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Aid Program Report 2002
Pursuant to the activities of 2001, the assistance from Think the Earth Project was implemented for the "Child Link Program" in Vietnam and Nepal.
Nepal: Danusha
2002 was the ten-year anniversary since the commencement of Save the Children Japan's (SCJ) activities. The direct effect from armed conflict in conjunction with the growing political unrest due to the Maoist Guerilla was minimal, however, the development budget for the states and villages were cast into a standstill, and SCJ faced many difficulties such as not being able to implement activities as planned.
In this region, one out of two children is not enrolled in school. In collaboration with village offices, local inhabitants, and parents, SCJ has implemented the project aiming "for a day when all children may go to school." In conducting activities, SCJ most highly values providing assistance from the sidelines, the inhabitants and listening to the voices of the children rather than taking all initiative. |
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2002 Performance
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Committee to improve school education
SCJ created a structure with the principal, teachers, village office representatives, lower caste inhabitant representatives, and parent representatives for each school. The committee also planned and implemented various activities in order to allow all children to attend school. |
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Literary Education to Prepare for School Enrollment
90 nine-month literary classes were held for children from ages 8 to 14 who do not attend school. 94% (2052 students) of the participants completed these classes and have begun to transfer into public grade schools. |
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Scholarship
SCJ provided uniforms to children of low castes or poor families who attend school daily. |
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School Buildings/Makeshift Classrooms
As a measure for the shortage of school infrastructure and schools whose decrepit infrastructure causes difficulties in teaching, SCJ provided partial assistance in building a new brick school building. Moreover, SCJ assisted the construction of makeshift classrooms made of thatched roofs. |
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Volunteer Teachers
For schools facing shortage of teachers, volunteer teachers from villages who have had elementary educational training were dispatched. |
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In addition to the above activities, educational activities such as school enrollment campaigns were conducted; as a result, the enrollment of children, which was 52% in April 2001, rose to 72% by March 2003. |
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Future Issues
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Putting heads together with Members of the Boards for School Improvement and regional inhabitants, and while listening to the voices of the children, SCJ would like to conceptualize measures to enable children who cannot at the moment attend school, such as children from low castes, girls who are forced to marry, children with disabilities, and children who must work, to attend school. Moreover, in order to prevent drop-out of children already in school, SCJ will provide training for teachers, regional inhabitants will monitor schools, and make visits to homes of children who are absent from school. |
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Anita from the Khariyani Village
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The village of Khariyani, where Anita lives and where Think the Earth Project provided assistance in 2001 has a population of 9500, with 1600 households. Aasaman, a NGO established by a former staff member of SCJ conducts many meetings and training with the local people, and created a plan to enable all children of ages 5 to 14 to attend school and has begun implementing such. As a result, of the 2341 children of ages 5 to 14 in Khariyani, as of March 2003, 1592 children (68%) are enrolled in school. |
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2002 Nepal Child Link Project Expenses
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JPY 35,181,688-
20% has been calculated as the management fee.
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Vietnam: Vinh Loc District, Thanh Hoa Province
This rural area is situated 160 kilometers south of the capital, Hanoi. Approximately one-third of the children of this region are malnourished. Often children become malnourished due to common practices passed on from their parents' generation. On the other hand, there are households who make good use of the foods available in this economically strained, poor region, or using their wisdom for child bearing to raise healthy children. SCJ applies the wisdom and useful customs of the people of the region while implementing "Integrated Child Nutrition Programme" to eradicate malnutrition among children. |
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2002 Performance
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Almost every month, the children were weighed to measure and record their growth and nutritional status. Moreover, SCJ spoke with mothers about such results and offered advice. When the measurements were first taken in May 2001, 39% of the entire child population was malnourished, however, by March 2002; this ratio fell to 27%, and to 22% by May 2003. (The national average for Vietnam is 33%).
As measures, SCJ specifically conducted the following activities:
- SCJ made porridge with low cost foods high in nutritional value readily available in the village and fed it to the children.
- On the 15th of each month, SCJ conducted health examination for pregnant women to ensure safe delivery.
- SCJ conducted demonstrations on how to cook nutritionally balance meals, and training in respect to vaccinations of tetanus and prevention of anemia.
These activities had been conducted before with involvement only from the health and NGO staff, but the active involvement of the village lead to a change of consciousness of the entire village beginning with the village officials. |
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2002 Vietnam Child Link Project Expenses
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JPY 27,951,717-
20% has been calculated as the management fee |
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** The program which began in the Vinh Loc District region in May 2001 came to a close in March 2003.
Although the projects conducted directly by SCJ has finished, the local residents continue such activities. Trang unfortunately passed away due to malnutrition despite Think the Earth's assistance through the Child Link in 2001, yet, her mother uses her information and knowledge obtained through the project to nurture Trang's brother. We hopes that the village will come together to nurture children in difficult situation.
** "Child Link" in Vietnam, which had provided assistance on a village basis will expand to "Vietnam Link" which will provide assistance to the entire nation. Assigning a cap per village places a large burden on the local project operation and project activities. Moreover, pursuing the growth of one child in a village would gives rise to inequality and sometimes those providing the assistance were greatly saddened as a result. After reviewing a system in which the local activities may be supported by those offering aid for a long span of time, SCJ has decided to consolidate all projects conducted by SCJ in Vietnam to one fund. With esteem for this idea, Think the Earth will continue to provide assistance in 2003. |
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Activities at a Glance
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A girl from the low caste speaks at the board meeting on behalf of children |
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Anita studies at school |
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School lunch |
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Trang passed away in February 2002. Her brother, Tien, and mother, and their families house can be seen in the background. |
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