Ngoc Steps on the Stage of Knowledge

Sometimes, not having the answers can lead you to an important learning experience. This is what 14-year-old Lo Thanh Ngoc learned recently when she attended a CWS educational event on reproductive health and child marriage prevention at her school in Vietnam.

Like many of her peers, Ngoc was shy and had never set foot on a stage. However, during a warm-up game, she and some of her friends accidentally broke the rules, leading them to an unexpected opportunity. According to the game’s protocol, rule-breakers were invited to join the lead teacher on stage. Ngoc and her friends were hesitant but summoned up the courage to participate in a game called “Mysterious Gift Box,” designed to challenge their knowledge.

The first question was, “What is child marriage and what are its consequences?” Ngoc shook her head and said, “I don’t know.” Her whole group of friends tried to help but no one had the right answer.

The question that followed was simple but offered Ngoc some clarity. “How old is your mother this year?” the teacher asked. After a moment of thought, Ngoc responded, “My mother is turning 30 this year.” As she calculated her mother’s age, Ngoc had an enlightening realization: her mother had given birth to her when she was just 16 years old. This realization brought tears to Ngoc’s eyes and those of her friends, but it also brought a gentle smile to Ngoc’s face. She whispered softly, “Now I understand; in my village, people still marry so early.”

After the game, Ngoc’s shyness turned into excitement as she shared, “I’ve never been on stage because I’m afraid I won’t be able to answer questions. Thank you to the teacher for helping me with the answers. I hope to have more games like this, so we can gain more knowledge for ourselves.”

The teacher who had been leading the event, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuong, shared her own reflections: “I have realized one thing which is not to be greedy for knowledge and instead understand students’ abilities and ask appropriate questions that students can answer and will help them feel confident and bold.”

By seeking knowledge with humility and honest questions, the teachers and children of this school are working together to ensure young generations make the best decisions possible for a safe and happy life.

To learn more about CWS’ work in Vietnam, visit our website.

Building Sanitary Latrines in Hua Chit Village, Vietnam

In the village of Hua Chit, high in the mountains of Ta Hua commune in Vietnam, 46 families live without access to sanitary latrines. The small village is home to 211 people, all of whom are part of the H’Mong ethnic minority group. Due to the limited access of sanitation facilities, many families would relieve themselves near the local stream or behind their homes, which posed health risks for the community.

“People in the village have had a long habit of defecating outside—near the stream or in the forest, on the upland field or behind the bushes near their house,” Mr. Khang A. Lau, Hua Chit’s general secretary, told us.

CWS hosted a Community-Led Total Sanitation event for local families to discuss the process of building sanitary latrines and health risks of open defecation. Participants were invited to join a technical hands-on training, where they learned how to make concrete rings for the foundation and use local materials, like bamboo and wooden planks, to reduce building costs.

“I didn’t think building sanitary latrines would be so simple and cheap,” said Mr. Lau. “It costs about 1.3 million VND [$60] for construction materials to make concrete rings and the roof. Thanks to the training, we will be able to build latrines ourselves without depending on outside workers. In addition, it is now convenient for villagers when they want to build a sanitary latrine.”

Since participating in the CWS-supported training, Hua Chit has 16 new latrines, and its community members have already set a goal for every family to have their own sanitary latrines by early next year.

We’re proud to walk alongside our neighbors in Hua Chit as they take steps towards healthier futures.

Mrs. Dau’s Commitment Towards a Safer and Healthier Home

High up in the Vietnamese mountains is a village called Noong Ma, which is home to 43 hardworking families. These families are all part of the Kho Mu and H’Mong ethnic minority groups. Like many other minorities in rural communities, the people in Noong Ma face a number of challenges. Heads of households often travel far distances to find work, and community members face severe health risks due to a lack of hygiene and sanitation facilities. These issues are worsened as many families do not have their own latrines, which means people have to relive themselves in the forests and or streams.

CWS knew that the first step needed was open conversations with the members of the community. Through a series of community awareness sessions, community members learned about the risks of open defecation and the diseases that arise when latrines are not used. These sessions were taught in the native language of the community and helped the members understand the benefits of using and owning a latrine.

One of the eager participants at these community awareness sessions was Mrs. Ly Thi Dau, a 47-year-old H’Mong woman. Mrs. Dau lives with her husband, their two sons, her daughter-in-law and her grandson. After attending the sessions she shared, “now I understand the need to build a sanitary latrine and why my grandson has had stunted growth. It’s because he is infected with worms and couldn’t grow well.” After learning that open defecation likely caused her grandson’s health problems, Mrs. Dau told CWS she talked to her husband about building a latrine. While her husband was on board, neither of them knew how to build a latrine. They were also afraid that if they hired someone to build it for them, it would be very expensive. Many other people in the village shared this same concern.

In response, in October 2021, CWS organized a training session to teach the members of the community how to build their own latrines. Along with many of her neighbors, Mrs. Dau enthusiastically participated in the training. This training was led by CWS and their partners from the District Health Center and Commune Health Station. Together, the group built a sample sanitary latrine to learn how to build one of their own. “The training is easy to understand. I joined in digging the septic tank, and installing the mold to make the tank and the squat pan. Now I can do it myself,” said Mrs. Dau with excitement. She told us that immediately after the training, she and her husband agreed to build their own latrine. To Mrs. Dau and her family’s relief, the calculated cost was much lower than expected.

In order to build latrines in the most efficient manner, Mrs. Dau had the clever idea to reach out to five more families who had attended the training. The families included the Ly A Daos, Ly A Khays, Ly A Giangs, Vang A Phuas, and Sung Thi Tras. Together, the group collaborated by saving money, splitting the shipping cost of the materials and sharing the laborers they hired to assist them.

With their knowledge and commitment to improving the health and safety of their village, the group became a powerhouse. Officials of the People’s Committee and Commune Health Station provided the group supervision to ensure the latrines were built properly. Through hard work and dedication, the six families completed building their latrines by November 2021.

Mrs. Dau shared that before, “most of the village did not have latrines, so it was very difficult when there was a need for defecation. When it rained, the road was slippery, and it smelled bad.” She explained that “it was easy to run into others which made me feel very shy. Now that I have a latrine, my life is much better.” Mrs. Dau’s desire and commitment to a better life for her and her family is recognizable in her commitment to building her own latrine.

In its commitment to helping other families with this same goal, CWS reached out to the families in the other residential areas in the village. In these areas, training and the building of latrines were done in groups to ensure efficiency and collaboration, as Mrs. Dau’s team had. Little by little, each family has started building their own latrines and working toward an open-defecation-free village. Together, the people in Noong Ma are building a safer and cleaner village for generations to come.