Vietnam Archives - ChildFund Australia

Today, on World Teachers’ Day, we’re celebrating two passionate educators dedicated to raising awareness about online safety and helping students navigate the digital world.

At first glance, you might think Ms. Phương and Ms. Lia have little in common. They are separated geographically (Vietnam and Indonesia, respectively) and have grown up with different languages and cultures. However, they have common ground. Not only are they both teachers dedicated to supporting students’ growth and development, but today, they are recognised as leaders in online safety education.

Ms. Phương and Ms. Lia knew as educators and role models in their communities, they could help empower students to navigate the digital landscape responsibly. Recognising the need to better connect with, manage, and teach their students in our increasingly technological world, they decided to attend ChildFund’s online safety training program, Swipe Safe.

Here’s what happened.

In Vietnam, an opportunity to make a difference

Ms. Phương, a young and dynamic teacher, joined Hợp Giang Secondary School, the largest in Cao Bằng province, with over 1,600 students, in 2020. Two years later, she found herself as the team leader for Swipe Safe, which had been introduced in secondary schools across Cao Bằng to help raise awareness about online safety and provide practical knowledge on how students, with the support of their teachers and families, can protect themselves from online risks like cyberbullying and inappropriate content.

Despite not knowing much about online safety herself, Ms Phương was excited to take up the challenge of upskilling and integrating a completely new curriculum and topic into her teaching toolkit. It was an opportunity to make a difference.

Ms. Phương’s digital journey began with Swipe Safe training workshops. Over two days, she learnt how to identify and use technology confidently, creatively and critically to meet the demands and challenges of living, learning and working in our digital world. With her professionalism, love of learning and dedication to her job, it surprised no one that Ms. Phương excelled in the training sessions.

She wasted no time integrating her new learnings into her classes, using various resources, including animated films and sample lessons provided by ChildFund, to help educate her students on the importance of online safety. Her innovative methods made her the first teacher in Cao Bằng province to implement the Swipe Safe program across all secondary schools.

Ms. Phương, teacher, Vietnam — Ms. Phương teaches students about online safety in primary school in Cao Bằng province.

Ms. Phương’s commitment to online safety extends beyond the classroom. She has effectively translated her sense of responsibility and openness to learning to students, parents and local authorities. This includes leading online safety teaching sessions for representatives from nine secondary schools, organised by the Cao Bằng Department of Education. Following their success, she was selected to conduct online safety training for teachers across the province.

Beyond her teaching duties, Ms. Phương acts as a counsellor for her school’s Young Bamboo group, which focuses on organising online safety activities for students. Under her guidance, students successfully integrated online safety messages into extracurricular activities, gaining valuable teamwork and public speaking skills. One notable event, held in collaboration with the People’s Police Academy, attracted over 1,000 attendees.

D., a year 8 student at Hợp Giang, shared her experience as a Young Bamboo leader, highlighting Ms. Phương’s support in planning and executing online safety activities.

“At the beginning of the school year, I was very worried because my friends and I didn’t know where to start when speaking about internet safety to more than 1,600 students,” says D.

“Ms. Phương helped our group a lot, from teaching us how to plan activities to organising those activities and integrating them into extracurricular events such as flag-raising ceremonies or group work in class. She also taught us teamwork and presentation skills. As a result, we have done very well in the communication campaigns about internet safety, which our group is responsible for.”

With the support and guidance of dedicated teachers like Ms. Phương’, Hợp Giang Secondary School has integrated online safety education into 500 lessons for 1,200 students in the last year alone. The school has also held four online safety workshops for 300 parents, students, and 69 teachers in the broader community.

In Indonesia, embracing change to bridge the gap between generations

Mrs. Lia has seen a lot of change as a high school Guidance Counsellor and teacher in Semarang, Indonesia. But no more so than navigating technology, which has reshaped the educational landscape and how teachers and students interact.

“The use of technology is unavoidable in education. Exams and assignments are now online. Educators must adapt whether we like it or not,” says Mrs. Lia.

Mrs. Lia vividly described the changing dynamics in education, emphasising the shift from traditional challenges of dealing with misbehaving or disengaged students to the contemporary struggle of addressing technology addiction, specifically related to gadgets and the internet. She highlighted the perceived gap between educators and students, attributing it to the slower adaptation of teachers to emerging technologies.

Mrs. Lia, teacher and Swipe Safe facilitator in Semarang City. — Mrs. Lia is now a proud “Swipe Safe facilitator” and leader for online safety education in Semarang City.

Despite her school taking proactive measures to address these issues, Mrs. Lia found the steps taken (the school implemented restrictions on mobile phone use during learning hours, with students required to store their phones in designated lockers) were limited and centred solely on restricting students’ access to gadgets and the internet. Teaching students’ self-protective behaviour, she believed, would be far more impactful than merely limiting their internet access. After all, she knew that there were many benefits of having access to online learning materials

So, Mrs. Lia began researching new ways to address the challenges her school and students faced. Her quest led her to ChildFund’s Swipe Safe program.

In 2023, she participated in Swipe Safe online safety training, which gave her a deeper understanding of internet-related risks for children, including issues like online grooming and cyberbullying. It was a revelation that prompted Mrs. Lia to realise the close proximity of online safety risks to the lives of the children she mentored. She quickly began integrating the Swipe Safe learning material into her classroom, utilising visual aids like video and PowerPoint to create engaging and relatable content.

The enthusiasm of students has been remarkable. Mrs. Lia says her students have found topics highly relevant to their daily lives and voluntarily share their online experiences, bringing real-world relevance to the discussions. She hopes to continue to help students address issues related to internet safety for themselves and their friends – life skills for the digital age.

Empowering educators for lasting impact

While they don’t share a classroom, Ms. Phương and Ms. Lia both share an unwavering dedication to education. Their stories testify to the importance of providing teachers with the training and resources to help nurture children’s development and life skills so they become responsible citizens – online and offline.

Learn more about Swipe Safe and find out how you can help children worldwide stay safe online.

Today, on World Child Protection Professionals Day, we’re celebrating child protection professionals like Ms. T*, a counsellor who protects the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable children in Vietnam.

Last year, after an argument online with a friend, a video of A.*, a young student from southern Vietnam, being beaten was posted on Facebook. A. suffered injuries and had to be taken to the provincial hospital.

After the incident, A. showed signs of confusion and anxiety, and did not want to go to school. After being notified, the National Child Helpline 111 appointed Ms. T and her Critical Rapid Response Team (CRRT) to provide emergency psychological first aid to the child.

A challenging profession

Ms. T has been a National Child Helpline 111 counsellor since 2018 and is an active contributor to the CRRT team – a branch of the helpline dedicated to directly assisting severe and special child protection cases. At the Helpline 111, 32 counsellors work in three shifts, 24 hours a day, tirelessly handling a continuous stream of calls day and night (the helpline receives over 500,000 calls a year). Ms. T and her colleagues play a crucial role in providing advice on various issues related to children, such as child abuse and violence, child-related policy and law, children’s relationships with friends, family, and at school, as well as concerns related to children’s psychological health.

Yet, until a few years ago, Ms. T had encountered various obstacles and challenges in her role. She said that a lack of communication and consultation skills and knowledge meant that she wasn’t always able to identify cases of abuse correctly and, therefore, unable to provide the appropriate support to victims.

“There was one case where a child shared that they felt ashamed following an incident of abuse, and they expressed a reluctance to attend school,” recalled Ms. T, who explained that she had predominantly asked closed “Yes/No” questions. Subsequently, she could not understand the full scope of the problem. Instead of identifying the root causes and encouraging the child to share their perspectives on appropriate measures to enhance their self-confidence, Ms. T had been offering misguided advice and predefined solutions.

That all changed when she enrolled in her local ChildFund-supported training session for child protection professionals.

Ms. T writes up a report after a call she received through Vietnam’s National Child Helpline 111.

Strengthening child protection services

ChildFund Vietnam, together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, is helping to build the capacity of the Helpline 111 counsellors like Ms. T to strengthen child-protection systems across the country. Through knowledge and skills-based training sessions, counsellors learn the necessary information and resources to feel confident and capable when supporting children in critical and emergency child protection cases, especially when providing psychological care. They are also encouraged to participate in workshops to share their insights and strategies for case counselling with peers.

Since participating in the ChildFund-supported training sessions, Ms. T and her team have successfully applied the knowledge and skills gained to assist in many emergency cases, including A.

Improving outcomes for vulnerable children

At the hospital, Ms. T and CRRT worked to stabilise A’s mood, teaching relaxation techniques to reduce stress. They were also quick to establish a relationship with A.’s family, listening to their concerns and opinions about their child’s wellbeing – a strategy Ms. T had learnt in one of her training sessions.

Ms. T and the team encouraged the family to continue to monitor A and shared knowledge about violence prevention and information on how to respond in high-risk situations. They also provided contacts of individuals and organisations that could provide more resources to support A’s recovery and future development.

As this case stemmed from s ocial media, Ms. T also provided information on online safety. She coordinated with A.’s school to create a safe environment for A. to learn more life skills, especially how to manage their safety online and build healthy relationships.

Ms. T shared: “Engaging in the capacity-building training within the project has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge in psychology, effective communication skills with children and their families, and enhanced teamwork capabilities. These comprehensive trainings have significantly improved the effectiveness of emergency assistance for children, especially in critical and emergency cases. The knowledge and skills gained from the training also helped me to empower children to raise their awareness and knowledge on preventing violence and abuse and to provide parents and caregivers with clear insights on how to care for, nurture, and protect children.”

After a month of psychological first-aid support from Ms. T and her team and following 12 psychotherapy sessions – part of the free, intensive treatment provided by the Helpline 111 – A.’s wellbeing has dramatically improved. Notably, A. now has less anxiety talking to people and attending school, has better sleep and less stomach pain.

Creating lasting change

While there is still work to be done to strengthen Vietnam’s child protection systems, including improving case management and referral processes and increasing the support for community-based organisations, enhancing the capacity of counsellors like Ms. T is critical in creating a safer environment for children. Her work is vital to the wellbeing of vulnerable children in Vietnam; receiving and processing concerns and reports of child abuse from children, caregivers, and the local community can have life-changing consequences for all involved. Thanks to the dedication of Ms. T and countless other child protection professions across the country, children like A* can say, “I am safe”.

Learn more about how ChildFund Vietnam works with communities and partners to protect the rights of children and build safer communities.

*Names have been changed to protect individuals’ identities.

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