From Self-doubt to Self-confidence

If someones meet Vu Quoc Anh right now, no one can believe that a hearing-disability teenagers who was such energetic and confident half a year ago, used to be a hesitated person, never attended any common activities of school or class.

Student Vu Quoc Anh (person with hearing disability), currently studying in 7th grade at Da Nang Support Centre for Inclusive Education Development

Vu Quoc Anh is a child with hearing loss, currently studying in 7^th grade at Support Centre for Inclusive Education Development in Da Nang. Hindrance in communication affected by disabilities, combined with his feelings of self conciosness and insecurity, have prevented him from ever expressing his opinions. Everything would probably still the same without an initiative to establish an activity group on children’s right, where he and students from specialized school can study together.

The activity group stemmed from the idea of chilren with disabilities in training class of children’s right. The students want to create a group consists of children with disabilities and ordinary children to study together, From the assistance of teachers, the project “Increased accountability to eliminate violence and discrimination against children with disabilities” (implemented by the Action to the Community Development Institute, under the fund of Save the Children HongKong and within the coordination of Save the Children Vietnam), Quoc Anh and other 23 students (including handicapped and non-handicapped) have constructed the activity plan for the group. They independently prepared contents as well as organized 9 sessions focused on understanding children’s right.

Himself actively took part with the group attending the “Rights of children exploring Contest” through the artwork My Home

At the beginning, when the activity of the group faced many obstacles, Minh Phuong – a core member in the group shared her thoguhts:”Our study schedule are not aligned with each other so it is very hard to organize activity sessions. Other students are also varied in disabilities so sometimes we can’t share mutual understandings, even argue with each other”. The problem was gradually solved by mutual listening to each other and together coming up the plan. Quoc Anh, also acted as the group leader, had proactively distributed tasks suitable with each member’s disabilities, and courageously shared knowledge to the group. All other students, when witnessed the meaning of the activity group, proactively and positively attended too. Not restricted to group discussion, the children also actively created the Contest of Exploring children’s right. In here, children can learn more newly-updated knowledge, free to express their feelings, opinions about the rights to attend, protect of children via singing and role-playing performed by the organizer team.

Mr. Minh Sang (father of Quoc Anh, blue shirt on the left corner) attends the “Training on Children’s right for parents/caregivers of children with disability”

“When attended to the activity, I knew more new, beneficial knowledge, acquainted with many new friends, worked in group and together enrolled in the Contest, which witnessed myself having steady improvement steps. I hope the project to continue having many activities so I and other children with disabilities can contribute opinions, commence more ideas and connect to other parents to research better on children’s right”, Quoc Anh enthusiastically shared after the Contest ended.

Quoc Anh enthusiasticallty cooperate with teachers attending the Camp contest “Our children’s voice”

The initiative of Quoc Anh and friends not only brings many meanings to children but also land a positive impact on parents and teachers at school. Mr. Minh Sang – father of Quoc Anh, regardless of the bustling trading activities, always ready to join activities of the project. He shared:”After the training, group activity, I saw my son taught again the right of attendance to my daughter and listened to my son expressing his mind  also help me understood that this is a beneficial activity with my son. Therefore, after the school announced the training course for parents on children’s right, I registered to join right away. I want to equip with knowledge about children’s right to know to respect and protect my son”. 

With the teachers, children’s initiative is also an opportunity to understand more on children’s deisre, which serves for more suitable support approach to children. Mrs. Do Quyen – Director of Da Nang Support Centre for Inclusive Education Development opened her mind on the First year of Project’s result report Conference: “Among many activities, the centre too received many assistance from project both in term of knowledge and operation skills of conducting activities on children’s right. Attended students were very happy because this is the first activity on children’s right that has the combination in attendance of handicapped and non-handicapped children. They had the chance to portray their ability, speak out their voices, and propose sugesstions so teachers can better understand them”. 

Thus, Quoc Anh and other children are changing positively. This is the first successful step that the project “Increased accountability to eliminate violence and discrimination against children with disabilities” bring into play.