Children talk about their ideas for a smarter and more child-friendly city (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) - More than 270children aged 8 to 14 are taking part in a summer programme to design a“smarter and more child-friendly” city.
The programme called “Children Innovate: a Smartand Child-friendly City” kicked off on June 8.
It was organised by UNICEF Vietnam incollaboration with the Saigon Innovation Hub (SiHub) under the city’sDepartment of Science and Technology, Department of Planning andArchitecture, and Arkki - School of Architecture for Children and Youth inFinland.
“The programme creates an environment forchildren to express their opinions about decisions that may affect them,” saidMarianne Oehlers, chief of programme partnerships office at UNICEF Vietnam.
It consists of 11 creative thinking workshopsduring this summer for children, including vulnerable and disadvantagedchildren.
Each workshop lasts for five days with a dailyschedule from 9am to 4pm. There will be three hands-on working sessions duringeach day.
Participants will use clay, wood, computers,Sketch up and Microsoft Hololens to express their ideas.
Nguyen Phi Van, chairwoman of Saigon InnovationHub’s Board of Advisors, said: “Our aim is to provide kids with human-centereddesign thinking, important skills for the 21st century, and STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) knowledge.”
Twenty-five children took part in the firstworkshop, she said.
"I find the program a lot of fun. We havelearned many ways to build a child-friendly city based on our own views,” saidHoang Mai Anh, 11, from Tran Van On Secondary School in District 1, whoattended the first workshop.
All the ideas and projects will be displayed atan exhibition during Creativity and Innovation Week inOctober to urban planning experts, decision-makers and the public.
The best ideas and projects will receive awardsfrom the organisation.
The programme is part of the city’s ChildFriendly City Initiative Project that runs from 2017 to 2021. -VNA
The child friendly city initiative was announced in Ho Chi Minh City on September 24 at a high-ranking roundtable conference between the municipal People’s Committee and the UNICEF.
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong has highlighted the support of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for child care and protection in the city.
A cooperation mechanism among stakeholders to effectively implement the child friendly city initiative in Ho Chi Minh City was the focus of discussion at a workshop in the city on July 18.
Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh has reaffirmed Vietnam’s strong commitments to implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the country’s Law on Children.
The programmes have brought about positive changes to rural infrastructure, comprehensively improved the material and spiritual lives of farmers, and contributed to Vietnam's economic restructuring, said PM Pham Minh Chinh.
The festival highlighted the contributions and robust development of Vietnam's revolutionary press over the past century while promoting press products and showcasing the creativity of Vietnamese journalists.
The programme on sustainable poverty reduction has achieved its annual targets for reducing the poverty rate as assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. It has fulfilled five specific objectives and five five-year goals, and met nine out of 12 indicators related to addressing basic social service shortages.
UNICEF stands ready to support the Government in implementing this important law and in continuing to invest in teachers as the cornerstone of a resilient, inclusive, and high-quality education system for all children.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
Children talk about their ideas for a smarter and more child-friendly city (Photo: VNA) 
