Blue Dragon Children's Foundation
A Hanoi-based nonprofit that rescues children and adults from trafficking, slavery, homelessness and extreme poverty in Vietnam.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, commonly known as Blue Dragon, is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Hanoi, Vietnam, with legal roots in Australia. It works with children, young people and families affected by human trafficking, forced labor, slavery, homelessness and extreme poverty. Its approach combines immediate rescue and protection with long-term recovery, education, legal assistance, family reunification, employment support and community development. The organization began informally in 2002, when Australian teacher Michael Brosowski was working at Vietnam National University Hanoi and offered English lessons to a group of shoeshine boys. University students soon joined the effort, and the informal educational project developed into a structured foundation. Blue Dragon was incorporated as an association in Australia in March 2004 and registered as an independent nongovernmental organization in Vietnam in November of the same year. Blue Dragon initially concentrated on helping children living and working on the streets of Hanoi. Its work expanded substantially in 2005 after Brosowski and Vietnamese law student Van Ta rescued a 13-year-old boy who had been trafficked to Ho Chi Minh City. From that point, anti-trafficking became a central part of the organization's mission. Blue Dragon has since conducted rescues, supported legal cases, helped survivors return to their families or establish independent lives, and developed prevention programs in communities considered vulnerable to trafficking. The organization's services extend beyond rescue. Children and young people may receive safe accommodation, access to school, vocational preparation, health and psychosocial support, and assistance obtaining identity documents or other legal services. Blue Dragon's legal team has also represented survivors and pursued accountability for traffickers. In remote and economically disadvantaged areas, local teams work with families, schools and community leaders to reduce the conditions that make trafficking more likely. Programs include educational support, poverty-reduction assistance and local anti-trafficking groups that identify risks and develop community-specific responses. Blue Dragon describes its model as linking frontline services with advocacy. Experiences gathered through direct work with survivors inform efforts to improve laws, public policy and institutional responses to trafficking and child exploitation. The foundation therefore operates both as a service provider and as an advocate for stronger protection of vulnerable people. Leadership has evolved as the organization has grown. Skye Maconachie joined Michael Brosowski as co-chief executive officer in 2019. In 2022, Brosowski became Founder and Strategic Director, while Vi Do, one of the first children supported by Blue Dragon, became co-CEO alongside Maconachie. The organization reported rescuing more than 1,000 trafficking victims by January 2021 and more than 1,700 people by the end of 2024. Blue Dragon has received recognition from Australian, Vietnamese and international institutions for its anti-trafficking and child-protection work.
History
Blue Dragon Children's Foundation emerged from an informal education initiative in Hanoi. In 2002, Michael Brosowski, then working at Vietnam National University Hanoi, began giving English lessons to shoeshine boys. Several university students joined him, and the project gradually developed from volunteer tutoring into a formal organization serving children in crisis. Blue Dragon was incorporated as an association in Australia in March 2004 and received registration as an independent nongovernmental organization in Vietnam in November 2004. Its initial focus was street-connected children in Hanoi. The foundation provided practical support while attempting to address the wider causes of homelessness, exclusion and poverty. A decisive change came in 2005, when Brosowski and law student Van Ta rescued a 13-year-old boy who had been trafficked to Ho Chi Minh City. The case demonstrated the need for specialized anti-trafficking work and became the basis for a broader program of rescue, legal intervention and survivor care. Blue Dragon subsequently expanded its work to people subjected to sex trafficking, forced labor and slavery, as well as children and families facing homelessness or severe poverty. The foundation's model developed around several connected stages. It identifies people in danger, helps remove them from exploitative or unsafe circumstances, and then provides continuing support. Depending on individual needs, that support can include shelter, education, medical and psychosocial assistance, documentation, family reunification, legal representation and pathways into employment. Blue Dragon's work emphasizes recovery and independence rather than treating rescue as an isolated intervention. Over time, the organization also moved further upstream into prevention. Teams began working in remote and vulnerable communities in Vietnam, helping children remain in school, assisting families affected by poverty and strengthening local awareness of trafficking risks. Anti Trafficking Boards bring community leaders together to understand local patterns of exploitation and develop responses suited to their own communities. This community-based work is intended to reduce vulnerability before trafficking occurs. Advocacy is another important part of Blue Dragon's history. The organization uses lessons from frontline cases to promote stronger laws, better enforcement and improved public policies for children and trafficking survivors. Its legal work has included support for victims and efforts to hold perpetrators accountable. Leadership broadened as the foundation grew. Skye Maconachie joined Brosowski as co-CEO in 2019. In 2022, Brosowski moved from executive management into the role of Founder and Strategic Director, and Vi Do, who had been among Blue Dragon's earliest beneficiaries, became co-CEO with Maconachie. This transition reflected the organization's development from a founder-led project into a larger institution with leadership that includes a former participant in its programs. Blue Dragon reported rescuing 1,000 trafficking victims by January 2021 and more than 1,700 people by the end of 2024. Its work has attracted recognition from international and national institutions. Brosowski was named a CNN Hero in 2011 and appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012. Van Ta received recognition including a U.S. Trafficking in Persons Hero award in 2014 and an Asia Young Leaders Award in 2019. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor gave Blue Dragon the Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor.
- 2024
More than 1,700 trafficking rescues reported
[1]Blue Dragon reports exceeding 1,700 rescued people by the end of its twentieth year.
- 2022
Leadership transition and international child-labor award
[1]Brosowski becomes Founder and Strategic Director, Vi Do becomes co-CEO, and the U.S. Department of Labor presents Blue Dragon with the Iqbal Masih Award.
- 2021
1,000 trafficking victims rescued
[1]Blue Dragon reports reaching a cumulative total of 1,000 rescued trafficking victims.
- 2019
Skye Maconachie joins as co-CEO
[1]Maconachie joins Brosowski in the organization's top executive leadership.
- 2012
Brosowski appointed a Member of the Order of Australia
[1]Australia recognizes Brosowski for service connected with defending the rights of Vietnamese children.
- 2011
Michael Brosowski named a CNN Hero
[1]Brosowski receives recognition through CNN's Heroes program for his work with vulnerable children in Vietnam.
- 2005
Anti-trafficking work becomes central
[1]The rescue of a 13-year-old trafficked boy leads Blue Dragon to make trafficking rescue and survivor support a central area of work.
- 2004
Australian incorporation and Vietnamese registration
[1]Blue Dragon is incorporated in Australia in March and registered as an independent nongovernmental organization in Vietnam in November.
- 2002
Informal English lessons begin in Hanoi
[1]Michael Brosowski begins teaching English to shoeshine boys while working at Vietnam National University Hanoi.
Products and positioning
A frontline, survivor-centered Vietnamese child-protection and anti-trafficking organization that combines direct services, legal action, community prevention and policy advocacy.
Humanitarian and protection services · 2005
Trafficking rescue and survivor support
Blue Dragon identifies and rescues children and adults subjected to sex trafficking, forced labor and slavery. Following rescue, case workers provide protection, practical assistance and longer-term recovery support, which may include safe accommodation, family reunification, education, health services and help establishing an independent livelihood.
Child welfare · 2002
Child crisis and homelessness services
The foundation supports children and young people facing homelessness, street life and extreme poverty. Its services are designed to address immediate safety and welfare needs while creating routes back into education, family care, vocational preparation and employment.
Legal and policy support
Legal assistance and advocacy
Blue Dragon's legal team assists trafficking survivors and works to improve accountability for exploitation. The organization also uses case experience to advocate for stronger laws, policies and institutional practices that protect children and other vulnerable people.
Community development
Community anti-trafficking prevention
In remote and high-risk communities, Blue Dragon helps students stay in school, supports families affected by poverty and trains local participants to recognize trafficking risks. Anti Trafficking Boards bring local leaders together to design prevention measures suited to local conditions.
Recent events
- 2024
Skye Maconachie wins a Global Australian Award[1]
Other
Blue Dragon co-CEO Skye Maconachie received the Global Australian Award for Community and Social Impact.
- 2024
Blue Dragon reports more than 1,700 trafficking rescues[1]
Other
At the end of its twentieth year, the foundation reported that its cumulative trafficking-rescue total had exceeded 1,700 people.
- 2023
Michael Brosowski receives a University of New South Wales Alumni Award[1]
Other
Blue Dragon's founder was honored by the University of New South Wales for his work and contribution to child protection.
- 2022
Blue Dragon receives the Iqbal Masih Award[1]
Other
The United States Department of Labor recognized Blue Dragon with the Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor.
- 2021
Blue Dragon reaches 1,000 trafficking rescues[1]
Other
The foundation reported that it had rescued 1,000 victims of human trafficking since beginning this area of work.
Sources2 sources
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