FIA Foundation United Nations Representative and North American Office Director, Natalie Draisin, joined AIP Foundation for a two-day site visit in Pleiku City, Gia Lai Province to learn about AIP Foundation’s regional school zone safety work. AIP Foundation has worked to decrease the number of student road crash fatalities in the region through Helmets for Kids, which has been supported by Johnson & Johnson in Gia Lai since 2015, and Slow Zone, Safe Zone, which has been supported by Fondation Botnar since 2018. Through these programs AIP Foundation works on: increasing helmet use rates, educating students, educators, parents, government stakeholders, and the public, modifying infrastructure around school zones, and advocating for reduced speed in school zones.

The first day began with a visit to Phan Dang Luu Primary School, a Slow Zone, Safe Zone program school, where construction to modify the school zone for safer student pick-up/drop-off areas began in early December. AIP Foundation is working with the Gia Lai Traffic Safety Committee through Slow Zone, Safe Zone in a two-year, city-wide effort to reduce speed in school zones. This will make Pleiku City a model for safe school zones nationwide. Current activities include modifying school zones, public awareness campaigns, developing an e-curriculum to educate students, and working with provincial government to pass legislation reducing speed in school zones.

Ms. Draisin joined AIP Foundation for a series of focus group discussion with students, parents, and teachers at Ly Tu Trong Primary School and a government stakeholder workshop. The discussions provided community members with an opportunity to share their personal experiences and issues related to the road safety environment around their schools. At the government stakeholder workshop, hosted at the Gia Lai Department of Education and Training facility, Ms. Draisin joined government stakeholders by providing remarks on behalf of FIA Foundation.

“Together, we need to keep building the evidence base, to keep showing the world how it’s done. I ask you to highlight [road safety] as a priority in your long-term goals and vision for your community. I ask you to do this, not just to keep saving lives here, but also beyond your borders,” said Ms. Draisin.

Since the Helmets for Kids program began in the region, the number of crash cases around program schools in Gia Lai have also decreased from 56 cases in 2016 to 20 cases in 2018.

Please see more pictures from the site visit here