Spending Your Money on a Worthy Cause

Craft Link (43 Van Mieu; near the Temple of Literature). This shop has a range of traditional handicrafts and ethnic minority products. All the profits get channeled back to local communities. There is also a location at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

13 Hang Bac; near Hoan Kiem lake. This non-profit focuses on community development and providing employment opportunities for rural women. They have beautiful quilts at very reasonable prices. They will also take special orders and ship the finished product to you.

36 Au Trieu; near St. Joseph's cathedra;- crafts and home furnishings with the profits helping disadvantaged children in Hanoi and the northern provinces.

Know One Teach One (KOTO) provides street children and disadvantaged youth with education, training, and employment opportunities. Their motto: “From the streets to opportunity and confidence”. They have a restaurant on Van Mieu, right across from the Temple of Literature. I really like the Halong Bay crab meat ravioli (about 130,000 vnd).

237 Au Co in the West Lake area provides job opportunities and a fair wage for visually-impaired therapists. As they state: “Just Massage, on the one hand, economic opportunity, personal empowerment, dignified work. On the other hand, Just a great massage!” When I arrive from the US I immediately call Just Massage for an appointment. After a 90 min. massage I feel relaxed and refreshed (280,000vnd).