Overview of Vietnam
Bordered by the South China Sea and the countries of China, Laos and Cambodia, Vietnam is still rebuilding after years of devastating war. Though only about the size of New Mexico, it is the world’s 14th-most-densely populated country.
Because there is only one health center for every 6,000 people in Vietnam, pre- and postnatal care is inadequate. There is also a critical need for access to safe water and sanitation facilities.
ChildFund has served children in Vietnam since 1995.
Education
Vietnamese children are often discouraged from attending school because the school is too far away or because parents don’t understand the value of an education. Those who do show up for class are met with a shortage of classrooms and inadequate sanitation facilities.
ChildFund has organized training for teachers to promote a child-centered, high-quality, activity-based learning experience. We have constructed preschools and primary schools to provide healthy learning environments for children. We also are raising awareness of the importance of schooling and promoting a greater role for the community in children’s education.
Child Safety and Rights Advocacy
ChildFund’s campaigns encourage awareness and advocacy of children’s rights, including those of disabled children. We also advocate for children at the local government level to help influence policies that impact the healthy development of children older than age 3.
ChildFund Vietnam’s Community Fit for Children program model has been implemented in half of the areas where we work in Vietnam. This program seeks to ensure that children are able to grow up in a safe, enabling and supportive environment.
Keeping Children Healthy
ChildFund in Vietnam aims to give every child the best possible start in life and supports healthy growth into maturity. We do this by upgrading facilities and providing equipment for health centers. We also train community volunteers and local service providers to provide quality health care.
To prevent waterborne diseases, new water treatment facilities, water systems and wells in our communities now provide ready access to safe water and sanitation. More than 350 households have been equipped with new or improved toilets and sanitation facilities. ChildFund’s continuous education efforts teach people to practice good personal hygiene to safeguard their health.
Self-Sufficiency
ChildFund helps families and communities become self-sufficient by producing enough food and/or income to meet their basic needs and safeguard against misfortune. This enables them to provide supportive environments for their children.
ChildFund encourages effective and sustainable techniques to increase productivity of crop and animal farming. We improve or construct local irrigation systems and develop participatory management bodies to meet the water needs of agricultural activities. We help farmers, local extension workers and partners, and we help strengthen cooperation and partnerships between local organizations. We also support women’s savings and credit groups to provide them with access to credit for investing in agricultural activities.