Theme: Early Childhood Care and Education
Location: Hoa Binh province, Vietnam
Duration: 2020-2023
Vietnam’s mountainous Hoa Binh province is home to a population of 854,131 people, many of whom belong to the province’s 30 various ethnic minority groups. While minority groups account for just 15% of the country’s population they represent 73% of the country’s poorest. In Da Bac district (Hoa Binh province), one of the poorest districts in Viet Nam, the poverty rate is at 37.04% leading to alarmingly high rates of malnutrition.
In Cao Son commune, Da Bac district, accessing quality education remains a challenge for many minority groups in Hoa Binh province. Schools lack safe and quality playing environments and high poverty rates within communities lead to inadequate budgets for education. As a result, these ethnic minority groups remain marginalised. To address the challenges in this commune, we are improving school infrastructure and providing schools and parents with nutritional support to help reduce malnutrition which is a significant barrier to education for children.
Our project is also building quality learning environments to support child-friendly learning and child-centred participation. To achieve this, children will be provided with access to learning and development opportunities such as extra-curricular clubs on Peace Education and participation in district-level children’s forums and competitions. Ultimately, we hope that the marginalised children we’re working with will be able to say “We Have” what other children have: “We Have” access to quality education, “We Have” quality learning spaces, “We Have” improved nutrition and, “We Have” opportunities to use our voice and participate in society.
2020 results: In 2020, we created a scholarship, named the “Education for Peace” Scholarship to support children to stay in school. We awarded 82 disadvantaged children in Cao Son commune, Hoa Binh to stay in school.
Partners: Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF)