ABOUT US
OUR VISION AND MISSION
BUI NGAN HA NHI
FOUNDER
With the aspiration to ensure that all girls have an equal and fair quality of life and conditions for development, while also creating a community where female students can seek support and companionship in all aspects, work together to generate positive social change through large-scale projects, have their voices heard, and above all gain a launchpad to pursue their dreams and life-defining ambitions, I decided to establish VFSA in November 2022.
Through the activities we lead and the articles we write ourselves, we hope to offer a glimpse into the perspectives of young girls with big dreams and bold ambitions - girls who long to contribute, even in small ways, to the development of society and who deeply hope for their voices to be heard.
CO-FOUNDERS
Le Dieu Huong
Tran Gia Linh
Pham Quynh Duong
Pham Phan Hong Lam
Dao Thi Minh Hong
Tran Ai Linh
CO-FOUNDERS - HIGH SCHOOL BRANCH
Nguyen Thanh Tu
Nguyen Thanh Ha
Nhu Ha Xuan Anh
Pham Khanh Linh
Nguyen Mai Linh
Le Khanh Vy
CO-FOUNDERS THE COLLEGE BRANCH
Dam Ngoc Gia Han
Bui Phuong Nhi
Vo Thi Hung Nguyen
Nguyen Thi Bao Ngan
Vu Ha Thuong
OUR MISSION
NO GIRL LEFT BEHIND
VFSA aims to contribute to enhancing the capacity, confidence, and proactive spirit of Vietnamese female students in their academic pursuits, social life, and overall process of personal development.
Through educational, networking, and development-support activities, VFSA seeks to create opportunities for female students to be heard, to share, and to express their perspectives; while fostering independent thinking, social responsibility, and a spirit of youth leadership.
VFSA is a community space where female students can find empathy, emotional support, and opportunities for mutual learning.
With the spirit of “No girl left behind,” VFSA strives to contribute to building a safe, equitable, and humane learning and development environment for female students.
In the Vietnamese Female Students Association community, every girl is treated equally and welcomed with open arms. In particular, Vietnamese Female College Students Association has the following missions:
- Responsible for operating all support centers, including the support center for female students facing unintended pregnancies, the assistance center for issues related to harassment, violence, and social isolation, as well as the official fanpage Vietnamese Female College Students Association – Mạng lưới Nữ sinh Đại học providing 24/7 support for female students.
– Operating a volunteer-based education and scholarship support program for underprivileged primary and lower secondary school girls.
– Conducting research papers and articles on feminism and promoting development opportunities for women.
– Sharing educational opportunities (competitions, scholarships, etc.) to encourage learning among young women.
– Operating a cross-national mentorship system to support female students. Collaborating with international organizations to provide learning and development opportunities, empowering Vietnamese female students to reach out to the world.
– Organizing seminars with international student organizations to provide learning and networking opportunities for young women.
– Establishing a scholarship fund for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, a merit-based scholarship fund for promising female students, and investing in teaching activities and library construction with the long-term goal of eradicating illiteracy among girls in remote areas. Additionally, creating a support fund for women entrepreneurs and generating employment opportunities for women.
– Establishing a long-term charitable fund to build shelters for underprivileged girls who are homeless or victims of violence (including physical, domestic, and sexual abuse), young women facing unintended pregnancies, and children born from such circumstances.
– Supporting, connecting, and protecting female students - especially those in vulnerable circumstances - through education, awareness-raising, and policy advocacy.
OUR VISION
To connect and develop the capacities of female students in society, serve as a channel for consultation and for reflecting the voices of female students.
To build an extensive domestic membership network while also connecting Vietnamese female student communities abroad, thereby contributing to the expansion of learning opportunities and international exchange.
– To contribute to raising social awareness of:
+ Girls’ rights
+ Gender equality in education
+ School safety and a healthy developmental environment for female students
To establish a system of professional 24/7 support centers for female students experiencing physical and psychological trauma, including unintended pregnancy, sexual harassment, violence, and social isolation, as well as a full range of pressures related to academic demands, relationships, and mental health; and to develop mechanisms for support, connection, and referral that enable female students to access timely professional resources (psychological, legal, medical, and educational) when facing difficulties.
To promote social, charitable, and educational-support activities through cooperation with organizations and institutions possessing appropriate functions and expertise. To establish charitable funds with the purposes of building compassionate homes for disadvantaged girls, victims of violence (including physical violence, domestic violence, and sexual violence), girls with unintended pregnancies, and children born from unintended pregnancies; constructing libraries and contributing to the building of schools for children in highland and remote areas; creating scholarship funds for girls in difficult circumstances; supporting women’s entrepreneurship and job creation; and maintaining regular charitable funds to support organizations sharing the same vision and mission.
CORE VALUES
The cultural orientation foundation and operational standards at VFSA.
1. SAFETY, EQUITY, AND RESPECT
VFSA is committed to building a safe, equitable, and inclusive environment where all female students are respected, accepted, heard, and treated fairly. The organization does not tolerate any form of discrimination, negativity, injustice, stigma, harassment, or conduct that violates the dignity and personal worth of any individual.
2. RESPONSIBILITY AND ASPIRATION TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY
VFSA upholds a strong sense of responsibility, proactiveness, and an aspiration to serve the community. All of the organization's activities are guided by a shared purpose: to create positive and lasting value for female students and society.
3. PRINCIPLED COMPASSION
VFSA upholds a humanitarian spirit grounded in fairness, integrity, discipline, and responsibility. The organization is committed to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of its members, while maintaining zero tolerance for any conduct that causes harm to individuals or the collective in any form. All decisions are made with the aim of building a transparent, safe, and sustainable environment.
4. EMPATHETIC LISTENING AND RESPONSE
VFSA upholds a culture of open dialogue, multidimensional listening, and constructive response. Every opinion is respected; every exchange is directed toward the growth of both individuals and the collective, and under no circumstances shall language or conduct be used to harm the dignity, honor, or worth of any individual.
5. CONNECTION, COMPANIONSHIP, AND SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT
A place where every individual is heard and supported, while also being given the space to grow and contribute. Each member is empowered to learn, serve, and realize their potential, while sharing the responsibility of preserving the organization’s shared values.
WHEN WE ARE HERE, WE ARE SISTERS. OUR ASSOCIATION IS ABOUT ALL THE GIRLS!
SEASON 1
Bui Ngan Ha Nhi
President of Vietnamese Female High School Students
SEASON 2
Le Dieu Huong
President of Vietnamese Female High School Students Stage 1
Tran Gia Linh
President of Vietnamese Female High School Students Stage 1
Pham Thi Minh Trang
President of Vietnamese Female High School Students Stage 2
Le Ho Hai Yen
President of Vietnamese Female High School Students Stage 2
SEASON 3
Dao Thi Minh Hong
President of Vietnamese Female High School Students
Nguyen Chau Anh
President of Vietnamese Female High School Students
Tran Ha Phuong
Phó Chủ tịch Mạng lưới THPT
SEASON 4
Nguyen Thanh Tu
President of Vietnamese Female High School Students
Nguyen Thi Ha Anh
Phó Chủ tịch Mạng lưới THPT
MÙA 5
Tran Ai Linh
President of Vietnamese Female High School Students
Le Khanh Vy
President of Vietnamese Female High School Students
Pham Phan Hong Lam
Phó Chủ tịch Mạng lưới THPT
VFSA ALUMNI
“I honestly find everything amazing - I’m still emotionally attached to last season. Being part of an organization made up entirely of girls like this for the first time has been such a meaningful experience for me. It’s also the first time I’ve seen an organization this wonderful - from the way things are run, to how everyone communicates, bonds, opens up, and shares with one another. It all feels so comfortable, like we see each other as sisters, as family. I’ve never felt this sense of belonging anywhere else before. I truly, deeply love the VFSA sisters!”
“I truly cherish everyone — the way we care for one another, and the meaningful actions carried out by the organization.”
“Oh, it was my first time ever being part of an all-female organization! Because of that, I never felt shy at all — I was always completely myself with my sisters. This organization has also taken me to places I wanted to go, allowed me to do things I wanted to do, and helped me build so many meaningful connections. Even though the season passed by so quickly, what we gained from it was so much more, wasn’t it?”
“I COULDN’T BE MORE SATISFIED, AND I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS INCREDIBLY LOVELY ORGANIZATION! I LOVE VFSA SO MUCH!”
A LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER TO FUTURE GENERATIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
VFSA is far more than just an extracurricular activity where you step into a core leadership role. By taking on this responsibility, you are carrying an organization that serves as a representative voice and public face of Vietnamese female students as a whole.
There are a few things I would like to share with you, and I hope you will carry them with you as guiding principles throughout the journey ahead.
At VFSA, humanity and compassion must always come first. It must be a place where every girl is welcomed wholeheartedly, with absolutely no room for discrimination, negativity, toxicity, jealousy, gossip, hostility, personal attacks, or exclusion.
This is one of the most fundamental principles that sets VFSA apart from other extracurricular organizations, and it is also one of the values I have worked hardest to build into the organization since the very beginning of its founding.
Above all else, I want to emphasize this: if we fail to uphold this principle, then VFSA is no longer worthy of calling itself an organization for Vietnamese female students.
You must make sure that everyone can trust in one thing: VFSA is a place where every girl can feel safe — regardless of who she is, where she comes from, what circumstances she is in, or what her past may have looked like.
No matter what happens — truly, no matter what — I hope you will always return to this principle as one of the Organization’s guiding values.
Look at people and situations with compassion and understanding, and you will begin to see your entire world change. Your organization will change. And every individual within your community will have the opportunity to become a better, stronger, and more remarkable version of themselves.
Devote yourselves to VFSA with the ambition to change the world, not with the desire to be recognized.
What I mean by this is not that you should chase unrealistic dreams or pursue ideas detached from reality. Rather, I hope that you will turn your aspirations into thoughtful, practical, and meaningful plans
Bui Ngan Ha Nhi - Founder Vietnamese Female Students Association
you have set with a heart that is genuinely willing to devote itself to the community. Do not become overly concerned with how much engagement an event receives, how many media outlets cover it, or how many people attend. Those numbers are not, in themselves, a true measure of whether an extracurricular initiative has created meaningful value. When you genuinely focus on a greater purpose, and when you guide the people around you toward that same purpose,
everything you accomplish — no matter how large or small — is something to be immensely proud of. You may never fully realize just how far the impact of what you do can reach.
Listen to everyone’s voice, because every person within an organization has an equal capacity to contribute to its growth and impact.
See your teammates not merely as people who work for or alongside you, but as genuine companions on this journey. Make sure every person you work with understands that they are playing a meaningful role in creating the change you all hope to see.
You are all around the same age, so treat one another with respect, empathy, and understanding. Everyone will have moments when they are busy, overwhelmed, or unable to give their very best to their responsibilities.
Instead of blaming or criticizing one another, try to put yourselves in each other’s shoes. Seek to understand before you judge, and give one another the grace and support needed to move forward together.
The final thing I want to leave you with is this: the road ahead will not be easy.
There will be moments when everything seems to fall apart, when nothing goes according to plan. There may be times when your spirits sink so low that you feel completely powerless. There may even be moments when you are disliked, criticized, or subjected to harsh and hurtful words.
Through all of this, stay calm. Stay hopeful.
You will become the pillars of this organization, and that means you must learn to be steady and courageous enough for others to lean on. In those difficult moments, trust that if you have truly done everything within your power, and if you have treated everyone with sincerity and given your whole heart to what you do, then what you have given will find its way back to you in ways that are worthy of it.
You are never alone. At VFSA, no one fights their battles alone.
You will always have one another. And whenever you need me, I will always be here — for you, and for every girl who is part of VFSA.
So please embrace this opportunity with everything you have, and let us use it to change the world together.
I believe in you, I care for you deeply, and I am incredibly proud of every single one of you.
[#1 VFSA THROUGH THE CO-FOUNDER’S LENS] BUILDING THE CORE AND SHAPING THE DIRECTION
“The journey of the Vietnamese Female Students Association has always been deeply intertwined with my own journey of personal growth.
The idea of founding VFSA first began to take shape within the Executive Board through a simple question: Why is sexuality education for female students so rarely told from the perspectives of female students themselves?
Why do young girls — those who understand the hesitation, the fear, and at the same time the desire to learn, to be heard, and to be understood — still have so few spaces where they can truly raise their voices?
And so, VFSA was born out of a desire to create a community truly dedicated to Vietnamese female students — a space where every girl can connect, share, and support one another through every dimension of the journey of growing up; a place where female students can come together to initiate and carry out meaningful projects and social activities that create positive impact.
Beyond that, VFSA aspires to become a strong platform that empowers young women to
turn their dreams into reality and reach for goals greater than they once imagined.
One of my earliest and most unforgettable memories is probably from our first night distributing meals — one of VFSA’s very first steps as an organization.
That night, at around 11 p.m. in the bitter cold, we met an elderly woman sitting by the roadside with a small display of hair clips and rubber gloves, visibly exhausted after a long day. We met a sanitation worker taking a brief rest by the side of the street. We met women and mothers working tirelessly, trying to sell just a little faster so they could return home to their families sooner.
What stayed with me most was the smiles on those women’s faces when they received a small meal from us. It was such a simple moment, yet it moved all of us to tears.
That was perhaps the moment when we realized that we needed to do more — not to become another source of noise, but to become a voice with real weight in society, and to build forms of support that could create lasting change so that every woman could live with greater safety, dignity, and happiness.
The next turning point came when a young girl called our hotline about an unintended pregnancy, her voice trembling on the other end of the line. Although we were able to support her both physically and emotionally, we came to understand that no form of intervention could simply return her life to what it had been before.
Our visits to Đồi Cốc Cemetery, together with the many conversations we had with women and girls carrying profoundly difficult life stories, left me with questions I could no longer ignore. If we did not address these issues at their roots, then the same tragedies would continue to happen again and again.
That was when our vision became clearer than ever: VFSA could not stop at short-term support or one-time activities. We had to work toward deeper, more sustainable change — to become a meaningful voice in society and to help build a world in which every woman has the chance to live safely, peacefully, and with dignity.
The next turning point came when a young girl called our hotline about an unintended pregnancy, her voice trembling on the other end of the line. Although we were able to support her both physically and emotionally, we gradually came to understand that no form of intervention could simply bring her back to the person she had been before.
Our visits to Đồi Cốc Cemetery, together with the many conversations we had with people whose lives had been marked by hardship and pain, left me with questions that stayed with me for a long time. If we did not address these issues at their roots, the same situations would continue to happen again and again.
Only when change begins from within can true renewal begin.
That realization led us to begin researching gender equality, the impact of consumerism on women, and the broader social forces that shape women’s lives. From there, we developed a wide range of content series, including Khám Phá and Lên Tiếng, as well as articles published on
our website, all driven by one simple mission: ‘No girl should ever be left behind.’”
From our earliest days — from late-night meal distributions to Búp Bê Bán Bánh, Phá Kén, Charm, and Interwine — VFSA has grown tremendously over the course of two years and three generations. From a community of barely 50 members, it has gradually become a home for female students across Vietnam. Step by step, VFSA is establishing its place in society and moving toward becoming a network capable of creating broad and lasting social impact.
With that vision in mind, we have developed a professional 24/7 support system for female students experiencing physical or emotional distress. This includes support for unintended pregnancy, sexual harassment, violence, social isolation, as well as challenges related to academic pressure, relationships, mental health, and many other aspects of young women’s lives.
We have also established charitable initiatives aimed at building safe homes for disadvantaged girls and survivors of violence — including physical abuse, domestic violence, and sexual violence; developing libraries and contributing to the construction of schools for children in remote and mountainous areas; creating scholarship funds for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds; supporting women in entrepreneurship and employment; and maintaining ongoing charitable funds to support organizations that share our vision and mission.
Ultimately, what makes VFSA truly special — and what allows it to become a home for female students across Vietnam — is that humanity and compassion are always placed above all else.
VFSA is a space where every girl is welcomed wholeheartedly, with no room for discrimination, negativity, toxicity, jealousy, hostility, personal attacks, or exclusion. This principle is fundamental to what sets VFSA apart from other extracurricular organizations, and it is also one of the values that the Executive Board has worked tirelessly to cultivate throughout the establishment and development of the Vietnamese Female Students Association.
Here, every person within the organization matters equally, and everyone is part of the change we are striving to create.
At VFSA, no one fights their battles alone. VFSA is a home for all Vietnamese female students — regardless of their background, circumstances, or where they come from.
ALL FOR ONE SHARED PURPOSE:
SO THAT NO GIRL IS EVER LEFT BEHIND!
[#2 VFSA THROUGH THE CO-FOUNDER’S LENS] MORE THAN A PROJECT — BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE ECOSYSTEM FOR VIETNAMESE FEMALE STUDENTS
“I began my own journey as a Co-founder of the organization with the hope of connecting with girls from every part of Vietnam and speaking up for their rights, safety, and well-being.
It all started with one simple question: ‘Why has sexuality education for female students become such a sensitive subject for the very girls who need it most?’
Our earliest articles explored some of the most fundamental issues, yet approached them with depth and critical reflection through the Lên Tiếng series, with topics such as Harassment, The Dark Side of Cyberbullying, and Feminism or Toxic Feminism — Stereotypes. These pieces were created to amplify the voices of female students and bring greater attention to social issues that too often remain unaddressed.
They were never merely articles. They were messages about the issues I hoped young women would come to understand, because only when we are able to recognize and understand a problem can we begin to find meaningful ways to address it.
Throughout its journey, VFSA has remained guided by that principle: to create a space where girls are empowered, educated, protected, connected, and, most importantly, encouraged to raise their own voices — so that those voices can reach further, inspire others, and create change.
From the very beginning, VFSA was never intended to be a short-term project. The name Vietnamese Female Students Association itself perhaps says everything about the ambition behind it.
VFSA was envisioned not as a temporary extracurricular initiative, but as a well-structured and professionally operated organization with a clear long-term direction — one that could build a nationwide network for Vietnamese female students, from high school to university, and sustain that community for years to come.
To ensure long-term sustainability and remain aligned with the organization’s direction, VFSA is structured into two branches: the High School Branch and the University Branch.
Each branch serves a distinct role while working toward the same shared mission: ‘Leave No One Behind.’
For high school students, VFSA creates a safe and supportive environment from within,
one that nurtures confidence, embraces the spirit of ‘girls help girls,’ and offers a space where kindness, knowledge, and essential life skills can be shared throughout some of the most formative and beautiful years of their lives.
For university students, VFSA develops that safe environment into a broader space for growth and deeper engagement, with a wider range of initiatives: a 24/7 support system, research activities, volunteering and fundraising projects, leadership development, mentor–mentee connections, and opportunities for international exposure and engagement.
Yet if we stop at simply repairing the damage, it is like continuing to water a branch that has already withered. What I hope for is something deeper: to prevent the same harm from being repeated in the lives of other girls, and to nurture young lives from the very beginning, when they are still able to grow strong.
That is why VFSA chooses to go further — by focusing on education, prevention, and awareness-building, so that girls can better understand their rights, their own bodies, and the boundaries that must always be respected.
Empowerment is not merely a word. It means giving girls knowledge, giving them the confidence to ask questions, helping them understand that their stories matter, and equipping them with the foundation they need to step into the world with confidence, awareness, and compassion.
Looking ahead, VFSA hopes to continue expanding its mentor–mentee network connecting university students, high school students, and young female leaders; to strengthen partnerships with domestic and international organizations working in women’s rights, gender equality, education, and sustainable development; and to create more opportunities for Vietnamese female students to develop cross-cultural competencies and become more prepared to engage with an increasingly globalized world.
Một lời nhắn nhủ nhỏ dành cho thế hệ sau này của VFSA, hãy đi theo kim chỉ nam của tổ chức – một Tổ chức bắt đầu vì nữ sinh và phát triển vì nữ sinh thay vì phát triển như một dự án, hoạt động ngoại khóa hay một câu lạc bộ đơn thuần.
Let your ambition to take VFSA further be reflected in the care, thoughtfulness, and excellence you bring to even the smallest details.
We carry a greater mindset and a greater ambition: No girl should ever be left behind.
Every initiative we undertake should ultimately serve that
purpose — creating a space where female students across Vietnam can share their stories, feel protected, be trusted, and learn to place trust in others as well.
That is why VFSA has continued to exist and grow throughout the past four years.
I truly believe that your talent, determination, and ambition will continue to take VFSA further, allowing it to become a genuine safe space for every female student — whether she is part of the organization or not.
I love this organization not only because it is something I once built from the ground up, but even more because generations of VFSA-ers have carried it forward, inherited its values, and continued to shape and strengthen this ecosystem step by step.
VFSA is, at its core, a promise: that voices will be amplified, support will reach further, and opportunities will be opened to more girls.
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