Wpf Final Draft

Inspiring young activists… dance4life empowers young people to push back the spread of HIV/AIDS. Students in schools throughout Vietnam are educated in dance-filled workshops led by a team of peer educators, including young people living with HIV, gaining both life skills and HIV/AIDS awareness. By 2014, dance4life Vietnam will have inspired 75,000 young Vietnamese to become involved in the global struggle against HIV/AIDS as agents of change, joining a global community of 1 million young dance4life activists.

WPF Vietnam wishes to thank its major funding partners who make this work possible: including EC; Government of The Netherlands; The World Bank; and the Ford Foundation.

“Without a doubt, this is the greatest HIV prevention event that I ever took part in. It is exciting and very innovative. I always feel overjoyed when I join the team to perform somewhere." Hoai Anh, Peer Educator Empowering disabled young people… WPF equips hearing impaired young people with knowledge, skills and confidence so they can understand their sexuality and make good decisions concerning their SRH. In partnership with Xa Dan School, WPF developed the first SRH related sign-language glossary and associated curriculum in Vietnam, enabling students to understand and defend their SRH rights. With support and guidance from WPF, Xa Dan School now provides regular extra-circular activities, family support and counseling. “I like the glossary. It is so beautiful and easy to understand and use.” Pham Duy Thien, student of class 7B, Xa Dan school

WPF Vietnam staff are available for consultancies and we welcome your enquiries. For such enquiries, or for further information, or simply to share ideas, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact us at: WPF Vietnam Address: Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, Building D1, Suite 108-112 Hanoi, Vietnam e-mail: [email protected] Tel: (84-4) 3846 4584 Fax: (84-4) 3846 4583 website: www.wpf.org

World Population Foundation Vietnam

A Global Vision… The World Population Foundation (WPF) works in Asia, Africa and Europe where it: • promotes a rights-based approach to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) creating an environment which enables everyone, but especially the most marginalized, to realize these SHR rights • works for a world in which all people have access to high quality sexuality education, counseling, SRH services and supplies. WPF began in 1987 and, since 1994, has based its work on the Programme of Action of the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development and more recently also on the M i l l e n n i u m Development Goals relating to Gender and Empowerment of Women (Goal 3), Maternal Health (Goal 5) and HIV/AIDS (Goal 6). Through evidence based advocacy and interventions, WPF works with partners to ensure peoples’ • right to make informed decisions regarding their sexual life and reproductive health • right to self determination in sexual and reproductive matters • right to affordable, accessible and high quality SRH care • right to access family planning counseling, condoms and other and contraceptives • right to a life free from sexual abuse or coercion

In Viet Nam… WPF has worked in Vietnam since 1995, with an office in Hanoi since 2000. During this time WPF has worked with both Government and Non-Government partners using creative approaches that connect with young people. This has included HIV/ AIDS prevention through dance and music; reaching rural and urban youth through interactive theatre; empowering hearing impaired youth and young offenders through sexuality education and counseling; developing a CD based curriculum for student teachers and their future students; and capacity building for the provision of youth friendly services. Vietnam has had some notable achievements in reproductive health such as reducing the Maternal Mortality Ratio, but many challenges remain. For example: • gender issues such as sexual/domestic violence and boy preference • discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; • the prevention of HIV/STIs • the lack of awareness, and the prevention, of child sexual abuse • The high rate of unplanned pregnancy and abortion WPF Vietnam will seek the resources to build local capacity to address these issues WPF Vietnam’s creative and innovative programme is...

Valuing the life of every young person… WPF has supported the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) since 2001 to provide carefully designed SRH programmes for adolescent offenders in Vietnam’s four reform schools. WPF has enabled the MPS to provide a stable, engaging, and emotionally nurturing school environment through effective SRH education, counseling, peer education, and extra-curricular activities. Students also receive vocational and life-skills training, enabling them to return to their communities educated and empowered. “I have learnt a lot about sexual and reproductive health in the school. I’ll tell my friends what I’ve learnt. If I have problems I know I can go to the counselors.” 15- year-old student in reform school.

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Educating adolescents… After international success, WPF brought “The World Starts with Me” to Vietnam in 2007. This innovative computer-based SRH training package was renamed “Journey to Adulthood” and adapted to local culture by students and teachers of Danang University of Education. It enhances students’ SRH knowledge and skills through games, drawing, roleplay and poster design as well as an interactive CD ROM. Students are also equipped with the skills needed to effectively teach secondary school students about sexuality in a lively and engaging way. Engaging rural and urban youth… WPF has worked with the Youth Union and young rural actors since 2001 developing interactive theatre as a creative and sustainable way of reaching young people in villages of Nam Dinh, Nghe An and Ninh Binh as well as Hanoi and HCMC. The aim is to promote reproductive rights and reduce STI’s, teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortions, by opening new and accessible communication channels.