Phung, a former street child, returns to streets of Ho Chi Minh City to help young street children understand about children’s rights and basic health issues, including protection against HIV/AIDS, the disease that affects more than 280,000 children in Viet Nam today.
Phung, 15, walked about Gia Dinh Park, looking for children about her age. The search began from a parking lot, up the sidewalk where couples are dancing to the cha-cha-cha, past a miniature merry-go-round, and across the street to a sidewalk where vendors sold jellies with coconut crème soup. It was a fine winter evening for most park-goers, but for street children, this was when they made their living to support their families.
“One, two, three… There they are!” says Phung, pacing towards a group of children.
Despite Viet Nam’s fast growing economy, there are more than 12,000 children making their living on the streets in Ho Chi Minh City. Children roam the city, selling chewing gums, lottery tickets, and flowers or collecting plastic bottles from trash bins, or in some cases even themselves. They are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS transmission, drug abuse, and sexual exploitation.
“HIV/AIDS is a big, big, big problem here. Ho Chi Minh City has the second highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Viet Nam,” says Le Thi Thu Thuy, Thao Dan Programme Manager.
Phung led the children to relax on the sidewalk where they quickly exchanged stories of the day. Then, Phung started singing a song. Others quickly joined and clapped along. They were in their world and for a short moment, they muted the noisy honking of motorcycles and the harsh reality of street children’s lives.
After the group finished singing, Phung handed out leaflets about HIV/AIDS and drawings about children’s rights.
“We talk about HIV/AIDS, children’s rights, girls’ puberty and physical development. At the beginning they don’t know anything about HIV prevention and transmission. Now, they know how to protect themselves,” Phung says with a smile.
Phung and her friend Tam sat chatting with the group for the next 20 minutes until the children stood up, walked away and disappeared among the crowd.
Tam and Phung sit on a sidewalk talking to a group of street children about HIV/AIDS prevention, children’s rights, and daily gossip.
Teens talking to teens
Since 2005, Save the Children Sweden has been working with Thao Dan Center to establish and train peer educators like Phung to help other street children.
“We teach young peer educators about their rights, life skills, knowledge on HIV/AIDS, and sexual and reproductive health of young teens,” says Trinh Tuan Minh, Thao Dan’s project officer who is still continuing to work with 12 other peer educators.
“The young peer educators’ self-confidence has increased. Now they can organise activities by themselves with little support from adults,” Minh says.
For Phung, she is now back in school, helps her mom preparing desert mix in the late afternoons, and meets street children in the evenings.
“I feel happy doing what I do. I feel very happy when other street children share things with me and confide with me about their problems. It’s important to let them know that there are people who care for and can help them. I hope that they will continue to learn more about HIV/AIDS,” Phung says.
Story by Pariphan Uawithya
Photos by Jack Picone
Phung bicycles from home to the park twice a week to meet street children.
Phung and Tam look for street children at a park. They usually bring badminton racquets, croquet sets, and other games to play with street children at the park.
“We teach young peer educators about their rights, life skills, knowledge on HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health of young teens,” says Trinh Tuan Minh, Thao Dan’s project officer who is still continuing to work with 12 other peer educators.