Have you ever wanted to help poverty-stricken children in another country, but haven’t had the time?

Marife Samson, Nikolas Link and Chris Byatt.

Well now is your chance to help out Aid for Kids, through Marife Samson, her son Nikolas Link and Chris Byatt.

The trio, who reside in Dunsborough, Australia, will be in Vietnam from March 29 to April 23 to help under-privileged children.

They are searching for donations of arts and craft materials, children’s books (picture books preferred) and children’s clothes that they can distribute to children in Hoi An (central Vietnam).

The Aid for Kids’ mission statement is “Improving life for children and families worldwide”.

Marife said she and Nikolas travelled every year to help out poverty-stricken countries, but this was the first time they would be spending a month.

“This is an opportunity for us to give something back to the kids of the world,” she said.

“The greatest gift you can give them is some of your time. We have also travelled to Cambodia, Laos and Raratonga to lend a hand.”

One of the ways they will be spending their time is with the “Rockin’ Nanny” project, which is where they will go to various orphanages “rocking and cuddling” little children who haven’t had a lot of human contact or loving.

They will also teach arts and crafts at the toy library which Busselton’s Charlotte and Mike Brown helped build, and will help teach the Vietnamese children English, hence the need for donations of books and craft materials.

When Marife asked her colleague (and fellow Kiwi) Chris Byatt if she was interested in accompanying them she jumped at the opportunity.

“I was ready and raring to go,” Chris said.

“We don’t realise how lucky we are in Australia – we have so much and they have so little.”