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These young Vietnamese fight against child abuse

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“I’ll never forget the story of a nine-year-old girl who was sexually abused by her stepfather after her parents got divorced,” said Tran Phuong Dung, founder of The Angels’ Halos Organization.

The Angels’ Halos Organization is a group of young Vietnamese who work with other young people to prevent child abuse and offer psychological support to victims of bullying. 

The organization, based in Ho Chi Minh City, currently boasts 100 members, all of whom are intent on stamping out all forms of mistreatment against children.

Phuong Dung, 18, is one of the founders of The Angels’ Halos Organization and has since worked to grow it into a pillar of support for young people affected by abuse and violence. 

“I hope to help educate others on abuse and violence against children in a way that allows me to approach both parents and young people and help anyone in need,” said Dung.

Youth helping youth

Nguyen Ngoc Minh Anh, Ly Thi Minh Anh, Dang Linh Nhi, Pham Linh Dan, and Tran Phuong Dung founded The Angels’ Halos together in 2020. 

All are university students except Nhi, who is a twelfth grader.

Dung was inspired to help found the group after hearing of a nine-year-old girl who had been abused by her stepfather.

“I began researching how to start a nonprofit the moment I heard the story,” Dung recounted.  

“Then I drew up a strategic plan and shared it with my friends.”

The other four agreed to join Dung in launching the organization as they also felt sympathy for the little girl.

They split up the responsibilities evenly, with one handling communication, another taking care of human resources, and the third dealing with design. 

The more they developed The Angels’ Halos, the more tragic stories of child abuse the founders heard, and the more effort they put into building their organization.

They keep updating their group’s Facebook page with information on child abuse prevention; translating articles from newspapers, scientific journals, and prestigious organizations; and educating others on how to handle child abuse situations they may be aware of.

In June 2020, the team opened a so-called ‘confession channel’ which served as an online forum for young people to share their personal stories of abuse.

“We once got a phone call from a tenth grader who was being bullied at school,” Dung recalled.

“She cried a lot during her first call while she’s trying to tell us what happened. 

“Her friends had abandoned her whereas her classmates had thrown her notebooks away and poured water on them.”

For two months, the group patiently listened to the student as she recounted her story. 

They offered advice on approaching her parents and school administrators until the student finally started to cheer up.

Growing more mature

The Angels’ Halos Organization now boasts over 100 members aged 15 to 21.

“I wanted to take part in a project with a mission that I feel strongly about,” said Bao Tran, a member of The Angels’ Halos.  

Through volunteering with the group, Bao Tran has learned soft skills, participated in a variety of after-school activities, and sharpened her technical know-how. 

She also spends a significant amount of time learning about key issues in the fight against child abuse and children’s rights in general.

“I have been transformed into a better person,” she said.

“I have become more mature than I was before.”

Minh Anh, a first-year student at Hanoi Medical University, also volunteers with The Angels’ Halos by sharing reports from journals such as Psychological Bulletin and Journal of Applied Psychology.

The Angels’ Halos works with BlueBlue Hotline – a Hanoi-based group of young people that connects psychologists to those in need of professional mental support.

11 days working with BlueBlue Hotline

BlueBlue Hotline was born from the collaboration between two teams – one in Ho Chi Minh City and one in Hanoi.

It was launched with the aim of helping teenagers and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project has helped more than 60 young people deal with mental health issues since it launched in July. 

The young who call the hotline are given support in coping with their individual struggles, understanding themselves, harnessing their strengths, and overcoming challenges. 

If the caller is in need, the group connects them with a licensed psychologist. 

The entire process is free-of-charge.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20211212/these-young-vietnamese-fight-against-child-abuse/64659.html

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Vietnam’s Dien Bien to close airport for 8-month expansion project

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Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has issued a decision to temporarily shut Dien Bien Airport in the namesake northern upland province for eight months for an upgrade and expansion, starting from mid-April.

The airport, located in Thanh Truong Ward in Dien Bien Phu City, will be closed from April 15 to December 17 this year.

The current Dien Bien Airport was restored from Muong Thanh Airport, which was constructed by the French.

The airport has a runway which is 1,830 meters in length and 30 meters in width, three aprons, and a passenger terminal that was built in 2004 and has an annual capacity of 300,000 passengers.

Due to the short runway and simple landing systems, Dien Bien Airport only serves ATR 72 turboprops and Embraer 190 jets, which can transport a maximum 114 passengers.

The Dien Bien Airport expansion project is aimed at making it capable of handling modern Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft and the equivalent airliners.

VASCO, a subsidiary of national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, and Bamboo Airways are operating air routes connecting Dien Bien with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam is in charge of managing and operating Dien Bien Airport.

Work on the Dien Bien Airport expansion project started on January 22 last year, with total capital of nearly VND1.47 trillion (US$62.3 million) sourced from the Airports Corporation of Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Dien Bien Province set aside VND1.56 trillion ($66.1 million) from its budget for site clearance.

The project includes lengthening the runway to 2,400 meters and widening it to 45 meters, rebuilding runway turn pads, building more taxiways, installing light systems, and developing some supporting components.

After the expansion project is completed, the passenger terminal of Dien Bien Airport will have two floors and an annual capacity of 500,000 passengers.

The project is slated for completion in the third quarter of 2023.

The Dien Bien People’s Committee had earlier sent a dispatch to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam reaching a consensus on temporarily closing Dien Bien Airport from April 1, but work on some components was delayed, scrapping the plan.

In 2019, Dien Bien welcomed some 845,000 tourists, with 25,300 of them traveling to the province by air, local media reported.

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Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has issued a decision to temporarily shut Dien Bien Airport in the namesake northern upland province for eight months for an upgrade and expansion, starting from mid-April.

The airport, located in Thanh Truong Ward in Dien Bien Phu City, will be closed from April 15 to December 17 this year.

The current Dien Bien Airport was restored from Muong Thanh Airport, which was constructed by the French.

The airport has a runway which is 1,830 meters in length and 30 meters in width, three aprons, and a passenger terminal that was built in 2004 and has an annual capacity of 300,000 passengers.

Due to the short runway and simple landing systems, Dien Bien Airport only serves ATR 72 turboprops and Embraer 190 jets, which can transport a maximum 114 passengers.

The Dien Bien Airport expansion project is aimed at making it capable of handling modern Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft and the equivalent airliners.

VASCO, a subsidiary of national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, and Bamboo Airways are operating air routes connecting Dien Bien with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam is in charge of managing and operating Dien Bien Airport.

Work on the Dien Bien Airport expansion project started on January 22 last year, with total capital of nearly VND1.47 trillion (US$62.3 million) sourced from the Airports Corporation of Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Dien Bien Province set aside VND1.56 trillion ($66.1 million) from its budget for site clearance.

The project includes lengthening the runway to 2,400 meters and widening it to 45 meters, rebuilding runway turn pads, building more taxiways, installing light systems, and developing some supporting components.

After the expansion project is completed, the passenger terminal of Dien Bien Airport will have two floors and an annual capacity of 500,000 passengers.

The project is slated for completion in the third quarter of 2023.

The Dien Bien People’s Committee had earlier sent a dispatch to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam reaching a consensus on temporarily closing Dien Bien Airport from April 1, but work on some components was delayed, scrapping the plan.

In 2019, Dien Bien welcomed some 845,000 tourists, with 25,300 of them traveling to the province by air, local media reported.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230322/vietnams-dien-bien-to-close-airport-for-8month-expansion-project/72212.html

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Ho Chi Minh City household raising 82 dogs fined for causing environmental pollution

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A household in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City that breeds 82 dogs as pets in a 2.6m-wide house has been fined VND64 million (US$2,724) for causing environmental pollution.

A representative of the People’s Committee of Ward 9 in District 4, where the family of Nguyen Thi My Thanh — the owner of the dogs — resides, confirmed the information to Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday.

In particular, Thanh’s family was fined VND40 million ($1,698) for discharging wastewater which exceeds the criteria by over 10 times and VND24 million ($1,019) for releasing wastewater with a pH level above the permitted.

The household was also asked to take measures to deal with the environmental pollution and pay measurement and sample analysis fees.

According to the representative of the People’s Committee of Ward 9, most of the 82 dogs are puppies and sick canines that other people brought to Thanh’s house.

Local residents have repeatedly complained that Thanh dumped the dogs’ excrement directly into the drainage system in front of her house and left them unbridled, causing environmental pollution and danger for residents.

The Ward 9 authorities asked Thanh to install glass doors to prevent odor from affecting her neighborhood. 

District 4 officials also offered the family ways to minimize the impact of the dog breeding on the environment and neighbors. 

However, Thanh’s family failed to follow the instructions.

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A household in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City that breeds 82 dogs as pets in a 2.6m-wide house has been fined VND64 million (US$2,724) for causing environmental pollution.

A representative of the People’s Committee of Ward 9 in District 4, where the family of Nguyen Thi My Thanh — the owner of the dogs — resides, confirmed the information to Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday.

In particular, Thanh’s family was fined VND40 million ($1,698) for discharging wastewater which exceeds the criteria by over 10 times and VND24 million ($1,019) for releasing wastewater with a pH level above the permitted.

The household was also asked to take measures to deal with the environmental pollution and pay measurement and sample analysis fees.

According to the representative of the People’s Committee of Ward 9, most of the 82 dogs are puppies and sick canines that other people brought to Thanh’s house.

Local residents have repeatedly complained that Thanh dumped the dogs’ excrement directly into the drainage system in front of her house and left them unbridled, causing environmental pollution and danger for residents.

The Ward 9 authorities asked Thanh to install glass doors to prevent odor from affecting her neighborhood. 

District 4 officials also offered the family ways to minimize the impact of the dog breeding on the environment and neighbors. 

However, Thanh’s family failed to follow the instructions.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230322/ho-chi-minh-city-household-raising-82-dogs-fined-for-causing-environmental-pollution/72215.html

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Finland aims to attract high-quality human resources from Vietnam

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Vietnam is one of the four countries from which Finland is aiming to attract high-skilled personnel through a talent-seeking program that has been introduced in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Commercial Section of the Finnish Embassy in Vietnam held a conference on Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City to debut the Talent Boost program, which helps seek high-quality human resources from Vietnam, as well as from Brazil, Turkey, and India.

The program was presented by a Finnish delegation involved in education and work, including Laura Lindeman, senior director and head of work in the Finland Unit at Business Finland, a government organization for innovation funding and trade, travel and investment promotion.

Under the program, Finland attracts talents from students to professionals such as doctors, nurses, information technology and clean engineers, and start-up entrepreneurs, Lindeman said.

Those who are professionals will undergo procedures for diploma recognition, which will take about a year, she added. 

It is estimated that the Finnish technology industry alone will need 130,000 new workers in the next 10 years, the conference was told. 

With a population of only over 5.5 million people, Finland offers plenty of job opportunities to foreign talents, especially those in technological fields.

The Vietnamese community in Finland has about 10,000 people, a quite large foreign community that has good relations with locals, Lindeman said in reply to why Vietnam is included in the Talent Boost program.

Vietnam has a young population with a lot of potential capabilities that can be appropriate for jobs abroad, while Finland is a country offering many good opportunities for such jobs, she added.

Along with its policy of attracting foreign talents, Finland also provides foreign companies operating in the country with financial support, recruitment assistance, and a fair business environment.

In the near future, the Talent Boost program will also be broadly introduced to universities, companies, and startup communities in Vietnam, the conference was told.

Finland also has programs that provide expats with assistance in cultural integration as well as support for their spouses and children so that they can live satisfactorily and happily in the host country.

Finland has so far been named the happiest country in the world for six consecutive years, according to the 2023 World Happiness Report, an annual publication of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network under the United Nations. 

The Finns’ happy lifestyle is rooted in social stability and welfare, according to the report.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnam is one of the four countries from which Finland is aiming to attract high-skilled personnel through a talent-seeking program that has been introduced in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Commercial Section of the Finnish Embassy in Vietnam held a conference on Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City to debut the Talent Boost program, which helps seek high-quality human resources from Vietnam, as well as from Brazil, Turkey, and India.

The program was presented by a Finnish delegation involved in education and work, including Laura Lindeman, senior director and head of work in the Finland Unit at Business Finland, a government organization for innovation funding and trade, travel and investment promotion.

Under the program, Finland attracts talents from students to professionals such as doctors, nurses, information technology and clean engineers, and start-up entrepreneurs, Lindeman said.

Those who are professionals will undergo procedures for diploma recognition, which will take about a year, she added. 

It is estimated that the Finnish technology industry alone will need 130,000 new workers in the next 10 years, the conference was told. 

With a population of only over 5.5 million people, Finland offers plenty of job opportunities to foreign talents, especially those in technological fields.

The Vietnamese community in Finland has about 10,000 people, a quite large foreign community that has good relations with locals, Lindeman said in reply to why Vietnam is included in the Talent Boost program.

Vietnam has a young population with a lot of potential capabilities that can be appropriate for jobs abroad, while Finland is a country offering many good opportunities for such jobs, she added.

Along with its policy of attracting foreign talents, Finland also provides foreign companies operating in the country with financial support, recruitment assistance, and a fair business environment.

In the near future, the Talent Boost program will also be broadly introduced to universities, companies, and startup communities in Vietnam, the conference was told.

Finland also has programs that provide expats with assistance in cultural integration as well as support for their spouses and children so that they can live satisfactorily and happily in the host country.

Finland has so far been named the happiest country in the world for six consecutive years, according to the 2023 World Happiness Report, an annual publication of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network under the United Nations. 

The Finns’ happy lifestyle is rooted in social stability and welfare, according to the report.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230322/finland-aims-to-attract-highquality-human-resources-from-vietnam/72216.html

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