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October Newsletter 2020 – Impact through unity |
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Dear Friends and Supporters, I’ve been thinking a lot about impact: How do we address pressing issues in the world to create positive, sustainable impact for vulnerable populations? I’ve found that much of it really comes down to the people you engage, work, and collaborate with. In the past several months, we contributed to the development of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the FIA Foundation’s newly released Traffic Conflict toolkit, which examines “near misses” on roads around schools in Vietnam. Through this, we’re able to implement a holistic approach to assess risks from, not only infrastructure aspects, but also from road users’ behavior. In Cambodia, we collaborated with local police through the Commuting Safety for Cambodian Workers discussing implementation plans to deter risky driving behavior in Kampoung Speu, where more than 80 factories are located on hectic main roads. We organized a week-long training series where 53 leaders were given tools and resources to pass on to the thousands of workers who risk their lives every day commuting to and from work. A recent traffic crash involving 37 factory workers unfortunately coincided with our factory visit through the Prevention and Participation (P&P) program, which highlights the urgent need for road safety intervention that the P&P program helps mitigate. We issued a special feature on a father who lost his daughter in one of our project schools, which serves to remind us that unless speed limits are effectively implemented, no child is truly safe and there is more work ahead of us to get there. After the recent legislation in Gia Lai Province to reduce speed limit and allocate city funds for infrastructure around school zones, school administrators from 26 primary schools in the province led road modification discussions with the government. At the beginning of the month, we celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival with children with special needs at Hy Vong School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where students decorated moon cakes and enjoyed performances around helmet-use and road safety as part of the Safety Delivered program. Later in the month, we hosted two mid-term review forums in Ho Chi Minh City and in Thai Nguyen Province, which called on government leaders to address how to combat the staggering number, nearly 90%, of helmets on the market that fall below standards to keep road users safe from traffic injuries and fatalities. In Dak Lak Province, we worked with school administrators through the Safe Steps Kids program to update educators on current traffic safety legislation, as well as, provide helmet-use training that they could pass on to their students. Towards the end of the month, we led a workshop with educators where they discussed possible reasons why students may not wear helmets and how to effectively tackle this issue. Drink-driving remains an issue across Vietnam despite significant efforts at the national and provincial levels to address this. As part of the FIA and its Foundation’s #ThisIsMyStreet campaign, we called on students at Yen Bai Vocational School, many of which will enter the driving population, to participate in a talk show led by the Government to share ideas for future interventions. Though we’ve had many successes, we could not have done it without our partnerships from all sectors: community, private through corporate support, organizational alliances, and public through the government. There lies the heart of impact, because together we can accomplish much more than we can alone. Please read on. Kind regards, Mirjam Sidik
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Vietnam |
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Cambodia |
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Related News |
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Employment Opportunities
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Global |
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AIP Foundation partners with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to develop the Traffic Conflict Technique toolkit HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam—October 28, 2020
AIP Foundation has recently piloted a new methodology to research and analyze "near misses" on the roads in Vietnam. Although far too common on our roads, crashes are actually a relatively rare event; near misses are much more common. Being able to analyze near misses gives us a much fuller picture of what is happening on the roads and gather evidence for targeted interventions in traffic blackspots. AIP Foundation partnered with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), its National Foundation (CDC Foundation), and FIA Foundation through the Child Health Initiative, in their development of the new Traffic Conflict Technique (TCT) toolkit for school zones. The TCT toolkit examines traffic conflicts between vulnerable road users—students, pedestrians, and cyclists—and motorized traffic occurring in and around school zones in low- and middle-income countries. FIA Foundation representatives, who went through extensive training with the CDC, provided AIP Foundation with the tools and resources for analysis and assessment methods. “TCT is a simple, evidence-based, low-cost approach to evaluate the impact of road safety interventions to prevent crashes, injuries, and deaths. By counting and studying traffic conflicts, TCT can help decision-makers select and evaluate the most effective strategies for improving road safety and preventing injuries. It is particularly helpful in locations where data are scarce,” FIA Foundation shared. The TCT toolkit offers five pedestrian-vehicle traffic conflict data collection methods based on available resources and level of expertise, each of which can be tailored to different settings. AIP Foundation has been trained to utilize one of the most complex and comprehensive methods, which can capture the types of conflicts and their severity. This method required data collectors to collect pre- and post-intervention data and categorize pedestrian-vehicle conflicts and their severity. The team collected pre-intervention traffic conflict data at the marked crossing in front of the pilot school, which was then compared to the data recorded manually with the video footage to ensure data consistency. Data was sent to CDC for analysis with results to be published by the CDC later in the year. The TCT toolkit will contribute to school zone safety assessment from a behavioral perspective, accounting for the fact that humans can interact with safe infrastructure in unsafe ways, and highlight where modifications should be made to encourage safer behavior. Adding TCT analysis to our school zone programs will provide us with a holistic approach to assess risks from, not only infrastructure aspects, but also from road users’ behavior. To read more about the Traffic Conflict Technique, please click here. To download the Traffic Conflict Technique toolkit, please click here. |
Vietnam |
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Special feature: A tale of tragedy on Vietnam’s roads
Tragedy strikes in a quiet village It was early morning, around 6 AM on March 18, 2019. On a street in Pleiku City, a peaceful city with less than 500,000 people, two 13-year-old girls rode their bicycles to school, a road they had memorized as part of their daily commute. One of those girls, Ngoc, would be tragically killed before ever stepping foot into the classroom. A few minutes away from the two girls was a bus carrying 16 passengers, traveling at an excessive speed, estimated to have been driving as fast as 60-80 km/hour. A speed well over what is considered safe in any area— much less a school zone. At this speed, the bus was completely unable to slow down or stop upon approaching the school. The speeding bus crashed into Ngoc, heavily injuring her before she died in a hospital later that day. More than a year later, we visited the school gates where Ngoc was killed. A risky road to education In Vietnam, especially in rural areas, it is typical for schools to be located on, or near, provincial highways. The road in front of Ngoc’s school is no exception. The poorly paved road is often frequented by motorcycles, trucks, and large buses, driven by those who are likely desperate for sleep after multiple overnight and longhaul trips. Students are seen walking across dangerous conditions to enter their school gates, one of the last places that a student should ever feel unsafe. Unfortunately, children are not unaccustomed to the dangers still present on Vietnam’s roads. To read the full special feature, please click here. |
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UPS volunteers celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with children with special needs HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam—October 1, 2020
Mid-autumn marks a festive time for all children in Vietnam, where they play with colorful lanterns while nibbling on traditional treats. The students at Hy Vong School are no exception. Through AIP Foundation’s Safety Delivered program, more than 20 UPS volunteers spent the holiday with students at Hy Vong School, school that specifically tailors cultural and vocational education for children with special needs. The Safety Delivered program, supported by The UPS Foundation, hosted a Mid-Autumn festival celebration called “Gắn kết yêu thương,” for students and teachers. The students had the opportunity to decorate mooncakes. Students enjoyed their sweet treats while watching a series of dance performances including a dance cover to the program’s “three steps, be safe” music video and a Vietnamese traditional lion dance, a performance considered to bring good luck. Chau, age 10, a student at Hy Vong School shared, “I wear my helmet to school every day! My teacher taught me that I must wear a helmet to protect my head when going to school because the journey from my house to school might be dangerous for me.” “It’s so important to make sure that no child is left out of what is meant to be a celebration for all children. By incorporating elements of road safety, like a reminder to wear a helmet, into this holiday, it becomes much more meaningful and easier for students to remember proper helmet use,” Ms. Trang, Safety Delivered Program Manager shared. To view photos from the event, please click here. |
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Safety Delivered advocates for government enforcement on helmet quality in Vietnam HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam–October 7, 2020
In order to implement the Prime Minister’s Directive 04 / CT-TTg dated January 19, 2018 on accelerating the application of solutions to improve the effectiveness of legal regulations on mandatory helmet wearing for motorbike drivers, motorcyclists, and electric bicyclists, AIP Foundation and the National Traffic Safety Committee co-hosted a program mid-term review forum. The event discussed strategies to improve the use of quality helmets, with the engagement and support of national and local government representatives, road safety and public health experts, and private sector stakeholders, including helmet manufacturers in Vietnam. Mr. Khuat Viet Hung, Executive Vice Chairman of National Traffic Safety Committee, stated, “The research findings mentioned above shows that poor-quality helmet usage leads to a higher risk of fatalities in road crashes. Although the number of helmets tested is low, the research can still reveal the quality of helmets on market today. This raises a question on the effectiveness of our work on supervising and managing protective equipment. In addition, the research also serves as evidence for government agencies to further investigate and closely monitor policies to improve their work on the quality of motorcycle, bicycle and electric bike helmets in Viet Nam.” Russell Reed, Managing Director of UPS Thailand and Vietnam, shared, “ Safety Delivered has made much progress in encouraging helmet use in Vietnam, thanks to the efforts by AIP Foundation and National Traffic Safety Committee. It is important that the conversation also focuses on the quality of helmets used. We look forward to further progress in educating students while on the roads and continued research efforts to protect broader communities.” The mid-term review forum also covered the achievements of the first half of the 2019-2020 Safety Delivered program year. Safety Delivered has expanded to address the issue of quality helmets, building upon a partnership between AIP Foundation and The UPS Foundation to increase child helmet use in Vietnam since 2011. Safety Delivered successfully distributed 10,942 helmets and implemented educational road safety activities and awareness campaigns at program primary schools in 2019. As a result, helmet-wearing rates among students were observed to have increased from 23% to 77% at 7 primary schools in Ho Chi Minh City and from 27% to 82% at 11 primary schools in Thai Nguyen Province. Read the event press release here. For photos from the event, please click here. |
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School administrators working towards safer journeys for students in Vietnam DAK LAK PROVINCE, Vietnam—October 10, 2020
With over 90% of students either taken to school on motorbikes or walking to school, students in Dak Lak Province face challenges on their commute to school. Many schools are located along the National Highway No.14, a road with high-density traffic resulting in dangerous journeys for students. In order to increase traffic safety knowledge and skills among primary school students, the SAFE STEPS KIDS – Road Safety program was implemented in Dak Lak by empowering school administrators with tools and resources to educate their students. SAFE STEPS KIDS (SSK) is a multi-platform public service program created by Prudence Foundation, in partnership with International Federation of Red Cross, Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and Cartoon Network. The SSK program was implemented in Vietnam through AIP Foundation and will run into the next year. By organizing awareness campaigns, teacher trainings, safety education workshops, and modifications of school zone infrastructures, students are exposed to less risks on their commutes. “Prudential is committed to reducing the challenges students face on their commutes. Besides its business activities, Prudential has been initiating, sponsoring, and contributing to meaningful social activities. By supporting for the community focusing on three areas: Education, Health and Safety, we hope to create a healthier and more prosperous life for the people of Vietnam,” Ms. Luong Thanh Thu, CSR Project Team Lead from Prudential Vietnam, shared. The event included an overview of traffic safety globally and specifically in Vietnam, an outline of the SSK Road Safety program for 2020-2021, training on updated laws and regulations on helmet use and pedestrian safety, identifying helmets that met safety standards, reviewing proper helmet use with practice sessions, and the role of teachers as beneficiaries and as facilitators of the program. To view photos from the event, please click here. |
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Schools push for road infrastructure changes in Vietnam GIA LAI PROVINCE, Vietnam—October 14, 2020
In Vietnam, children continue to be the most vulnerable road users especially on their way to and from school. Many schools are located on busy highways most frequented by buses and heavy trucks driving well over the global recommended speed limit for school zones. Without proper infrastructure in place like school signs or road markings, children continue to be at risk for injuries and fatalities. By participating in Gia Lai Traffic Safety Committee’s “community listening session,” organized by AIP Foundation under Phase II of the Slow Zones, Safe Zones program, school administrators from 26 primary schools in Gia Lai Province led road modification discussions with the government. Before the listening session, school administrators participated in a school zone orientation where each principal was provided a school zone assessment tool. AIP Foundation supported principals and administrators to assess and identify potential dangers surrounding their school. A group discussion was then organized to collect feedback and feasibility on school zone improvements. More than 40 participants, including members of the Technical and Strategic Steering Committee, the engineering team, and principals from 26 primary schools, gathered to discuss the proposed changes. The engineering team presented technical drawings for 26 schools focused on speed-calming modifications such as rumble strips, road markings, school signs, and most importantly, speed limit signs. School administrators then proposed modifications based on the needs assessment they had conducted of their schools. As a result, principals were able to highlight key concerns on road conditions impacting their students to the government and stakeholders. Following the community listening session, the government will review recommendations for road modifications for final evaluation and decision before approving the modification plan. These changes come after a landmark decision to allocate funds from the city’s budget to renovate infrastructure around school zones. For more photos from the event, please click here. |
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Continuing to advocate for higher helmet quality standards THAI NGUYEN, Vietnam—October 22, 2020
Keeping up with the momentum from the Safety Delivered program’s midterm review forum earlier in the month in Ho Chi Minh City, AIP Foundation, in cooperation with National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and the Traffic Safety Committee of Thai Nguyen Province, hosted the second session in Thai Nguyen Province for 11 project schools. The forum, at Thai Nguyen Department of Transportation, focused on the Safety Delivered program’s achievements thus far, the remaining activities for the year, successes at one project school in the program, and the preliminary findings on helmet quality research independently conducted by Hanoi University of Public Health. Despite the increase in helmet-wearing rate from 27% to 82% after the program’s intervention, participants discussed the alarming discrepancy between quality helmets and sub-standard helmets in Vietnam with the vast majority, nearly 90% of helmets tested, failing to protect riders from death or serious injuries. Representatives from the local and provincial government, 11 project schools in Thai Nguyen Province and Hanoi University of Public Health were in attendance, where all collectively participated in a panel discussion on how to improve helmet quality. To read more about the first midterm review forum in Ho Chi Minh City, please click here. To view more photos, please click here. |
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Prioritizing the safety of youth lives in high-risk areas BAC GIANG PROVINCE, Vietnam—October 23, 2020
Northeast of Vietnam, lying along the Red River Delta is Bac Giang Province, a picturesque area known for its connection to cities like Hanoi and Quang Ninh. Yet, Bac Giang is also known for its consistently high rate of road crashes, with the unenviable position of ranking among the top 10 in Vietnam, and where 26 ethnic minority groups call “home.” Two project schools in the Province will begin comprehensive road safety training for both students and school administrators as part of the SAFE STEPS KIDS (SSK) program. Tu Lan Primary School and Tan Tien Primary School are directly connected to major highways with high volumes of traffic every day. These highways are also the route 90% of parents and students use to get to and from school, yet even with such high risks of fatalities or serious injuries, the helmet-wearing rate recorded was extremely low pre-intervention. AIP Foundation organized an orientation workshop and training where more than 1,500 helmets were distributed to students and teachers. As part of the workshop and training, the Foundation covered valuable traffic safety education including updated laws and regulations on helmet use and pedestrian safety, how to identify standard helmets, proper helmet use with practice sessions, and roles of teachers as beneficiaries and as facilitators of the project. The second part of the workshop included a hands-on session led by a teacher of Tu Lan primary school on how to incorporate road safety education into classrooms. “Road injuries and fatalities are more common than not. Every morning, when a student approaches the gate coming off their parents’ motorbike without a helmet, I always worry about the one day they are late or aren’t present at school. As an educator, I fear for my students’ safety and I’d hate to be there one morning to find out something tragic has happened to my students when wearing a helmet can save their life or at least reduce or minimize severe injuries,” Nguyen Thi Van, headmaster at Tu Lan Primary School professed. In addition to students and school administrators, representatives from the Traffic Safety Committee of Bac Giang Province and Viet Yen District and the Department of Education and Training were also in attendance. The SSK program, supported by Prudential Vietnam Assurance Private Limited, aims to increase traffic safety knowledge and skills among primary school students in Bac Giang and Dak Lak Provinces to better protect them from road crashes as well as raise road safety awareness nationwide via communication campaigns. To view pictures from the event, please click here. |
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Vietnamese youth lead discussion on drink-driving culture YEN BAI, Vietnam—October 28, 2020
Drink-driving remains an issue across Vietnam despite significant efforts at national and provincial levels to address this. Drink-driving accounted for as much as 80% of traffic violations in Yen Bai province in 2020 alone. In an effort to combat this, the Yen Bai Traffic Safety Committee (TSC), partnered with AIP Foundation to call on students at Yen Bai Vocational School to participate in an open forum talk show on future interventions as part of FIA and its Foundation’s #ThisIsMyStreet campaign. New and inexperienced drivers under the age of 25 are over-represented in road crash statistics. The combination of inexperience and alcohol can have deadly consequences. The talk show was an opportunity for youth and authorities to discuss the latest information on Decree No. 100/2019/ND-CP, which came into effect nationwide in January 2020. The Decree introduced a blanket ban on alcohol consumption for all vehicle types and significantly increased fines for drink-driving. The talk show also gave participants the opportunity to discuss the reality of alcohol use while riding a motorbike among students in Yen Bai Province. Local government representatives opened up the conversation to students and guests to share their thoughts on how to effectively tackle driving while under the influence. Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Deputy Principal of Yen Bai vocational school, shared, “As we train our students to be responsible drivers, we also have communications campaigns on zero-tolerance for drinking and driving to our students and the general public, but these have always been passive education. When they are really engaged, to raise their voice, to doubt, to answer, to share stories, as they are now in this talk show, we can see how committed they are, which can translate to a change in driving culture in the future.” More than 1,500 students took part in this large forum, in addition to Mr. Tran Xuan Quyet, Chief Secretariat of Yen Bai TSC Office, Mr. Bui Danh Tu, Deputy Director of Yen Bai Department of Transportation, Mr. Hoang The Nam, Lieutenant of Yen Bai Province Bureau of Traffic Police, Mr. Dang Dinh Thang, Deputy Director of Yen Bai Department of Health, Mr. Dinh Tien Hung, Deputy Secretary of Ho Chi Minh Youth Union, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Deputy Principal of Yen Bai Vocational School, and representatives from AIP Foundation. Road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children over the age of five and for adolescents worldwide. #ThisIsMyStreet, campaign was developed by the FIA Foundation, as part of the Decade of Action for Road Safety, to empower youth to speak up and act on road danger, air pollution and climate change—the very issues that impact their lives the most. To view photos from the event, please click here. |
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Ensuring safer commutes for garment and footwear factory workers KANDAL, KAMPOUNG SPEU, and SVAY RIENG PROVINCE, Cambodia–September 29, 2020 – October 2, 2020
Road safety is an ever-present issue for factory workers as dangerous commutes become a part of every day life. Garment and footwear factory representatives participated in a series of training sessions organized under the Commuting Safety for Cambodian Workers (CSCW) program. As road safety leaders, AIP Foundation demonstrated the importance of improving commuting conditions for factory workers in Cambodia, the dangers of drink driving, distracted driving, helmet use and the current traffic laws at each event. Group discussions, brainstorming and role play were some of the methods used to provide a comprehensive, multi-faceted learning experience for workers and representatives from five factories across the Kandal, Kampoung Speu and Svay Rieng provinces. The 53 representatives, consisting of workers, union representatives and factory management, were assigned to the Road Safety Working Groups (RSWG) in each factory as the primary mechanism to increase safety for workers. Training provided to the RSWG are the first of many, and taught to increase capacity of the groups so they are able to pass on crucial knowledge to the thousands of workers who risk their lives every day commuting to and from work. The CSCW program, supported by USAID and the Solidarity Center, was designed to reduce injuries and fatalities on the road focusing on sustainable and long-term approaches. For photos from the training series, please click here. |
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Deadly road crash highlights urgent need for road safety intervention TAKEO, KAMPOUNG SPEU, KOMPONG CHNNANG, and PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—October 7- 8, 2020
Through the Prevention and Participation (P&P) program, AIP Foundation staff visited four factories to survey suitability for future activities to improve worker’s road safety knowledge, and good practices using a motor vehicle. While meeting management and factory representatives, which account for more than 12,800 workers combined, AIP Foundation received news of a recent traffic crash involving 37 factory workers resulting in four workers with serious injuries. Preventable injuries caused by road crashes reinforce the need for factory-level intervention and AIP Foundation activities. The P&P program mitigates crashes like these by educating safer road users, establishing safer vehicles, and improved infrastructure so that crashes like this are less frequent. Included in this program is post-crash care, so workers who were affected by the recent road collision are supported as they recover, and as they enter back into the workforce. All factories visited showed enthusiasm and genuine engagement in the P&P program, supported by VF Corporation, and will be important in achieving the goal of zero preventable deaths on the road. To view more photos from the event, please click here. |
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