vietnam's medical and educational infrastructure, including university libraries and general hospitals, including a 200-bed cardiovascular center in Huế and a twelve-story English Language training center in Da Nang.
In 2003, John Anner left the Independent Press Association to head East Meets West.
In 2006, East Meets West co-organized medical equipment donation for Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi.
In 2008, EMW began its expansion to Laos, Cambodia, and Timor Leste, with subsequent programming in the Philippines, India, and Myanmar.
In 2012 the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded East Meets West a US $10.9 million grant to improve sanitation and hygiene practices among the rural poor in Vietnam and Cambodia.
Read more about this topic: East Meets West (Non-governmental Organization)
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