The opportunity to learn, grow and innovate is open to all – we just need to make the right investments by building a more inclusive world for women and girls. Offering equal employment opportunities and fair pay to women is a key step towards achieving this goal. These measures can help them lead successful and independent lives – just ask Ngoc and her mother, Ri.
When Ngoc (pictured below) was two years old, she got sick with a high fever that led to full-body seizures. Life changed in an instant; she was diagnosed with a severe mental and neurological disability. Suddenly, daily tasks, like putting on shoes and brushing teeth, required huge amounts of effort. Ngoc spoke hesitantly and unclearly, often needing to repeat words to make herself understood. She could not hold things firmly as her hands trembled frequently.
Ngoc spent most of her time at home in Cao Bang province, Vietnam, two hours from the nearest town and only reached by foot. Despite attending the local school, Ngoc struggled to maintain good grades due to a lack of specialised teacher support. Her mother, Ri, always by her side, wasn’t sure what the future held for her daughter.
Inclusivity has the power to remove barriers and transform lives
When Ngoc was only six years old, her father passed away, leaving her mother and older brother, Vuong, to support the family. Ngoc remembers feeling lonely as she didn’t have many friends and rarely went outside. She understood how hard it was for her mother to raise two children, as she watched her work in the fields, selling vegetables to make ends meet.
But all that changed five years ago, when Ngoc, then 22, attended a monthly Self-Help Group of People with Disability meeting in Quang Hoa district, accompanied by her mother. The meeting, supported by ChildFund helps young people with disabilities and their carers as they gain the necessary skills and resources to become active members of the community. They also help establish a good support network.
During these meetings, Ngoc was able to share her experiences and difficulties with people who faced similar challenges. Meanwhile, Ri attended training sessions focused on disability rights, which helped her understand her daughter’s needs better and improve her caregiving skills.
Ri soon noticed a positive change in her once-shy daughter. She observed that the more Ngoc engaged in activities and interacted with others, the more confident and bolder she became in expressing her opinions and tackling various tasks. Her communication and organisational skills had improved. With her newfound confidence, Ngoc took a more proactive approach to her life, determined not to be defined by her disabilities or circumstances. This included taking greater control of her financial wellbeing.
Ngoc’s disability meant she faced barriers to employment opportunities after she left school. She was often judged as unfit for work, particularly without her mother’s support. However, thanks to ChildFund’s income-generating activities for people with disabilities in her community, Ngoc was taught how to raise and sell chickens (she bought 50, excited by the prospect of earning her own money).
This income-generating model was created to assist rural communities in using available resources and maximising the potential of their land. This is particularly significant for rural women, who make up a crucial workforce in agricultural production, accounting for 67.7 per cent of the workforce in Vietnam.
Although only half of the chickens were sold and consumed, Ngoc says she valued the opportunity to learn and share with others like her and was inspired to start her own entrepreneurial journey. She had discovered a natural talent and passion for business (after the chickens she saw a gap in the market and convinced her mother to let her look after one of the family’s buffalos and quickly turned a profit.) But her ambitions didn’t stop there.
Ngoc was determined to live independently as possible. Being a farmer living in a rural area, she knew it was necessary to have her own vehicle. Ngoc had always dreamt of owning a three-wheeled electric scooter, which would not only help her sell coffee by herself (the next business venture) but also provide her with the freedom to travel into the commune centre independently. Ngoc’s family was worried about her safety and didn’t want her to go outside alone. Despite this, she used the money she had saved from selling and raising animals to buy a scooter. She was determined to succeed and told her mother, “I have to try harder. If I fail, I need to try again.” Ngoc practiced riding the scooter on her own and, after a few days, surprised her family and neighbours by successfully controlling the vehicle.
Ngoc rides her three-wheeled electric scooter around her rural village in Cao Bang province. She purchased the scooter with money raised from raising and selling animals.
Try and try again!
Last year, Ngoc bought 100 chickens and 20 ducks to raise and sell before Tet (Lunar New Year). Today, she has successfully sold almost all her chickens and already has new business ventures lined up.
Ngoc says her life has improved significantly over the years, “We have another worker to help with farming and household chores such as washing dishes and doing laundry. I raised 10 more pigs, chickens, and ducks with my mum. Recently, we also began to grow sugarcane to sell to Phuc Hoa sugar factory. Our living conditions have much improved.”
Ngoc hopes to help other people with disabilities in her community. With her scooter, she can easily travel and participate in Self-Help Group of People with Disability activities, which includes training sessions on organising meetings and planning. She is now one of four disability volunteer representatives in Tu Do commune. Her duties include communicating and advocating for disability rights, informing households with disabled members about related policies, laws, and rights, and promoting project activities that they can participate in.
Ri says she is proud to see how much her daughter has grown and financial independence, which she hopes more people with disabilities will be able to achieve.
“Ngoc is now eager to do many things, such as raising rabbits, growing plants, and selling teddy bears and coffee. I hope other people with disability like Ngoc can have jobs to support themselves.”
The My Right to Education project is supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and implemented in Bac Kạn Province and Cao Bang Province by ChildFund Vietnam and local partners.
A mix of excitement, nerves and sometimes tears – it can be hard to navigate the transition from preschool to primary school. It’s a game-changer for kids, parents and teachers alike. Just ask My and her mum, Thanh, who recently went through one of life’s big changes together. “It’s a big adjustment, but we were prepared,” says Thanh, who lives with her family in Vietnam’s Hoa Binh province.
Last year, both My and her mum took part in ‘Big School Training’ at their local preschool, Thuong Tien Preschool. Parents and teachers from the community learnt how to support young children in the transition period from preschool to primary school. The training focused on strategies to help preschoolers build confidence, make new friends, learn routines, and develop a sense of belonging within a new school setting.
“Starting school might have been scary but it didn’t feel strange because I had already visited and met lots of kids,” says My, now in Year 1.
As part of their training, teachers were encouraged to organise primary school visits so preschoolers like My could experience a ‘Day in the Life’ at primary school, and see what they had to look forward to the following year. My and her friends had the opportunity to visit their local primary school twice before graduating preschool, participating in activities such as decorating classrooms, making toys and music lessons.
Primary and preschoolers students take part in a colouring session together in Vietnam.
“My teacher took me to visit my old [Thuong Tien] preschool. My favourite part was guiding preschool students on how to hold a pen and colour. I like that I get to go back and have preschool students call me ‘big brother’. I’m very happy to help them.”
Loch, 7
As part of their training, teachers were encouraged to organise primary school visits so preschoolers like My could experience a ‘Day in the Life’ at primary school, and see what they had to look forward to the following year. My and her friends had the opportunity to visit their local primary school twice before graduating preschool, participating in activities such as decorating classrooms, making toys and music lessons.
“I remember my preschool teacher taking me and my friends to meet the teachers and students at a primary school,” recalls My. “I also got to see the classrooms and library. My favourite part was all the activities, especially getting to read and sing with the big kids.”
One of these ‘big kids’ was Loc, now in Year 2, who says he has enjoyed helping younger children prepare for primary school, “My teacher took me to visit my old [Thuong Tien] preschool. My favourite part was guiding preschool students on how to hold a pen and colour. I like that I get to go back and have preschool students call me ‘big brother’. I’m very happy to help them.”
Levelling up
Previously, teachers at Thuong Tien Preschool had limited skills organising care and educational activities for students, and they had difficulties in coordinating with primary school teachers, says Ms. Phuong, the preschool’s principal. Instead, they would focus solely on teaching preschool skills.
“I used to only support teachers with basic knowledge and skills such as how to teach children to recognise and pronounce 24 letters and 10 numbers correctly, how to hold a pen, how to colour, and some other skills such as combing and tying up hair and putting on clothes,” she explains. “I honestly did not spend much time coordinating with primary schools to support children during the transition period.”
All that changed when Ms. Phuong signed up for ChildFund’s training courses. As principal, she saw firsthand how kids and their parents were struggling to navigate such a big life change and was eager to make the move as seamless as possible. After two years of hard work, actively engaging in training sessions and workshops, Thuong Tien preschool has seen positive changes for students, teachers and parents in the community.
“I used to only support teachers with basic knowledge and skills such as how to teach children to recognise and pronounce 24 letters and 10 numbers correctly, how to hold a pen, how to colour, and some other skills such as combing and tying up hair and putting on clothes.”
Ms. Phuong
Ms. Phuong says her teachers now integrate content to support children during the transition period into daily school activities and have become more confident in communicating with parents. They also regularly coordinate with elementary school teachers.
Parents have also gained invaluable skills and knowledge to help their children through this tricky time. Thanh says she became more aware of My’s needs and how to best nurture her development both in the classroom and at home, “My told me she gets to draw pictures to help the teacher decorate the classroom. She used to be shy, but now she seems happy and more confident.”
Thanh is proud of the progress both she and My have made over the past year, noting that their bond is stronger than ever. “I always spend at least two hours each night studying with her. I do not pressure her and compliment her when she does something well. I have helped familiarise her with math and physical exercises. I learnt all of this from ChildFund’s training and from a workshop at My’s preschool,” she says. “My is very comfortable at school, and her language skills have improved. She is much more independent.”
Phuong speaking at Vietnam’s provincial level workshop for teachers about how to best support preschool students during the transition period.
It takes a village!
Collaboration and communication – plus the right resources and guidance – are essential when preparing preschool students for primary school. With the support of ChildFund and dedicated educators such as Ms. Phuong and enthusiastic teachers and parents, Thuong Tien Preschool is now thriving. Recently, the preschool was awarded a coveted ‘Level 1 Standard’ by the People’s Committee of Hoa Binh province, a title many schools strive for.
Ms. Phuong says starting school isn’t as daunting for her preschoolers, who are now better at dealing with change. Students are bolder and more confident when participating in lessons and extracurriculars at school, as they are more familiar with the activities and feel supported and nurtured by their teachers and parents.
“To effectively support students in the transition period we need schools, families and children to work together in harmony,” says Ms. Phuong. “All three elements are important. Schools can create an effective learning environment while families help support children’s learning and development at home, and naturally we want children to feel happy going to school and eager to learn.”
