THAI NGUYEN AND YEN BAI, Vietnam – 17 and 22 July 2020

Helmets for Kids, AIP Foundation’s program supported by Johnson & Johnson, promotes child helmet use and delivers student road safety education. Two three-part events were held, which comprised of a review workshop, orientation session, and teacher training in Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai provinces, Vietnam, to discuss program highlights and achievements across 17 target schools .

Over the 2019-2020 school year, Helmets for Kids donated a total of 4,303 helmets throughout Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai. Helmets were distributed to eight schools in Thai Nguyen where the province saw an increase in helmet wearing rate from 53% before intervention to 94% after intervention.

After conducting surveys and observations, AIP Foundation recorded the average helmet wearing rate in Yen Bai was only at 27%. However, immediately following intervention across nine schools, the helmet wearing rate increased to 95%, which demonstrates the urgency for children to have access to high-quality standard helmets.

Stakeholder engagement is a key element of the Helmets for Kids program and critical to ensuring the success and sustainability of AIP Foundation’s helmet safety interventions. Teachers from the schools participated in a training session, where they learned about updated laws and regulations on helmet use, the difference between high quality and substandard helmets, and their role as educators and facilitators in promoting helmet use and safe road behavior.

Ms. Oanh, Vice-principal of Kim Dong Primary school shared, “I myself was once injured in a traffic accident, so I deeply understand the importance of wearing a quality helmet correctly. Before the project, we, teachers in Kim Dong Primary school, all knew that, but we did not know how to convey the message to our students efficiently. Now all students in my school master the principles and practices of helmet wearing whenever they get on motorbikes, electrical bikes, and even bicycles.”

In preparation for the following school year, the program will donate several thousands of helmets to schools in both provinces, in addition to Tuyen Quang province, all of which are located near national or provincial roads with frequent traffic and risky road conditions.