A lot has changed in the month since my last post. I got to go on even more work trips, meet youth just as inspiring as the ones in Ho Chi Minh City, and found out that my trip is being cut short by six months. Gotta take the good with the bad I guess!
After returning from HCMC, I spent a few days in Hanoi before traveling up to Quang Ninh province for an event with street youth in Halong City, located close to Halong Bay (a popular tourist attraction). We left at 4 a.m. Friday morning, and made the three-hour trip in two thanks to my skillful driver. Unfortunately, I couldn't conduct any interviews during the day because of problems with the Quang Ninh police (oh, Vietnam). The trip was well worth it, though, and I got to meet and interview several street youth before, during, and after the two-hour event. Below is an excerpt from the Success Story I wrote, about Project NAM's self-help groups in Quang Ninh.
Project NAM, the initiative run by Save the Children Vietnam that I was tasked with evaluating, has created a network of self-help groups to provide support for these youth throughout Quang Ninh. Project staff train Peer Educators (PEs) on topics ranging from HIV/AIDS prevention and where youth can go for counseling and testing services to how to engage in sex and drug use safely. These PEs – many of whom live on the street themselves – then organize self-help groups in locations that are convenient for the clients, such as parks and rental homes. There are four self-help groups in Quang Ninh, and each group has 25-30 members and meets for 2 hours per week. During meetings, clients not only learn how to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS through games and discussions, but are also provided with an emotionally supportive environment to share their stories and ask for help.
