Innovation for Children by Masterise and UNICEF Viet Nam
15-10-2023
15-10-2023
Climate change has significant impact on education, particularly in the Mekong Delta provinces, where thousands of children are unable to attend school. In order to promote education equality, Masterise Group and UNICEF Vietnam have collaborated on the "Innovation for Children" project since April 2022.
Bringing innovative solutions to help children in Soc Trang
Nhu, a 10-year-old Khmer girl, lives with her grandmother and younger sister in Soc Trang, Viet Nam while her parents live in another province for work. Drought, saline intrusion, and sea level rise resulting in water shortage threaten their health and education.
Without access to a proper latrine, Nhu uses a fish-pond latrine daily. Open defecation is still prevalent in her community.
Nhu avoids using the toilets at school. "They're inconvenient, especially when it's dark and rainy outside. I wish they were cleaner and safer for my classmates and me," she said.
"They're inconvenient, especially when it's dark and rainy outside. I wish they were cleaner and safer for my classmates and me,ā said Lam Thi Diem Nhu, 10 years old, a Khmer student from Long Phu C primary school, Soc Trang.
These challenges, in addition to open defecation in the community, put the health and education of children at risk. However, there is hope with new innovative technologies.
Innovative partnership for changes
UNICEF, with support fromāÆMasterise Group, is striving to improve the quality of education andāÆliving conditionsāÆfor children in Soc Trang.
Under this partnership, the "Innovation for Children" project introduces innovative water, sanitation, andāÆhygiene technologies, including a net-zero toilet device that converts wastewater into clean water using solar energy.
Nhu's school will be the first to benefit from this technology. The goal is to scale up this initiative to other areas affected by the climate crisis.
āUNICEF collaborates with partners to upgrade and renovate toilets at schools, usingāÆinnovative technologiesāÆand climate-resilient solutions to secure a sustainable future for children,ā said Nguyen Hong Hanh, WASH Officer of UNICEF Viet Nam.
Sį»± hį» trợ cį»§a Tįŗp ÄoĆ n Masterise cÅ©ng giĆŗp UNICEF thĆ nh lįŗp thʰ viį»n sį» bįŗ±ng tiįŗæng Viį»t vĆ tiįŗæng Khmer. SĆ”ng kiįŗæn nĆ y sįŗ½ nĆ¢ng cao hiį»u biįŗæt kỹ thuįŗt sį» vĆ tÄng cʰį»ng khįŗ£ nÄng tiįŗæp cįŗn vį»i cĆ”c tĆ i nguyĆŖn giĆ”o dỄc cho trįŗ» em, bao gį»m phįŗ§n mį»m Äį»c vĆ sĆ”ch kỹ thuįŗt sį» vį»i ngĆ“n ngữ ký hiį»u dĆ nh cho trįŗ» em khuyįŗæt tįŗt. Nhʰ ÄĆ£ có trįŗ£i nghiį»m Äįŗ§u tiĆŖn vį»i sĆ”ch kỹ thuįŗt sį» trĆŖn mĆ”y tĆnh bįŗ£ng.
"Con thįŗ„y khĆ” vui vĆ thĆŗ vį». Con mong muį»n hį»c khoa hį»c, Äį»c sĆ”ch vĆ khĆ”m phĆ” cĆ”c chį»§ Äį» khĆ”c nhau Äį» Äược vui chĘ”i vĆ hį»c tįŗp từ thʰ viį»n sį» nĆ y", Nhʰ nói.
Viį»c hợp tĆ”c cùng UNICEF Viį»t Nam cÅ©ng lĆ mį»t trong những hoįŗ”t Äį»ng trį»ng Äiį»m thuį»c chʰʔng trƬnh vƬ cį»ng Äį»ng āBuild A Better Futureā cį»§a tįŗp ÄoĆ n, bįŗÆt Äįŗ§u triį»n khai từ thĆ”ng 4/2022.
ChĆnh thức khį»i Äį»ng từ thĆ”ng 4/2022, chʰʔng trƬnh āBuild a Better Future - Kiįŗæn tįŗ”o tʰʔng laiā cį»§a Masterise Group ÄĆ£ thį»±c thi thĆ nh cĆ“ng những sĆ”ng kiįŗæn vĆ hoįŗ”t Äį»ng thiįŗæt thį»±c.
Tį»i nay, chʰʔng trƬnh ÄĆ£ vĆ Äang triį»n khai tį»ng cį»ng 34 dį»± Ć”n vį»i 1.148.533 ngʰį»i thỄ hʰį»ng trį»±c tiįŗæp vĆ giĆ”n tiįŗæp trĆŖn khįŗÆp cįŗ£ nʰį»c.
But that's not all. Masterise Group's support has enabled UNICEF to establish digital libraries in Vietnamese and Khmer languages. This initiative will enhance digital skills and provide access toāÆeducational resources, includingāÆsign languageāÆandāÆreading softwareāÆfor children with disabilities. Nhu had her first experience with aāÆdigital bookāÆon a tablet and found it fascinating.
I want to learn science, read books, and explore different topics from this digital library," she said.
As part of Masterise Group's "Build a Better Future" community program, cooperation with UNICEF Vietnam is a key activity that commenced in April 2022.
Since its official launch in April 2022, the "Build a Better Future" program by Masterise Group has implemented practical initiatives and activities. To date, the program has completed 34 projects, benefiting 1,148,533 individuals directly and indirectly throughout the country.