Thanh is just like any other child from the Hoa Binh Province, Vietnam. He spends his days playing, going to school, and begrudgingly helps with chores around the family home.
His mother, Pin works as a labourer far away from the family home to earn enough money to provide for her family. While she is away, Thanh and his brother live with their grandparents.
Thanh was born with a physical disability and although he lives close to school, he doesn’t like to go because it is difficult for him to keep up with his peers. “When Thanh was born, his right hand did not have any fingers. He does not do well at school because he has a difficult time keeping up. I also heard that getting a disability certificate for a child is very time consuming,” said Pin.
This all changed two years ago when Pin attended a ChildFund Vietnam training session for parents with children living with a physical or intellectual disability. This session was organised as part of the ‘Ready for Primary School’ program.
Although initially hesitant to attend, she was encouraged by Thanh’s teacher to take part. At the training she learned more about how she could best support her son to fully participate in school and care for him and support him in achieving an education.
At the end of the session, she was elected by her peers to be a leader of the community group for parents of children living with a disability. “I feel like I’ve grown a lot. Before I became the group leader, I rarely talked to others in the commune. If someone asked me about my family, I usually just kept quiet. Now I can communicate more openly.”
As leader of the group, Pin regularly visits and encourages parents of children with a disability to join the group. Together they help families across Hoa Binh apply for disability certificates on behalf of their children, meaning they are eligible for additional financial support from the government.
Pin feels more equipped with the skills to care for Thanh and is confident that she can empower him with the education he needs to live a full life.
Until now, only two children in the commune have been granted disability certificates, including Thanh. With the success of her group, Pin has been invited to share her experience with other communes in the district.
Despite being busy with work and the community group, Pin always makes time to walk her children to school and help them with their homework when she can.
“Thanh has been working hard at school. He is very happy when I take him to class. We have also been receiving monthly financial support thanks to the government’s policy, which has lessened the financial burden on our family.”
For families like Pin’s, having a support system where parents share their challenges and successes is incredibly important. Learn more about ChildFund Vietnam’s work to support children with disability to access an education.
Thi is a confident young girl, passionate about child protection and keeping herself and her peers safe from violence. Unfortunately, in her community physical abuse as punishment is common.
“I have witnessed many acts of violence where I live. In the past, when I saw someone abusing children, I sometimes told my mother. Sometimes I didn’t do anything, or I just ignored it,” said Thi*.
ChildFund Vietnam worked with children and young people in the Hoa Binh Province to help them learn about child protection risks and how they can stay safe from different types of abuse. In one village a group of 30 young people are taking charge.
“I found out about the group about a year ago and I wanted to join because some of my friends were going to join too. I also wanted to learn more about how to protect myself and how to share this knowledge in front of a crowd. I could also play games about child protection that were extremely useful,” said Thi.
The group gathers once a month to learn about the risks of child abuse, can seek help when needed, and promote support among children. Thi likes to play – so learning about child protection through fun activities is exciting for her.
Together, Thi and her friends often come up with creative skits to perform at school assemblies and share what they have learned.
At the meetings, the youth take part in a wide range of activities including information sessions about child-protection, how to identify an unsafe situation at home and how to recognise different types of abuse and how to report it.
The group are guided by social workers and child protection workers from their communities. These meetings are an opportunity for children and young people to report any cases of physical abuse that they’ve seen or heard about. When a report is made, a child protection worker can plan a home visit and work together with the family to eliminate violence in the home.
“When joining the group, I learned to recognise different types of child abuse. Before, when I was scolded by my parents and teachers, I thought it was because I was at fault. During those times, I felt very sad and blamed myself. But after I joined the group, I realised that it’s not just hitting that counts as child abuse,” said Thi.
Thi is proud to be part of a group that is leading child protection initiatives in her community. Together, they can build a safer, healthier environment for themselves and their peers. She feels empowered with the knowledge to respond appropriately to incidents of physical abuse.
“If I encounter a case of child violence at school, I will notify the homeroom teacher and the school administration. In the community, I would report to a child protection worker, the commune chairman, the village head, the police, and the commune’s Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs officer. I can also call the national child helpline 111 to report the case,” said Thi.
Youth groups are vital to building safer communities for children and young people around Vietnam. Learn more about how ChildFund Vietnam works with communities and partners to build safer communities.
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
