Listen to children with your heart, protect them with your actions.

PV:To inspire and spread activities focused on children, each year the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs selects a practical theme to mobilize the participation of the entire society. What is special about this year's theme, "Joining hands for poor children and children from ethnic minorities"?
Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh:The theme for the 2019 Children's Action Month, "Joining Hands for Poor Children and Ethnic Minority Children," was unanimously agreed upon nationwide by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. However, in Nghe An province, we have incorporated additional themes: preventing child abuse, violence, and drowning. Activities during the Children's Action Month will focus on conveying meaningful messages such as joining hands for poor children and ethnic minority children, ensuring no child is left behind, creating equal development opportunities for all children, listening to children with hearts, and protecting children through action.

Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh speaks with reporters. Photo: PV

PV:RClearly, our response to this initiative wasn't just limited to the launch of this campaign; activities aimed at poor children and children from ethnic minority communities in Nghe An have long been a priority. Could you elaborate on this, sir?

Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh:Indeed, for this group of children, we have long consistently shown concern and provided specialized support through national target programs or charitable programs of organizations and society. Therefore, the rate of children with special circumstances in our province receiving care has reached 92%. We are also among the top provinces in establishing the Children's Protection Fund early on.

The joy of Khmu children with their new game. Photo: Dinh Tuan

The Children's Protection Fund is chaired by the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, with the Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs as the Standing Vice-Chairman. Members include representatives from various departments, agencies, and the directors of several units. The Council regularly organizes fundraising efforts to encourage organizations, businesses, and philanthropists to contribute resources to the Fund to support poor children, ethnic minority children, and children in particularly difficult circumstances, averaging 15 to 20 billion VND annually. In 2018 alone, 15 billion VND was raised for the provincial Children's Protection Fund. This is achieved through activities such as constructing schools, classrooms, boarding houses, and playgrounds for children; providing gifts, scholarships, bicycles, wheelchairs, and free surgeries for children with various disabilities, especially those in mountainous and ethnic minority areas.

During our visits to various regions to offer gifts, we were deeply moved to see the joy and happiness in the eyes of poor children when they received small gifts. Many children only dream of having a warmer coat or a more durable school bag. Many children who study far from home only wish for a bicycle to get around, but these dreams cannot come true without the support of charitable organizations.
PV:Besides efforts to provide children with a more complete material life, improving their spiritual well-being and ensuring they enjoy a happy and peaceful childhood is extremely important. Could you provide more information about the efforts of various levels of government and local authorities in this regard?
Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh:It can be said that, by targeting this group, we have truly taken practical actions that bring both material and spiritual benefits to children.

Alongside caring for disadvantaged children, we consistently mobilize resources to support and create conditions for children to more fully exercise their basic rights, such as: the right to education in general and the development of talents in particular; the right to play and recreation; the right to participate in matters concerning children, thereby helping children have the best possible spiritual life and achieve comprehensive development in morality, intellect, physical health, and aesthetics, in accordance with local conditions.

Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs

Summer days for children in Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district. Photo: Ho Sy Hung

For example, Que Phong district organizes music, vocal, dance, and martial arts classes during the summer; Anh Son district organizes summer activities for children every Saturday evening with many useful contents, especially instruction on swimming techniques and first aid for drowning victims; Cua Lo town organizes competitions and communication campaigns on preventing drowning accidents among children; Ky Son district organizes summer activities for students such as teaching them to read newspapers, drawing, and organizing cultural and artistic activities for children; Quy Chau district organizes recreational activities such as stick pushing, tug-of-war, throwing the ball, table tennis, badminton, chess, football, mini volleyball... attracting a large number of children to participate.

The joy of childhood. Archival photo.

Clearly, providing children with "spiritual nourishment" shouldn't only target disadvantaged children; every child needs to be given the opportunity to play safely and beneficially during the summer. Having playgrounds for children during the summer means reducing the number of unfortunate accidents and injuries that may occur.
PV:One of the top concerns currently is accident and injury prevention, especially drowning accidents among children during the summer. Since the beginning of the year, the province has recorded 34 drowning incidents involving children, some resulting in 2-5 fatalities, and many involving siblings or relatives. What more decisive actions have we taken, are taking, and will we need to take to minimize these tragic statistics?
Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh:Preventing drowning among children in general, and especially during the summer months, is considered an urgent issue requiring the involvement of the entire society.
Having clearly identified this issue from the beginning of the year, the Department proactively issued a document guiding the work of protecting and caring for children to localities for implementation; proactively coordinated with other departments and agencies to implement inter-agency plans and signed agreements between the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and relevant departments and agencies in carrying out the work of preventing child accidents and drowning.
In addition, the Department advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue the 2019 Action Month Plan for Children, which includes comprehensive content and solutions for preventing injuries and drowning accidents among children; and simultaneously signed commitments between the chairmen of the People's Committees of districts, cities, and towns and the Standing Agency of the Provincial Committee for Children Affairs on implementing the contents and solutions for preventing injuries and drowning accidents among children.

Launching ceremony of the Month of Action for Children in Anh Son district. Photo: PV

The Department has also coordinated with the districts to launch and implement swimming skills training courses; assigning the districts to develop plans and budgets. At the same time, it has directed and urged the districts and localities to organize healthy and beneficial recreational activities for children during the summer.

Most tragic drowning accidents occur because children don't know how to swim, making swimming a crucial skill for preventing drowning. However, current swimming instruction for children is not very effective. Many schools and parents have organized swimming lessons for children, but the high cost of building and maintaining swimming pools, along with the need to hire additional instructors, has created many difficulties.
In addition, the coordination between families, schools, and organizations is not always strong in some areas, failing to create many healthy and beneficial recreational activities for children.

There's a folk saying:It is a blessing to have a child who knows how to swim / It is a sin to have a child who knows how to climb.Therefore, parents need to proactively coordinate closely with schools, organizations, local authorities, and relevant agencies in managing, protecting, caring for, and educating their children.

The "Listening to Children Speak" forum at the launch ceremony of the Month of Action for Children in Que Phong district. Photo: PV.

PV:During the launch of the "Month of Action for Children," each participating unit signed a commitment. According to him, what binding obligations does this commitment have, and how does it impact the awareness and responsibility of local authorities and guardians of children? How can we ensure that the commitment is not just meaningful... on paper?

Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh:By signing the commitment, each unit and organization becomes aware of its responsibilities. Local authorities will have to proactively connect and coordinate to allocate funds for children; they will have to consider the effectiveness of survival skills training for children. They will also have to consider what kind of recreational activities to create during the summer and whether they will attract children. Therefore, signing the commitment here is not just a formality; clearly, after the launch, each organization and unit, especially its leader, needs to have a concrete action plan.
PV:Thank you for this conversation!