Social workers help children with HIV

Mai talks to social worker Trung at the residential centre
© UNICEF Viet Nam/2013/Truong Viet Hung

Thirteen-year-old Mai (not her real name) lives at a shelter for vulnerable children in An Giang, Viet Nam. She’s an orphaned girl living with HIV. After her parents died three years ago, she was looked after by her grandmother. They were very poor so instead of going to school, Mai worked in a rice shop. Her grandmother sold lottery tickets to make ends meet but she was 80 years old and in bad health. In the end, she was unable to look after Mai properly and contacted her local commune authority for help.

Ly’s blog – trip to An Giang, day two, exciting working day

Nguyen Huong Ly, Twenty-two year-old, she has been interning at UNICEF Viet Nam’s Communication section in Ha Noi for the past four months. On 3 February, she embarked on a four-day mission to Viet Nam’s southern province An Giang to find out more about UNICEF’s work and remaining challenges for children.  Check out her blog!

4/2/2013

My view from the ferry

MORNING

I woke up at 6 am, right when the alarm went off. I put on my UNICEF T-shirt and took my time preparing what to bring for the whole day. We had a really nice breakfast with “Hu Tiu” – a type of noodles from the south of Vietnam. I was handed a few documents about breastfeeding and the situation in An Giang.

Ly’s blog – trip to An Giang, day one, arrival

Twenty-two year-old Nguyen Huong Ly has been interning at UNICEF Viet Nam’s Communication section in Ha Noi for the past four months. On 3 February, she embarked on a four-day mission to Viet Nam’s southern province An Giang to find out more about UNICEF’s work and remaining challenges for children. Check out her blog!

Me, looking stupid and super excited in UNICEF T-shirt.

I am going on a field trip to An Giang province with other UNICEF staff for a mission on breastfeeding and child protection. I’m new. I’ve been working as an intern to help build UNICEF Viet Nam’s Facebook content for only four months. I was way too lucky to get the opportunity to join such a mission. I haven’t been writing for quite a while. A business student doesn’t keep blogs, she writes reports and other boring stuff that her accounting courses require! Today I’m writing. I’m so in the mood!

Mothers learn importance of breastfeeding

Hao was encouraged to breastfeed her son by a village health worker
© UNICEF Viet Nam/2013/Truong Viet Hung

Nguyen Anh Dao, 24, breastfeeds her four-month-old daughter, Minh Anh, at her home in Binh Thanh Dong commune, An Giang province. Minh Anh is strong and healthy. Although she is only four months old, she can already stand up in her mother’s lap. “I started breastfeeding in the health centre where I gave birth,” Dao says. “The doctor put the baby on my breast after delivery. Afterwards, the village health worker talked to me about breast milk. She told me that it contains good nutrients and is best for my baby’s health.”

Photos: breastfeeding mothers in An Giang

UNICEF is supporting Binh Thanh Dong commune, in the Mekong Delta region of South Viet Nam, to promote breastfeeding to new mothers. The scheme involves health workers at the local hospital and collaborators in the community.

To view the full photo captions, expand the gallery and click 'show info' in the top right corner.