A great communicator
When someone asked the girl’s name, she answered but looked at the questioner cautiously. She was afraid they would laugh at her because of her weird name.
Her name is Sun. She was named after a South Korean actress whom her parents saw on television.
The girl was always shy and indecisive to join extra-curricular activities at her school in Quang Xuong district, a coastal area in the northern province of Thanh Hoa. She shook like a leaf when her teacher called her to present anything in front of her classmates.
Sun has grown up. The eighth grader is now very confident and proactive. She can talk about disaster risk reduction and climate change in front of 300 schoolmates as well as speak about environmental pollution and local authorities’ responsibility for waste management with key leaders at both grassroots and provincial levels.
“I love to communicate with others. I believe my friends and I have responsibilities to protect our environment and our sea,” she says.
As a part of World Vision's CATREND project, the girl and her schoolmates were trained on team work, problem identification and presentation skills.
This change took place after the girl participated in activities implemented by World Vision’s Coastal Areas of Thanh Hoa Province Resilient to Natural Disasters (CATREND) project.
As a part of the project, she and her schoolmates were trained on team work, problem identification and presentation skills. They have organised many activities such as painting competitions, role plays, recycled-fashion shows, and letter writing to ASEAN Secretary on the event of International Day for Disaster Reduction in order to raise local awareness of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaption.
At the mid-term review of the project, the girl and her friends took photos and made a short video clip about environmental pollution at their community. On behalf of her team, she presented the problem in front of both World Vision’s staff and local authorities’ representatives.
“Since I took part in the project, I have learnt a lot about my hometown, climate change and natural disasters.” Sun says. “I like taking photos, shooting videos and making interviews. I am trying to study well and who knows, one day I will be a reporter.”
Now, the girl is no longer ashamed of her name. Even when her friends make fun of it, she still smiles because she understands what her name means in English. She is her communication group’s real sun.
The CATREND project aims to reduce impact of natural disaster under climate change’s effects for communities in Thanh Hoa province. The project lasts from 2011 till 2016 and benefits more than 73,000 people in Quang Xuong and Hoang Hoa districts. It’s funded by the Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Photos and text by Nguyen Thi Nam.