Children now access their own ethnic language at school in Trung Khanh

Through a ChildFund program in Vietnam, dad and teaching volunteer Hoang Van Nhinh has been able to help not only his own two children to access their native minority language of Mong, but other children as well.

Nhinh and his family live in Trung Khanh district which is home to three ethnic minority groups Tay, Nung, and Mong, each with their own language.

Mong, as the smallest ethnic minority, is the least spoken and taught at community schools causing Nhinh to worry that Mong children, including his own two, would miss out on learning in their language.

"Participating in the assisting parents' program has given me a deeper understanding of the teacher's role and the challenges faced by students," Nhinh says.

"I am thrilled to see my children and other children making progress."

In 2018, ChildFund launched the "Being Confident to Reach Dreams" project in six communes of Trung Khanh, to support teachers and students, especially Mong children, through training parent volunteers. Nhinh jumped at the opportunity to help his children and others in the community and joined the project.

Through training sessions, Nhinh developed new skills like teaching in bilingual classes, supporting children's learning, and promoting gender equality. He then implemented his skills by starting as an assistant in his son's 4-year-old class.

Initially shy, Nhinh now confidently acts as a bridge between the teacher and students, translating between Mong and Vietnamese, teaching popular Mong vocabulary, and bringing excitement to the classroom with translated songs.

Nhinh's involvement made a significant impact on Mong students. It's breaking down language barriers, improving communication, and boosting their enthusiasm for learning. He has also dedicated more time to tutoring his children at home.

Over the three years, the project established three assisting parent groups in primary schools and three in preschools. Each group consisting of four to five members. The positive impact of the assisting parent model has been felt throughout the project's communes, with children having more opportunities to learn and play and parents becoming more proactive in their children's education.

This is just one of the projects that ChildFund has been working on with communities in Vietnam.