Lam succeeds with help from his friends

A peer support project in Vietnam is enabling children with disabilities to integrate into mainstream education, improve learning outcomes and gain self-confidence.

Just over a year ago, 10-year-old Lam noticed that each day the world around him became darker.

Frightened and unsure of what was happening Lam became withdrawn and told his parents that he no longer wanted to go to school. Eventually his parents realised that he was losing his sight and they too thought it best that he not return to school.

However, Lam's teacher had participated in training under Plan's Integrating Children with Disabilities project in Tu Liem district and persuaded his parents to allow him to continue his schooling.

With support from the teacher, a peer group was established consisting of three children to help Lam with his everyday activities.

Each day the children would take turns walking Lam to school. Minh Tu helped Lam to take notes in class, Tuan supported Lam in Maths and Anh Tu read stories out loud for Lam.

The process was not always easy for any of the children but, step by step, they grew to understand each other and began working as a team. As a result Lam felt safe and motivated with his friends around, discovering new ways to learn and becoming more confident in joining social activities.

By the end of the school year, Lam and his friends gained excellent results and were recognised as outstanding students.

Lam is one of 384 children with disabilities in Tu Liem, a poor outer district of Hanoi, who have benefited from the project. According to the evaluation meeting held earlier this year children with disabilities had gained significant improvements in their learning outcomes.

Thanks to a wide range of activities to support their rehabilitation and integration in to the community, the children are now confident to participate in physical and social activities.

The project seeks to address both the strategic and practical needs of children with disabilities in an effort to promote their full potential and rights in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

Support is provided to children with disabilities through community-based rehabilitation, in which community health workers, volunteers, parents and teachers participate.

A total of 343 peer groups in schools were established as part of the project. Peer groups were also established in the communities to support disabled children who are unable to attend school to integrate into the community and participate in local activities.

Training was also provided for teachers at all levels in 16 communes in skills to integrate children with disabilities into the mainstream education system.

The project not only creates positive changes for children with disabilities but also encourages positive attitudes and behaviour in their parents, teachers and friends.

"When I saw Lam's effort and determination to study, I thought that I had to try harder to help him. At the end of the school year, both Lam and I got excellent results and I participated in the district contest for talented students", said 10-year-old Minh Tu.