January 2006. A CIRCLE partner in Ha Noi, Vietnam, the Center for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender, Family, Women and Adolescents (CSAGA), is currently working with 15 youth volunteers from leading universities. Through CIRCLE, the volunteers are teaching formal school subjects to 40 urban poor children who cannot attend formal schools due to poverty and the demands of work in the city. Most of them work as rubbish pickers and vendors and the rest beg to survive, exposing them to crime, accidents, street violence, and the drug trade.

CSAGA has trained youth volunteers to incorporate 'living values' education as an important component of academic subjects. Classes are held in a donated space close to the children's work and homes, depending on the children's availability. CSAGA believes that the inculcation of life skills and living values promote meaningful and relevant education for the young. Values such as peace, respect, cooperation, happiness, responsibility (among others) help empower children to believe in themselves; respect others and make good choices to promote their own their rights. Together with values education, the teaching of life skills helps children cope with day-to-day life, preparing them to choose education and safe work. CSAGA will provide support in enabling them to live their decisions.

Active teaching methodologies and learning-centered techniques enable children to accept their own difficult situations, process their experience and internalize the intended value.

Such was the case of 12 year-old Duong, now in level 3, who rarely expressed herself and showed so much unforgiveness for her father. In one lesson on happiness, the youth volunteer asked Duong to tell her story, facilitating a discussion among the children, giving additional inputs on the topic. She also asked Duong and others to draw a family picture and talk about happiness in the family. In a positive way, Duong was able to come forth and confront her anger, ending with a realization that she cannot be happy with herself and others if she does not free herself from negative attitudes in life. Slowly, the children experienced a more free, confident and happy Duong, ready to succeed in her class and face challenges toward many more bright tomorrows.

Funding provided by the United States Department of Labor under cooperative agreements E-9-K-2-0048 and E-9-K-4-0005.
Information on this web site is provided and maintained by Winrock International.
The U.S. Government is not responsible for the veracity of information contained on this site.