Lao Cai Students Compete to "Ring the Golden Bell" for Safer Schools
	Conference Held to Review “Child-Centered Community Development Program in Lao Cai”

Seeds of knowledge sprout from the reading camp

“It has been nearly 20 years since the beginning of summer vacation after grade 9 and I clearly remember the image of myself - a sad Nung girl knowing that it was her last day at school. After leaving school, I spent most of my time working at the hills of tea and banana. Luckily, a new door opened for me when I joined Save the Children in 2014 to work and contribute to bridging the gap in education for ethnic minority children”, said Lu Thi Hoa, a community collaborator of Save the Children.

Hoa has been working with the reading camp under the child-centered community development program in Lao Cai province, implemented by Save the Children. Since Nung people in Lao Cai rarely know the official language, Hoa helps to convey information in Nung language to the local.

A reading camp supported by Save the Children Vietnam. (Photo: Thoi Dai)

In the reading camp, Hoa was trained by the organization on how to run activities for primary school children, helping them get acquainted with reading and writing skills. She also learned how to facilitate activities for parents so that they know how to read, write, and do math at home with their children. At first, parents were still hesitant and confused, so Hoa had to go to each house to educate them about the importance of literacy and encourage them to send their children to school. Gradually, many parents began to understand, diligently learned, and realized that the whole family became closer and happier thanks to the new knowledge.

“At the camp, children participate in interactive story telling sessions, draw, write diaries, and play games. It’s so great to see that at the end of each activity, they will borrow books from camp to take home to read by themselves. I overheard them talking to each other that they borrowed books to practice telling stories as well as how I did”, said Hoa.

During her 10 years working with the project, Hoa has been recognized and awarded many times by Save the Children and the People's Committee of Nam Lu Commune (Muong Khuong District, Lao Cai Province) for her contributions to the community. She proudly shared that many children joining the camp are now grown up and continue their education in the district school. “Their growth is the greatest motivation for me to continue my work”, said Hoa.

10 years of creating a sustainable future

Lu Thi Hoa’s story is a vivid testament to the positive impacts that Save the Children brings to the local community. Launched in 2013 in collaboration with the Department of Education and Training of Lao Cai province and other partners, the child-centered community development program in Lao Cai province aims at ensuring the comprehensive development of local children, especially in education and health care. The program also supports parents and teachers to improve their education and childcare skills, creating a foundation for sustainable development.

On November 26 in Lao Cai province, Save the Children Vietnam collaborated with the Lao Cai Provincial Project Management Board to organize a conference to review the program for the period 2019-2024. The conference was attended by representatives of the Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee, relevant provincial departments and teachers from 182 schools under the project.

Conference to review the child-centered community development program in Lao Cai province for the period 2019-2024. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

As reported at the conference, by 2024, the project has aided more than 94,000 children in 5 districts of Lao Cai province including Bao Thang, Bao Yen, Bat Xat, Muong Khuong and Van Ban. Some outstanding outcomes of the project include improving school readiness for preschool children from 29% to 63%, increasing reading comprehension skills of primary school students from 26% to 50%, raising awareness of reproductive health from 6% to 66%.

In addition, the project has built 238 clean water and sanitation facilities, provided career guidance to 13,000 students. More than 6,000 teachers and 53,000 parents have been empowered, contributing to improving the quality of health care, education and community life.

According to Director of the Department of Education and Training of Lao Cai province Duong Thi Bich Nguyet, the conference aimed to review the results and impacts of the project in the period 2019-2024, share successful models and experience, and develop an implementation plan for the period 2025-2027. It also aimed to ensure sustainability, continuing to bring practical benefits to children and the community.

Le Thi Thanh Huong, chief representative of Save the ChildrenVietnam, speaking at the conference. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Le Thi Thanh Huong, chief representative of Save the Children Vietnam, affirmed that the child-centered community development program in Lao Cai province is a long-term project with the largest funding of Save the Children Vietnam. After more than 10 years of implementation, the program has expanded from 2 communes to 48 communes, bringing significant changes to thousands of children and communities. Its intervention models have been replicated and included in the general plan of the province, becoming part of regular activities.

“We believe that these interventions will continue to bring sustainable benefits to children and communities in Lao Cai province. This conference is an important milestone in the journey to improve the quality of education, healthcare, and child protection in Lao Cai, and affirms the role of close cooperation between parties to ensure a better future for all children”, said Huong.

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