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Global Newsletter May 2018 |
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Dear Friends and Supporters, Each year, 350,000 children and adolescents are killed in road crashes or by the effects of urban outdoor air pollution, yet this global health crisis remains neglected by the international community. This inaction is failing the world’s children. That’s why this month we joined fellow road safety advocates, government representatives, and concerned citizens from around the world to share our #ThisisMyStreet stories and call on global leaders to ‘walk the talk’ on providing safe environments for children and adolescents. And across our program countries, we continue to work tirelessly everyday to ensure the safety of children and youth on the road. This month, we worked closely with our Safety Delivered youth road safety ambassadors in Cambodia to issue a joint statement to the government calling for action on distracted driving. In Vietnam, our Safety Delivered program expanded to four new schools, increasing its reach by an estimated 68,000 students. And program implementation has begun in Myanmar, where 3,000 students will receive road safety education and quality helmets through our Safety Delivered program. Engaging local stakeholders also remains a key component of our programming, with over 600 parents participating in our Street Wise trainings in Thailand and 19 teachers empowered to carry out road safety educational programming in their classrooms thanks to our Walk Wise workshop in China. For more information on our activities, achievements, and related road safety news, please read on. Kind regards, Mirjam Sidik
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Table of Contents |
Global |
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Vietnam |
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Cambodia |
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Thailand |
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China |
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Employment Opportunities
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Global |
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Photo of the month- Communities share photos of local streets in support of global road safety campaign
A student from Neak Oukhna Pheakdei Hun Neang Beong Trabeck South Primary School shares his #ThisIsMyStreet story on the street outside of his school. AIP Foundation mobilized students, teachers, and community leaders across Vietnam, China, and Cambodia in support of the Child Health Initiative’s week of action held from May 21-27. The new campaign calls for a first ever summit of world leaders on child and adolescent health in order to re-focus global policy and prioritize youth road deaths and injuries as the health crisis it is. In China and Cambodia, we captured images of students and teachers on the streets outside of their schools and shared their stories on social media using the hashtag #ThisisMyStreet. In Vietnam, members of the Yen Bai Traffic Safety Committee and the Nghia Lo traffic police also signed on in support of the campaign, joining communities and NGOs around the world in urging world leaders to ‘walk the talk’ on providing safe environments for children and adolescents. If you would like to get more involved, visit the Every Journey, Every Child campaign site at everylife.org to see how you can join the #ThisIsMyStreet global community action, advocate in your community, help persuade politicians of the need for change, and fight for the mobility rights of every child. View more #ThisIsMyStreet photos from our events here. |
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Program implementation kicks off in Myanmar
Our Safety Delivered program kicked off implementation in Myanmar with a range of activities, including helmet fittings, stakeholder trainings, and baseline knowledge tests with students from the four program schools. AIP Foundation staff conducted trainings for the two volunteers from the Myanmar Engineering Society of Mandalay, our partner organization in the area. We also visited the four program schools to conduct helmet fittings for students and administer a pre-implementation, baseline student knowledge test for 100 students from each school, a representative sample size of all of the grades and schools. In total, over 3,000 students from the Mandalay region of Myanmar will benefit from our Safety Delivered program through road safety education and the donation of 2,000 helmets to students and teachers. View more photos from the visit here. |
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Related news: Call for urgent action as ‘fatal disconnect’ in global health policies fails child victims of road traffic
Source: Child Health Initiative, 21 May, 2018 The international community is failing to take action on a global health crisis caused by road traffic, which kills 350,000 children and adolescents each year and causes serious harm and injury to millions more, says a new report and campaign launched today at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. The report, ‘Unfinished Journey: The Global Health Response to Children & Road Traffic’, released by the Child Health Initiative, which is coordinated by the FIA Foundation, identifies road traffic as one of the most neglected issues affecting the health and wellbeing of young people. The scale of the epidemic is being recognised and documented by UN agencies, but little or no action follows. This ‘fatal disconnect’ in policy is failing the world’s children. The report, launched this week to coincide with the World Health Assembly in Geneva, and the inter-governmental International Transport Forum being held in Leipzig, spearheads a new campaign calling for a first ever summit of world leaders on child and adolescent health to urgently re-focus global policy to address this road traffic-related health crisis. NGOs around the world are launching calls for action, urging world leaders to ‘walk the talk’ on providing safe environments for children and adolescents, while young people are joining the campaign to emphasise that #ThisisMyStreet. Read more about ‘Unfinished Journey’ and support the Every Life campaign here. |
Vietnam |
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FIA Foundation joins
Helmets for Kids review workshop, teacher training
AIP Foundation partner FIA Foundation had the opportunity to see our road safety work first hand during a trip to Vietnam by representative Monalisa Adhikari. While here, Adhikari participated in a review workshop for the implementation of our Helmets for Kids program during the 2018 school year. She also toured program schools associated with our Helmets for Kids program in Gia Lai province and our upcoming School Zones, Safe Zone program in Pleiku City. Nearly 120 participants attended the meeting, including representatives of provincial Traffic Safety Committees, Departments of Education and Transportation, Bureaus of Education and Training, and 24 program school boards and parents. Impressive results were shared with the stakeholders, including a significant growth in child helmet use in the three program provinces, from 57% in September 2017 to 94% at the end of April 2018. Following the review workshop, a teacher training for the 2018-2019 implementation school year was organized for the four new program schools in Gia Lai Province joining Helmets for Kids. The teachers were trained on guidelines for teaching road safety concepts in the classroom and how to properly do head measurements for helmets. Our Johnson & Johnson-sponsored Helmets for Kids program will be deployed in four provinces this year: Quang Nam, Yen Bai, Gia Lai, and Thai Nguyen provinces. Thai Nguyen province is a new implementation location for Helmets for Kids and the region's ethnic minority group will be a target audience for our road safety programming. View more photos from the review workshop and teacher trainings here. |
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Distracted driving program expands to 4 new schools, increasing reach by an estimated 68,000 students
Our Safety Delivered program expanded its road safety programming to three new universities and one new primary school. The program is expected to reach more than 66,000 new university students and 2,338 more primary schools students as a result of the expansion. Le Van Tam Primary School is the new primary school in Hanoi and the three program universities include the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry. As part of the expansion, 60 university students from two of the new target universities, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, joined Safety Delivered as road safety ambassadors. The students were carefully selected based on their campus involvement and their demonstrated commitment to bringing road safety knowledge to their fellow classmates. This month, the road safety ambassadors participated in a capacity-building workshop where they learned about the dangers of distracted driving, motorcycle safe driving tips, and discussed how to effectively raise awareness about road safety issues among their university peers. Throughout 2018, the newly trained road safety ambassadors will organize six peer-to-peer education activities at each university. Safety Delivered is sponsored by The UPS Foundation and works with young, inexperienced motorcycle drivers to improve their distracted driving behaviors while also working to increase child helmet use. View more photos from the capacity-building workshop here. |
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AIP Foundation attends stakeholder workshop for new ADB pilot study around Hanoi metro
AIP Foundation participated in a stakeholder workshop for a new project organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Youth for Asia project, AIESEC International, and SafetiPin that focuses on improving access and mobility for pedestrians along the upcoming Hanoi Metro Line. A key component of the pilot will be the use of Safetipin, an innovative online map-based smart phone application that creates a platform to collect data about safe and inclusive public spaces. The app then maps this data as a method for providing reliable data to ADB, governments, urban and transport planners, and other stakeholders to help them in designing and planning safer and more inclusive urban public spaces for citizens, particularly women and girls. Fifteen stakeholders attended the meeting, including representatives from UNICEF, UNESCO, UN Vietnam, AIESEC Viet Nam, Plan International, Centre for Gender, Family and Environment in Development (CGEFD), and the Hanoi Women's Union. While there, they received training on use of the app and learned more about the scope of the project. |
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Doctor from Cho Ray Hospital speaks to students about the importance of wearing quality helmets
AIP Foundation’s Helmets for Families program emphasized the importance of road safety for children by hosting the “Children Have Fun With Road Safety” festival at Tan Phu Trung Primary School in the Cu Chi District of Ho Chi Minh City. This is the fifth year that Helmets for Families, supported by the global healthcare company Abbott and in partnership with the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC), Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), and local traffic authorities, is being implemented to encourage quality helmet use among students and their parents. Over 1,100 children attended the festival, which included road safety games, performances, and helmet-wearing demonstrations to reinforce previous road safety interventions by AIP Foundation at program schools. In addition to games and performances, a doctor from Cho Ray Hospital spoke to students about the importance of wearing quality helmets. This year’s program aims to engage school staff, parents, and students on a deeper level by collaborating with health professionals to convey key road safety messages based on their experiences working with road crash victims. Six billboards were posted around focus areas, and more than 15,000 Helmets for Families handheld fans were distributed to parents from six program primary schools as well as to patients at Cu Chi, Hoc Mon District, and Cho Ray Hospitals. In previous years, parents and teachers visited Cho Ray Hospital to see firsthand the consequences of unsafe helmet use and speak with health professionals. View more photos from the event here. Read the full press release here. |
Cambodia |
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Youth and government convene dialogue on distracted driving; joint statement issued calling for action
AIP Foundation convened a forum between youth road safety ambassadors from the Safety Delivered program, local youth groups, and government and non-government stakeholders to discuss the issue of distracted driving and mobile phone use while driving in Cambodia. The convening also served as an opportunity for the youth ambassadors to present a Distracted Driving Joint Statement to three distinguished representatives from the National Road Safety Committee, the Cambodian National Police, and the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports. The statement calls for action from government bodies and the broader community to implement effective measures that will reduce road crash deaths and injuries due to mobile phone distraction. Safety Delivered, which is supported by The UPS Foundation, works with young, inexperienced motorcycle drivers to improve their distracted driving behaviors while also working to increase child helmet use. The event included panel discussions and interviews focused on how best to implement a workable action plan to address distracted driving. Themes of education and awareness, partnership and collaboration, and enforcement measures were among those discussed. The dialogue emphasized community engagement and collaboration with law enforcement as a proven pathway towards reducing the number of young lives lost due to distracted driving behaviors. Traffic police who participated discussed how enforcement best practices could be incorporated into the action plan and applied across Cambodia. Read the full press release here. View more photos from the forum here. |
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460 students use course to experience road dangers in a safe environment
Over 460 primary school students practiced their road safety knowledge by riding their bicycles through a course simulating real-life traffic situations that confront the children everyday on the road. A motorcycle driving simulator was also present that allowed students to experience what it feels like to ride a motorcycle and avoid road hazards and distractions. The traffic course and motorcycle driving simulator were components of two road safety trainings organized by AIP Foundation and Honda for primary school students in May. AIP Foundation staff, Honda volunteers, and youth road safety ambassadors from Phnom Penh International University and the University of Cambodia provided guidance and corrected mistakes made by the students while on the course. They also provided road safety information on traffic laws, wearing a helmet, and being safe as pedestrians, cyclists and when riding a motorcycle. At the end of the training, the students participated in a Q&A to test their road safety knowledge. View more photos from the trainings here. |
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Experts train 60 youth road safety ambassadors on driving techniques
AIP Foundation partnered with Honda to provide 60 youth road safety ambassadors in our Safety Delivered program with tips and techniques to enhance their driving skills at the Phnom Penh driver training center. Honda provided training both in the classroom and on the course track to improve their road safety knowledge and driving ability. Driving theory, general road traffic law and safe behavior on the road made up the classroom session. Practical ‘hands-on’ education included correct motorcycle maintenance for safer road travel, motorcycle-handling on various road conditions and, driving with a passenger. The aim of the training is to enhance the awareness-raising activities of the young ambassadors by providing them with safety information, practical skills, and guidance on how best to deliver road safety tips and techniques to their university peers and local communities. View more photos from the training here. |
Thailand |
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Legal Development Program workshop builds advocacy capacity for members
AIP Foundation organized a Social and Policy Change Communications workshop in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Thailand, Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), and Internews, to build the capacity of Legal Development Program (LDP) members to advocate for road safety legislative and policy change in Thailand. In addition to LDP members, representatives from partner organizations including the Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Center (CSIP), the National Health Foundation, and the Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism (TCIJ) were in attendance. Participants practiced developing key messages on the issues of speeding, safe school bus services, and a ban on motorcycle drivers under 15 years of age for mock media interviews. During the workshop, Thai PBS reporter Hathairat Phaholtap shared her experiences and expertise with the group and facilitated on camera interviews with two LDP members and a representative from CSIP, who had been nominated by their groups to serve as the media spokespersons advocating for their key messages. The team of legal and road safety experts also had the chance to meet and collaborate with journalists from the Road Safety Journalism Fellowship 2018. In total, there were more than 30 participants from all over the country. View more photos from the workshop here. |
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Radio interview in Thailand focuses on distracted driving, school bus safety
AIP Foundation’s Thailand Country Manager Oratai Junsuwanaruk made two guest appearances on FM 99.5’s (Traffic Radio for Society) Save & Care program to discuss our recent work on the issues of distracted driving and school bus safety in Thailand. The interviews focused on the three-month social media campaign we ran earlier this year to educate young people about the risks of distracted driving as part of our Safety Delivered program. In particular, Junsuwanaruk emphasize the dangers of underaged driving of motorcycles and how lack of access to public transportation is a key factor in youth and the broader public's reliance on motorcycles. One way that AIP Foundation is working to address this issue is through our work to improve school bus safety standards. In coordination with other stakeholders, we will be organizing a seminar on ‘School Bus Safety Policy and Standards,’ which will be held on 21 May, to advocate for the establishment of a school bus safety committee. |
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AIP Foundation submits school bus safety policy recommendations to Thai legislature
AIP Foundation visited the Parliament House in Bangkok to submit our proposed school bus safety policy recommendations to Surachai Liangboonlertchai, First Vice President of the National Legislative Assembly. At the same meeting, AIP Foundation Thailand Country Manager Oratai Junsuwanaruk also proposed ways that policymakers can provide support to local administrative organizations to arrange safe school bus services for students. This includes revising existing laws to make providing safe school transport a part of educational provision. This meeting is part of a larger advocacy campaign to improve students’ safety and access to school buses that is being coordinated by our Legal Development Program. LDP Thailand is a collaboration between the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP Foundation) Thailand and the World Health Organization (WHO) aiming to reduce road traffic injuries and fatalities through legislative improvement, supported by the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS). |
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80 teachers trained in road safety curriculum by
Street Wise master trainers
As part of Street Wise Phase III, we recently held a training for 80 teachers from 11 participating schools at Wat Sathit Chonlathan School, Songkhla province, to introduce the theory and practice of our primary school-level road safety curriculum. The training, which was led by Master Trainers who had also been trained the previous day as part of the Street Wise program, focused on helping other teachers learn how to integrate the curriculum into their classes and create their own learning materials such as word cards, games, traffic signs, and coloring worksheets. In addition to the Street Wise Master Trainers, representatives from Singhanakhon Police Station and Songkhla Primary Educational Service Area Office 1 participated as guest speakers. The training was presided over by Sompong Suwanchatree, Deputy Director of Songkhla Primary Educational Service Area Office 1. Street Wise Phase III, supported by Chevron (Thailand) Limited, aims to improve the road safety knowledge and skills of students, parents, teachers, and community members in 11 schools in Songkhla province. View more photos from the training here. |
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New helmet safety program in Bangkok will educate over 1,000 students and their parents
AIP Foundation and representatives from the Rotary Clubs of Srapatum and Bangkorlaem met with Wat Rachasingkorn School executives in Bangkok to discuss implementation of the new Safe School, Safe Community program at the school. It is a five-month program that aims to increase helmet use among children, teachers, and parents to better protect them from head injury and raise public awareness of the importance of child quality helmet use. The program will target the 1,022 students aged from kindergarten to grade 9 that attend Wat Rachasingkorn School. According to baseline surveys, 80% of students travel to and from school by motorcycles, 12% by bicycle, 3% on foot, and 5% by other modes of transport. Program activities will consist of trainings to empower teachers to carry out a road safety education curriculum; awareness raising activities for students; and a workshop to educate parents of the importance of helmet-use for their children. Safe School, Safe Community is supported by Rotary International and the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB). |
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Legal Development Program leads efforts to make safe school bus services a reality
The Legal Development Program (LDP) network held a Seminar on School Bus Safety Policy and Standards in Bangkok, bringing together more than 60 people from various organizations and sectors. The seminar consisted of two sessions, starting with a panel discussion on school bus standards led by LDP members, a teacher and community advocate, and AIP Foundation staff. The panel took turns explaining why we need to establish effective and practical school bus standards and what should be done to make safe school bus services available to students across the country. The afternoon panel discussed the possibilities and practicalities of implementing policy recommendations proposed earlier in the morning by LDP and partners. LDP Thailand is a collaboration between the AIP Foundation and the World Health Organization aiming to reduce road crash injuries and fatalities through legislative improvement, supported by the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS). View more photos from the seminar here. |
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More than 600 parents participate in
Street Wise workshops
Over 600 parents, or 80% of parents from Ban Khao Daeng School and Muang Singhanakhon Municipal 1 (Ban Yang Ngam) School in Songkhla province, participated in parent training workshops held as part of Street Wise Phase III. The workshops, which were held on 13 and 27 May, aim to introduce the program to parents and teach them road safety basics such as the importance of regular helmet use and safe street crossing habits. At both workshops, AIP Foundation staff were joined by Street Wise teachers and master trainers who helped facilitate the activities. Street Wise Phase III, implemented in 11 schools and supported by Chevron (Thailand) Limited, aims to improve the road safety knowledge and skills of students, parents, teachers and community members in Songkhla province. View more photos from the workshops here. |
China |
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Walk Wise empowers teachers to bring pedestrian safety education into the classroom
As part of our Walk Wise pedestrian safety program in Nanba Township of Sichuan Province, China, 19 teachers from Shengdeng and Kunchi Middle Schools participated in a workshop designed to build their capacity to carry out road safety educational programming in their classrooms. The workshop was facilitated by an expert from Southwest University in China, who has experience in road safety curriculum development. During the training, teachers observed the traffic situation in Nanba Township, compiling their observations into a map outlining dangerous areas of the city for road safety. The participants also discussed how the curriculum would be structured and set targets to measure success. In the upcoming months, the teachers will transfer what they learned to the classroom. Walk Wise is projected to reach 3,279 middle school students in Nanba Township with its pedestrian safety educational programming by the end of November. |
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