"Over the past 35 years in Vietnam, Save the Children Vietnam (SC) has continuously evolved and developed, making a positive contribution to the country's sustainable development. Through innovative interventions and approaches, along with sustainable cooperation and support from partner agencies, SC has supported millions of children each year," said Le Thi Thanh Huong, Country Director of SC. In a recent interview with the VietnamTimes Magazine, Huong reflected on SC's achievements in its 35 years in Vietnam. |
| - Could you share about the origins of Save the Children? |
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Le Thi Thanh Huong, Country Director of Save the Children In the early days, Save the Children (SC) had four representative offices with support from Save the Children USA, UK, Japan, and Sweden. These offices operated relatively independently of each other. The merger of their activities and the establishment of Save the Children International in 2010, operating in both development and emergency relief, transformed SC into the largest organization in the world focused on children's rights, which always strives for a world where every child has the right to survive, be protected, develop, and participate. The merger of the four-member organizations also led to diverse projects with varied approaches, abundant resources, and effective organization. SC's first activity, a child nutrition project in Thanh Hoa, employed an innovative community-based and child-centered approach. This flagship program was later replicated, laying the foundation for SC’s continuous development. To date, SC has operated in more than half of the provinces and cities in Vietnam. With offices in Hanoi, Lao Cai, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, SC has continuously developed and expanded its activities in many fields, from health care, nutrition to education programs, child protection as well as emergency relief and disaster risk reduction. These projects are completed with the enthusiasm of many generations of leaders and employees from the very first days, especially with the support and effective cooperation of partner agencies. |
| - What are SC's principles, goals, vision, and mission in Vietnam? |
| Over the past 100 years since its founding in the UK, Save the Children's mission and vision have remained steadfast, which is to promote breakthroughs in caring for children around the world to achieve immediate and lasting change. Save the Children's vision is a world where every child has the right to live, be protected, develop, and participate. SC implements this vision not only as a global goal but also as a commitment in every project and activity. In Vietnam, we focus on six main areas of activity: Education, Health and Nutrition, Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Poverty Reduction for Children and Youth, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Response. |
Save the Children's vision is a world where every child has the right to live, be protected, thrive and participate.
| Save the Children (SC) has set three ambitions for 2030: No child dies before the age of 5 from preventable causes; Every child has access to quality education; and Violence against children is no longer tolerated. To achieve these goals, we follow a change principle based on four key elements: innovation, ensuring children's voices are heard, building strategic partnerships, and implementing effective, scalable impact models. With these orientations, SC aims to continue its journey with children and communities in Vietnam, creating positive, sustainable impacts and opening up many development opportunities for future generations. |
| - What outstanding achievements has SC achieved over the past 35 years? |
| During its 35 years of operation in Vietnam, Save the Children (SC) has continually evolved and developed, making a positive contribution to the country's sustainable development. Through innovative interventions and approaches, and sustained cooperation and support from partner agencies, SC has supported millions of children each year. In 2023 alone, 8.4 million children grew up healthy, received quality and safe education, and were protected from violence and abuse. SC also creates opportunities for children to voice their opinions on issues that affect them, supports livelihoods to reduce poverty, and increases resilience to the negative impacts of climate change. In the field of Health and Nutrition, SC is a leading organization in implementing and replicating the model of Continuous Maternal and Newborn Health Care from home to hospital. This approach promotes active prevention practices at home and in the community, while improving the quality, accessibility, and utilization of maternal and newborn health care services at health facilities. The sustainability of this model is ensured by relying on the existing health system, improving the management capacity of the Maternal and Newborn Health Care Program, enhancing the policy environment, strengthening the capacity of health workers, and mobilizing community participation through models such as Referral Teams and Village Health Care Teams. Regarding nutrition, SC has contributed substantial practical experience, aiding in the development of the National Nutrition Strategy, which was formulated by the Institute of Nutrition in collaboration with international NGOs. |
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| Nutritional vegetable garden in primary school in Bao Yen, Lao Cai. |
| With the goal of providing access to quality basic education for all children, especially ethnic minority children, SC has implemented numerous educational initiatives to help hundreds of thousands of children aged 3-11 in disadvantaged areas develop learning skills and learn Vietnamese. These programs help children increase their confidence, readiness for school, and significantly improve learning outcomes. SC's two general approaches—Supporting preschool children to become familiar with reading, writing, and mathematics; and Enhancing literacy—have proven to be effective and highly applicable through practical experience in many projects. These approaches directly contributed to the development of the Project to Enhance Vietnamese for Ethnic Minority Preschool and Primary School Children for the period of 2016 - 2020, with a vision to 2025, by the Ministry of Education and Training, as well as the Regular Teacher Training Program. These programs have been implemented in more than 30 provinces and cities. In 2023, nearly 200,000 children in more than 300 schools benefited from these programs, creating positive changes in the quality of education in remote areas and contributing to the implementation of Vietnam's sustainable development goals in education. |
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| Vietnamese Language Exchange Festival in Dien Bien. |
| To promote children's rights to protection and participation, SC has worked with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, social organizations and communities to ensure that all children, especially vulnerable children, live in a safe environment, protected from physical, mental and cyber harm. We are also committed to ensuring that children's voices and rights to participation are respected and met by stakeholders, responsible organizations/individuals and other adults. SC focuses on building a community-based child protection system, improving skills and knowledge for families and local officials to prevent and effectively respond to issues of violence and child abuse. We are proud to be a pioneer in positive discipline education at school and at home, with widely applied models, contributing to creating a safe and healthy development environment for children. We have also been active in promoting the implementation of the Guidelines on Children's Rights in Business Principles, ensuring the implementation of children's rights in the business sector. |
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| Children's Voice Drawing Contest. |
| To reduce poverty among children and adolescents, SC implements livelihood support programs, skills training, career guidance, and job connections for vulnerable adolescents, including individuals with disabilities, migrant workers, sexually diverse youth, and ethnic minority youth. Notably, the "Skills for Success" project has supported nearly 12,000 adolescents, connecting them to jobs at 10 vocational colleges. Additionally, the "Participation" project (2020-2023) has supported life skills development for 1,262 ethnic minority youth in Yen Bai and fostered 39 youth-led initiatives. These programs equip them with the knowledge, skills, and orientation needed to confidently enter the labor market, secure stable jobs, and build sustainable futures. |
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| Career guidance for secondary school students. |
| As a leading NGO in the field of emergency relief, SC is a key member of the Disaster Reduction Partnership Group under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, actively participating in national technical groups on disaster risk management, water, and sanitation. We focus on building the capacity of children, communities, and local authorities in disaster preparedness and response. After the devastating storm No. 3 in 2024 (Yagi), SC successfully mobilized and committed nearly 1.5 million USD (over 36 billion VND) in aid to Lao Cai and Yen Bai, demonstrating a strong commitment to emergency response in Vietnam. |
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| Emergency relief and recovery after Typhoon No. 3 - Yagi. |
| SC is also a pioneer in climate change education for children, helping them gain knowledge and awareness of environmental protection from an early age. Programs such as mangrove planting and building safe schools have supported children and communities in improving their resilience, preparing them to face the challenges of increasing climate change. This reflects the organization’s long-term commitment to building a safe, sustainable environment and ensuring a healthy future for Vietnamese children. |
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| People participate in planting mangrove forests in Tam Giang commune, Nam Can, Ca Mau. |
| In the decades since its inception, SC has garnered support and recognition from government agencies, partners, and the community. Notably, in 2023, the organization was honored with a Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs for its outstanding contributions to children's work. This marks the first time an international children's organization in Vietnam has been officially recognized by a state agency. These acknowledgments highlight SC's positive and persistent efforts in supporting Vietnamese children. SC's contributions not only enhance the lives of millions of children but are also reflected in official guidance documents of ministries and branches. This underscores its role as a reliable partner, dedicated to protecting and promoting children's rights in Vietnam. |
| - What priorities and innovations is SC focusing on for the 2025-2027 period to address the evolving needs of children? |
| In today's society, children face not only physical challenges but also psychological and social pressures. They need a comprehensive supportive environment where mental health, life skills, and resilience are emphasized, and they must be given opportunities to understand and fully exercise their rights. As an independent children's rights organization, we continue to promote the rights of children and adolescents, helping them become agents of change and proactively act for the next generation. From 2025 to 2027, we will focus our resources on supporting the mental health and psychological well-being of children and adolescents, enhancing the resilience of children and communities to the negative impacts of natural disasters and environmental crises through climate education programs and sustainable livelihood models, and ensuring children have access to high-quality education and the skills needed to successfully transition into the labor market through the application of technology in education and adolescent skills development programs. Additionally, we are promoting the implementation of the Guidelines on Child Rights in Business Principles (CRBP), aiming to build a safe and healthy living environment for children through models such as "Safe Family", "Positive Discipline in Daily Parenting Practices (PDEP)."
A central focus of all our programs is to place children at the heart of our efforts, consistently creating conditions for them and young people to take ownership of their initiatives and actions, and to become leaders of change within their communities. By collaborating closely with government agencies, local authorities, and social organizations, we believe that, alongside children, we will nurture a confident, resilient generation prepared to forge a brighter future. |
| - SC has done a lot for Vietnamese citizens. How has the organization introduced, promoted, and acted as a bridge to showcase the image of Vietnam to the world? |
| We regularly share success stories and case studies from our projects in Vietnam with donors, as well as through Save the Children’s regional and global media channels. Some of our outstanding activities are also highlighted in international media. These stories showcase Vietnam’s continuous efforts in protecting children’s rights and promoting initiatives for children, thus creating a positive image of Vietnam to the international community. SC also focuses on amplifying the voices of Vietnamese children in international forums, providing them the opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. In recent years, alongside regional and global Save the Children, we have actively contributed creative works on climate change by children from our project areas to the United Nations Climate Change Summit, helping to spread their voices about the urgent issues they face. Additionally, we participate in sharing and updating the progress of implementing children's rights in Vietnam. These authentic stories not only create a strong impression but also contribute to building an image of a dynamic and responsible Vietnam addressing global issues. Through these efforts, SC not only enhances Vietnam's position in the field of child protection and development but also serves as an important bridge, spreading the good values and images of Vietnam to the world. |
| - What are your expectations for SC's activities in the near future? |
| The challenges of the new era compel us to act swiftly with innovative solutions to create a future where every child thrives, grows up healthy, is protected, and learns in a safe environment. Our mission remains steadfast: to create long-term and sustainable changes for Vietnamese children. However, we must evolve our approach, enhancing cooperation and resource sharing with better partners to ensure active participation from local communities in our projects. Together, we will find new solutions to the challenges children will face in the future. We are dedicated to promoting children's rights and participation, making them the centerpiece of change through innovative, inclusive, and sustainable programs. We will leverage our strengths through evidence-based programs, the use of innovative technology (T4D), and a comprehensive approach to education, health, and child protection. Equipping children with life skills and the ability to adapt to climate change is a strategic priority, aiming to build sustainable and resilient communities. This will create effective solutions and expand our impact from the community level to national policies. We will implement further changes to provide an effective and sustainable operating model through a lean, compact, and agile structure, applying technology and innovation, strengthening strategic cooperation, and mobilizing diverse resources. Our goal is to become a strategic partner in child welfare, promoting children's rights, and providing optimal technical solutions to children's issues. |
SC is committed to promoting children's rights and participation, making them agents of change through innovative, inclusive and sustainable programs.
| We will need to innovate further in 2025-2027 so that: - Children and communities have the power and resources to create positive and lasting change for themselves - Children most affected by climate change, discrimination and inequality have their rights fully protected so they can enjoy a better life now and in the future - Children are always accompanied and have a voice in the decision-making processes that affect them. |
| VNT Writers |