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Gearing up for the school year – September 2020 |
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Dear Friends and Supporters, As we’re preparing children for school, whether it’s online or in person, their safety and health must be at the forefront of our minds. This involves a certain level of collaboration and commitment from parents, teachers, and government leaders that we must foster. In China, we organized a workshop with government and education leaders to discuss the impact of our Walk Wise program following its closure in Kaizhou. Leaders reported sustainability and ongoing success, three years after the program’s completion in Kaizhou, with many sharing how the program has positively affected children and their families. We continue to create innovative ways to engage with the youth in response to the ever-changing online environment. As part of the Slow Zones, Safe Zones program, we implemented a new online learning platform, where school administrators discussed ways to incorporate this e-curriculum into their lesson plans. Our Safety Delivered program launched a public service announcement focusing on proper helmet use, which invited children to upload their own dance cover. The program’s PSA had over 80,000 views in just four days with numerous dance cover submissions. In a region where more than 98% of the population are ethnic minorities and 70% of the population is living in poverty, the Helmets for Kids program organized a workshop in Tuyen Quang province, Vietnam that included an intensive teacher training session to introduce road safety components into their academic curriculum throughout the school year. While there were many milestones since we first began working in Vietnam, we’re proud to say that there is a major shift with government taking ownership in road safety. Historically, AIP Foundation has led road safety programs and events, but in late September, the Government stepping up and organizing a helmet safety awareness walk of their own with an annual pledge of 2 million helmets to be distributed to first grade students for the 2020-2021 school year–their third year to do so. Most notably, the Vietnamese government issued a decision that will positively impact the lives of schoolchildren. The landmark decision that requires the city to reduce and enforce speed limits around schools and to allocate funds from the city’s budget. The aftermath of the explosion in Beirut devastated the city, including damages at six of its major hospitals and 20 clinics. Mr. Jaoudat Hoyek, Director of Abou Jaoude Hospital, shared a few words about how our donation enabled frontline workers to care for the community. This year presents its own unique set of challenges, but together, we can overcome them. Please read on. Kind regards, Mirjam Sidik
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Vietnam |
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Global |
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Beirut hospital equipped to serve communities with donation of masks and gloves after port explosion BEIRUT, Lebanon—September 10, 2020
The capital city of Beirut, Lebanon, has faced an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the weeks following the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, which damaged several hospital facilities and left nearly 300,000 individuals without a home. In the aftermath of the explosion, the city faced damage to six of its major hospitals and 20 clinics, producing innumerable challenges for healthcare workers as they treated victims of the blast and of COVID-19. Hospitals throughout the city have quickly stepped up to support communities during this high-risk period, while many continue to face a high and unmet need for personal protective equipment for their staff. Abou Jaoude Hospital, located less than 10 km from the Port of Beirut, is one of many facilities with significant need for additional protective equipment. In response to the hospital’s need, social enterprise, Protec, donated masks and gloves to support its frontline workers. Mr. Jaoudat Hoyek, Director of Abou Jaoude Hospital, expressed, “The donation of masks from Protec has come at a precious time. The frontline workers and staff at our hospital and many others throughout Beirut have been mobilized in response to the pressing public health needs of our community. We are extremely grateful that our team will have access to more of the protective equipment they need to stay safe while taking care of their patients.” The donation was made possible with support from the Honorary Consul of Lebanon and CEVA Logistics, in support of Protec’s mission of saving lives by providing access to quality equipment. |
Vietnam |
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Kick-starting the school year in Vietnam with a helmet safety public service announcement HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam—September 16, 2020
On the official “first day” back at school in Vietnam and in recognition of Vietnam’s annual traffic safety month in September, Safety Delivered, a program implemented by AIP Foundation and supported by The UPS Foundation, released a new PSA video, “Đủ ba bước, rước bình an,” or “3 steps, be safe.” The PSA reached nearly 80,000 users and received over 43,000 views on Safety Delivered’s Facebook page in just the first four days. Millions of children will make their journey to and from school by motorbike, the most common form of transportation in Vietnam. Motorbike riders and children are the most vulnerable road users. While helmet use is compulsory, proper helmet use is still a challenge. The PSA starred young celebrity, Nguyễn Ngọc Ngân Chi, best known for her roles in “Gạo nếp gạo tẻ” and “Lời nguyền.” By using a fun song and dance where the roles are switched between parent and child, the video playfully remind students, parents, and community members of the 3 steps to ensure proper helmet use. Later in September, the Safety Delivered program, with support from the Department of Education and Training, will host a contest inviting students from Ho Chi Minh City and Thai Nguyen province to compete with a dance cover of the song. To watch the video in Vietnamese, please click here. To watch the video in English, please click here. |
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Road safety workshop supporting ethnic minorities to develop safe road behaviors held in Vietnam LAM BINH, TUYEN QUANG, Vietnam—September 23, 2020
In a region where more than 98% of the population are ethnic minorities and 70% of the population is living in poverty, the Helmets for Kids (HFK) program organized a workshop as part of its program launch in Tuyen Quang province, Vietnam. The workshop provided an overview of road safety in both Vietnam and the world, introduced the HFK program to the community, and delivered an interactive training session to school administrators, teachers and some parent representatives. The workshop, hosted by AIP Foundation and Tuyen Quang Traffic Safety Committee, included an intensive teacher training session to prepare teachers to introduce road safety components into the curriculum throughout the school year. The training addressed updated laws and regulations on helmet use, the importance of helmet use and how to identify helmets that meet safety standards, proper helmet use with practice sessions, and the important role that teachers play as both beneficiaries and facilitators of the project. Lam Binh district boasts beautiful scenery, but the journey to and from school can be difficult and dangerous. The Helmets for Kids program, supported by Johnson & Johnson, will work with 8 primary schools in Lam Binh district, Tuyen Quang province to deliver nearly 2,200 helmets to students over the 2020-2021 school year. This outreach work in Tuyen Quang province marks the eighth target area in Vietnam that Johnson & Johnson’s HFK project has supported. To view pictures from the workshop, please click here. |
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Beyond games: Engaging Vietnamese youth in road safety through online learning THAI NGUYEN AND MY THO, Vietnam—September 19 and 27, 2020
Around the world, children are one of the most vulnerable road users. Travelling to and from school is often a dangerous activity. In Vietnam, the majority of children walk, cycle or are passengers on a motorcycle. To help make the journey to school safer, AIP Foundation is collaborating with the Ministry of Education and Training to pilot an innovative “E-curriculum” on traffic safety for primary school students. The course includes ten lessons, which feature interactive videos, games, activities, designed to teach students life-saving skills related to safer road behaviors. The Slow Zones, Safe Zones program is being piloted in Pleiku, Thai Nguyen and My Tho City and is supported by Fondation Botnar, Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), FIA and Mercedes-Benz. To progress toward national adoption, the E-curriculum will be tested with students from geographically diverse schools, including Pleiku, Thai Nguyen, and My Tho. As a part of the pilot, the first two teacher training sessions were held in Pleiku City on 7-8 December 2019 to introduce the E-curriculum content and usage. More than 140 attendees, including teachers from 31 primary schools in Pleiku City, local authorities, and members of the school Directorial Board participated in the training sessions. After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these initial training sessions were followed up by sessions in Thai Nguyen and My Tho City on September 19 and 27, respectively. Teachers from 915 Gia Sang Primary and Secondary school in Thai Nguyen City, Thai Nguyen Province and Hoang Hoa Tham Primary School in My Tho City, Tien Giang Province attended the training sessions. During the sessions, teachers received training in both the use of the E-curriculum materials and also conducted an interactive mock class in groups to demonstrate how they would teach the content in a classroom setting. Following these training sessions, the traffic safety E-curriculum will now be piloted with students in four project schools in Pleiku, My Tho and Thai Nguyen from October 2020 to December 2020. To support the delivery of the E-curriculum, each primary school will be equipped with five televisions or a projector and a laptop to support the pilot. To view photos from the event, please click here. |
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A blueprint for the future of road safety in Vietnam HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam—September 27, 2020
AIP Foundation, a non-profit organization who pioneered road safety in Vietnam for the last 20 years through their five gears approach, sees their decades of effort come back full circle in a pivotal way. What was once a vision typically led externally by AIP Foundation, is now led by the Vietnamese government and an integral part of the government’s initiatives. On September 27, 2020, the National Traffic Safety Committee organized a “Wear helmets for children” walk to raise awareness and urge the community to increase helmet use amongst children. AIP Foundation joined the thousands of people walking from Le Duan street to Independence Palace, which became a nostalgic moment for the organization as they reflect back on their work. “It’s always our hope that the work we do will help guide and empower the government to adopt similar actions into their own vision of what the future of Vietnam will look like for children. This event is the Government demonstrating its commitment to making roads safer for children. It’s truly a momentous occasion to attend and see what AIP Foundation has been doing for years come around full circle in a significant way,” says Ms. Dang Thi Kieu My, Business Development Manager of AIP Foundation. The walk is part of the Government’s vision of having 80% of children nationwide wear helmets while on a vehicle by 2020. In an effort to achieve this, the Government is pledging to distribute nearly 2 million high-quality helmets to first grade students nationwide for the 2020-2021 school year, which is their third year to do so. In addition to the thousands of parents and government officials who attended, 1,500 primary students, Japanese Ambassador, Mr. Kunio Umeda, General Manager of Honda, Mr. Keisuke Tsuruzono, and Miss World Vietnam, Ms. Luong Thuy Linh were in attendance. To view more photos from the event, please click here. |
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A decision for change: Two schools to a whole city When AIP Foundation first started the Slow Zones, Safe Zones program in Gia Lai province, we were determined to make a difference and change the lives of schoolchildren for the better. As UNICEF, FIA Foundation, and the Child Health Initiative highlighted in early September, ensuring that children are safe on their journey to and from school is now more important than ever. We recently met a father who lost his daughter as a result of the dangerous road conditions in Pleiku City, which made it extremely difficult for students, like his daughter Ngoc, to get to school. Whilst stories like this break our hearts, they drive us to work harder, alongside our partners in government, the corporate and non-government sectors, to collectively advocate for children. Simple steps like road safety education allow our kids to grow and thrive in this world with one less thing to worry about. It is with great honor that I share exciting news. Change is here: |
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China |
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Road safety program in China reports sustainability and ongoing success three years after its completion KAIZHOU DISTRICT, China—September 18, 2020
Government and education leaders in Kaizhou District, Chongqing, China, along with AIP Foundation gathered at a workshop to report on the ongoing positive impact of the Walk Wise program since its closure in 2017. Throughout its implementation phase, the Walk Wise program in Kaizhou reached over 335,000 students, teachers and parents in 85 schools. The three-hour workshop highlighted road safety practices that were initially introduced in the program’s implementation process which are still used today, the increased collaboration between various government sectors, and the overall positive impact of the program on community members. The Walk Wise program is a holistic, child-focused road safety and awareness program in Kaizhou, Chongqing and Nanba, Sichuan, supported by Chevron and implemented by AIP Foundation since 2012. The program was first introduced in Kaizhou District to address road risks that are heightened by the region’s geographical features. While one of the most picturesque areas of China, Kaizhou’s mountainous region consists of steep, narrow hills and winding paths, which make community members vulnerable to road injuries and crashes. Since the program’s conclusion, Mr. Li Wen and several members from Kaizhou’s Education Department reported that road safety classes were still being conducted in primary schools, many of which have taken an interdisciplinary approach. Teachers have continued with walking school buses, a transportation method to ensure safe school journeys by having teachers walk with groups of students along a set route in a single file line. Yellow caps are still being worn by students as a preventative measure to ensure that they are visible on the road. Local police also engaged with the community by encouraging safe road use. In 2018, the local police organized an interactive event with a “safety” station set up outside each school in Kaizhou District. Teachers, security guards, and parents and guardians, were given precautionary tips on ways to be a better road user. In addition to students, many teachers and community members were also positively impacted by the program. “The program has taught the students, teachers, and myself the importance of exercising road safety precautions,” Mr. He. Jingsong, Safety Director of Hanfeng School, shared. “The Walk Wise program has become so impactful that we’ve implemented road safety education as an important class in our school curriculum and found that students are going home to share what they’ve learned with their families. We see those families exercising the same road precautions taught to our students as they take their children to school,” he continued. The workshop demonstrated that the skills taught and activities implemented in schools have been largely successful and sustainable long after the Walk Wise program has concluded. Nanba District is the second location in the Walk Wise program, which was introduced in 2017 and is currently active. To view photos from the event, please click here. |
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