Michael Brosowski, Founder of Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation
Michael Brosowski, an Australian teacher, arrived in Vietnam in 2002 to work at Hanoi’s National University. He never imagined who he’d begin teaching during his free time: shoeshining boys. Shortly after, he established the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation to help street kids, children with disabilities, children from rural families living in extreme poverty, and victims of human trafficking and slavery. Their aim is to rescue kids from danger, reunite them with their families when they can, and provide all the services needed for recovery and growth.
Michael Brosowski is a CNN Hero and has been awarded the UNICEF Zero Award and a Member of the Order of Australia for his impact in Vietnam. They have transformed the lives of more than 68,000 children in Vietnam.
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Show Notes for Michael Brosowski
- Michael’s routine during his weekends and free time
- His childhood
- “It was never me on my own. It’s always been with other people.”
- What it was like when Blue Dragon opened their first shelter for 6 street kids in 2003
- How they got the first $5,200 donation
- What went through his head when one of the 6 kids suddenly left the program
- Where the Blue Dragon logo comes from
- How Mike’s mentality has evolving when it comes to managing a crisis
- Where Blue Dragon found their first staff members
- What it was like becoming more “professional” and “structured” as an NGO
- What Mike wears to work everyday
- His relationship to NGO buzzwords and jargon
- How in 2003 a law school student changed Mike’s life and Blue Dragon
- How Blue Dragon leveraged volunteers locally and internationally
- How Blue Dragon started addressing the root causes of children becoming street kids
- How Mike looks at staff retention
- What Mike looks for when hiring staff
- What the first human trafficking rescue mission looked like
- Where his motivation comes from
- “Every child needs to be the center of someone’s universe.”
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