Mekong Delta creates summer playground for children

Currently, students are on summer vacation, have more free time, and have more time to hang out with friends. At this time, there are also many risks of drowning accidents among students. Therefore, drowning prevention and creating a healthy playground for children in the summer are very necessary.

Students practice swimming in a shrimp pond to equip themselves with drowning prevention skills in Ward 9, Ca Mau City, Ca Mau Province. Photo: TAN THAI

Help children reduce dependence on electronic devices

Since the school let the children go on summer vacation, Nguyen Thi Ngoc and her husband (living in Ward 9, Ca Mau City, Ca Mau Province) have had a "headache" in managing their two children in grades 3 and 6. According to Ngoc, when they were still in school, they only spent time taking them to and from school. However, in the summer, the children have too much free time, so they focus on watching TV and playing games on their phones. Meanwhile, the couple has to go to work and cannot take care of the children. Therefore, she had to find martial arts schools and talent classes to send her children to, helping them to be less dependent on electronic devices.

Although it is about 40km away from the center of Soc Trang City (Soc Trang Province), Ms. Duong Thi Thu Huong (Vinh Chau Town, Soc Trang Province) decided to let her child (an 8th grade student) participate in the 2025 police semester program at the Police Training and Professional Development Center (Soc Trang Provincial Police). "I have researched the program so I hope my child will learn many good things in the course, become independent, practice life skills, and reduce dependence on electronic devices during the summer holidays," Ms. Huong shared.

Ms. Trieu Thi Ngoc Diem, Secretary of Soc Trang Provincial Youth Union, said that the police semester experience program is an annual activity of the province during the summer vacation of the students. This year, the program takes place from June 3 to June 12, with more than 80 students participating. During the 10 days, the students gathered at the training center will be imparted knowledge such as: basic skills of people's police officers, social skills, drowning prevention, participation in cultural, artistic and sports activities, self-protection in cyberspace.

A free swimming class for children in Tien Giang province. Photo: NGOC PHUC

Limit drowning accidents

Although the incident has been over a week, relatives of NTH (11 years old, 5th grader, residing in Vinh My A commune, Hoa Binh district, Bac Lieu province) are still grieving over his sudden passing. That day (May 27), NTH had just started summer vacation and did not go to school. The first rains of the season came, stimulating children to go swimming in the rain. Therefore, NTH and 3 friends from the same neighborhood invited each other to go swimming in the rain, playing and throwing mud in the Bac Lieu - Ca Mau canal. While playing, NTH unfortunately slipped into the canal, was swept away by the water and went missing. The authorities searched for nearly a day before finding his body.

The above drowning incident is one of many that occurred during the summer. According to statistics, in Long An, in 2024, the whole province had 12 deaths due to drowning, an increase of 7 cases compared to the previous year, most of the drowning cases occurred during the summer vacation. Similarly, in the provinces of the Mekong Delta, drowning also occurs frequently during the summer. Therefore, drowning prevention and creating a healthy playground for children in the summer are very necessary.

To effectively implement measures to prevent drowning, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Long An province has just launched a movement for the whole population to practice swimming to prevent drowning in 2025. Thereby, calling on localities, social organizations and people to actively respond with specific actions to join hands to protect the lives and health of future generations.

Recently, the Standing Committee of the District Youth Union and the Department of Education and Training of Go Cong Tay District (Tien Giang Province) also organized a launching ceremony and opened a swimming class for students in the summer of the 2024-2025 school year at Huynh Van Phen Primary School (Dong Son Commune, Go Cong Tay District). This swimming class has more than 60 students participating, who will be equipped with swimming skills and drowning prevention.

Mr. Nguyen Van Khoi, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Soc Trang province, said: Currently, the province has many models to help children participate in the summer such as: Swimming classes in localities, teaching Khmer language and writing at pagodas, models of experiencing police semesters, military semesters, life skills. Thereby, helping children, especially children in ethnic minority areas, have time to play, relax and reduce pressure after studying.

The Ca Mau Provincial Youth Union said it will coordinate with many related units to organize many activities and competitions to create useful playgrounds for children such as: The 28th Ca Mau Provincial Youth Informatics Competition, Red Flamboyant Flower Talent Competition, Team Rituals Competition, Good Star Leadership Competition; Singing Festival for Children in Special Circumstances.

NGOC PHUC - TUAN QUANG - TAN THAI

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dong-bang-song-cuu-long-tao-san-choi-he-cho-tre-post798677.html