Replicate Girls Club Model to Equip Ethnic Minority Female Students with Life Skills

At Vo Nhai High School (Vo Nhai district, Thai Nguyen province), every Wednesday and Friday afternoon, members of the Girls Club organize activities to exchange knowledge and life skills. The activities took place enthusiastically with many practical topics, such as financial management skills, gender equality, understanding puberty, and the negative impacts of teenage pregnancy. At each meeting, members discuss and share opinions about one specific topic. Questions surrounding the topic were answered clearly and thoroughly by core members.

An activity of a Girls Club in Thai Nguyen. (Photo: VCF)

Nguyen Thuy Duong, leader of the core group of Vo Nhai High School Girls Club, said: "When we started, the members were shy because they studied in different classes. But after only two or three sessions, they participated enthusiastically and actively in activities, discussions, presentations, games... organized by the club."

According to Dao Le Han, H'mong ethnic, student at Vo Nhai High School, female students learned a lot of knowledge and skills from the club's activities: "After a discussion session on teen pregnancy, we clearly understand the negative effects of pregnancy at this age and know how to protect ourselves. In the previous activity on financial management, I learnt how to spend my expenses reasonably while staying at the school's dormitory."

Tran Thi Huong, Vo Nhai High School teacher who is in charge of the Girl Club, said: In the 2022-2023 school year, Vo Nhai High School has 710 students, 40% of which are ethnic minority girls, mainly Tay, Nung, Dao, San Chi, Cao Lan, H'mong. Through the club's activities, they gain better knowledge to balance their spending and protect themselves.

Through diverse activities, Girls Clubs aim to equip female students with knowledge and life skills. (Photo: VCF)

Vo Nhai High School is one of 8 schools in Thai Nguyen (including Bac Son High School, Dinh Hoa High School, Phu Binh High School, Phu Luong High School, Vo Nhai High School, Nguyen Hue High School, Ly Nam De High School, and Trai Cau High School) sponsored by the VinaCapital Foundation (VCF) to implement the project "Online interactive learning platform for Girls Club" in 2022-2023.

Within the framework of VCF's Paving the Way to the Future - a program to support education and training for ethnic minority female students in Vietnam, the project aims to encourage ethnic female students to go to school, equip them with life skills; financial management, organization and coordination of community activities skills; knowledge about reproductive health, and gender. The project supports the operating costs of the Girls Club; and equipping multimedia rooms at each school (including computers, monitor screens, and online conference systems), thereby enhancing the application of information technology, and creating favorable conditions for students to access resources and organize club activities. The project received the enthusiastic participation of 344 female students, including 276 female students from ethnic minority groups such as Tay, Nung, San Diu, Dao...

Rad Kivette, General Director of VCF awarded scholarships to outstanding female students at the closing ceremony of the project "Online interactive learning platform for girls' clubs" for ethnic minority female students in Thai Nguyen on April 13. (Photo: VCF)

After two years of operation, the Girls Club of 8 schools has organized 342 activities, sharing knowledge with more than 8,500 students in Thai Nguyen province. Thereby, the project gives students, especially ethnic minority female students, an open perspective, creativity, confidence, and necessary skills to help them develop themselves, thereby contributing to the future. contribute to local and community development.

At the closing ceremony of the project "Online interactive learning platform for girls clubs" for ethnic minority female students in Thai Nguyen, held on April 13, Rad Kivette, General Director of VCF said: “Through the successful implementation of the project in Thai Nguyen province, we have witnessed positive changes in the female members the club. Through that, we hope to contribute to the long-term goal of reducing school dropout rates and eliminating child marriage in ethnic minority communities; create conditions and opportunities for students to confidently take control of their lives. VCF is committed to expanding this model in many other localities, continuing to provide learning and development opportunities for ethnic minority female students."

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