“We are in this together”: Positives respond to COVID-19

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The “We are in this together” project aims to strengthen resilience to support deprived children in order to reduce drop-out rates and child labor during the COVID-19 epidemic in Da Nang city.

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting children and their access to quality basic services. For children with disabilities, the situation is even worse. Back in July 2020, Vietnam faced a new surge in community transmission cases after not having any for 99 days in Da Nang.

As schools were forced to close, children and their teachers encountered several challenges, such as lack of equipment, knowledge and skills in home-based education, especially for those with special needs.

“When the virus spread in Da Nang, I had to stay at home and my parents lost their jobs,” shared Tien, a fourth grader at the Da Nang Support Center for Inclusive Education. During this challenging time, many students in the center, including Tien, had to study remotely and this made it hard for them to keep pace with the current curriculum.

On January 28, Save the Children in collaboration with Da Nang DOET, organized an engagement trip for the partner Prudential Vietnam to three project schools in Da Nang, including a preschool, a primary school and a school for children with special needs.

The event’s main aim is for children to learn about good hygiene practices to help prevent COVID-19. In addition, the volunteers helped decorate a wall displaying COVID-19 prevention messages to promote awareness for children and their parents.

Upon returning to school after the lockdown, students and teachers struggled with the “new normal”. Thus, with support from Save the Children, Prudential Vietnam and Eastspring Vietnam for children affected by COVID-19 within the “We are in this together” project, suitable handrails were installed in the school’s toilets to improve accessibility for children with disabilities, and a new handwashing system was built for students to promote good hygiene practices.

The project’s objective is to strengthen resilience to support deprived children in order to reduce drop-out rates and child labor during the COVID-19 epidemic in Da Nang city. Specifically, this support package provides consumable medical items like soap, hand sanitizer, thermometers, face masks, etc. and suitable equipment to enhance hygiene practices at school, as well as nutritious school snacks.

There are also guidance and educational materials for schools and parents to support children to raise awareness about how to recognize and prevent COVID-19. In addition, equipment has been provided to upgrade the school’s psychomotor room, benefitting all students of the center in terms of enhancing their physical abilities, concentration, as well as other essential communication and movement skills.

“When I get to school, the security officer checks my temperature and ask me to disinfect my hands. This helps a lot because they will know firsthand if I am not well or having a fever. I learn to wash my hands more regularly and properly,” said Tien./.

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