Building a shield of love for children

Students of Phu Loc Secondary School (Hau Loc) participated in a communication session on self-protection skills and physical violence prevention within the framework of the Project "Enhancing community capacity in preventing and combating physical violence against children".

When love replaces the whip

Late afternoon, at the cultural house of village 6, Hoang Phong commune (Hoang Hoa), the laughter of children echoed in the late afternoon sunlight. In this familiar space, a special community activity was taking place. Not a village meeting, nor a performance, but a friendly conversation about a topic that seemed all too familiar: how to love and educate children.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Le, a mother of two, used to think that “if you love your children, you have to be strict and deter them,” but after attending communication sessions of the Association for the Support of the Disabled, Orphans and Protection of Children’s Rights in Thanh Hoa Province, she began to change. “I used to think that hitting them a few times was okay, that it was teaching them. But now I understand that every slap or scolding is a time when my children are hurt. I learned how to talk to my children, listen more, and they also began to trust and be more open with me than before.”

Not only Ms. Le, hundreds of other parents in 15 communes and wards of Thanh Hoa city, Hau Loc and Hoang Hoa districts - where the Project is implemented - are gradually changing. What is happening is a testament to the project's correct and humane approach, not imposing, not criticizing, but evoking empathy, awakening love in every adult.

According to information from the Provincial Association for the Support of People with Disabilities, Orphans and Children's Rights Protection, after more than 1 year of project implementation, more than 70% of households in the project areas have had access to basic knowledge on preventing and combating physical violence against children and positive parenting skills. The valuable thing is that most of them expressed their desire to participate more deeply, learn more to understand and be close to their children.

In Phu Loc commune (Hau Loc), Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, a member of the Women's Union, shared: "In the past, many people thought that beating and scolding children was a private matter within the family and no one could interfere. But now, we know that protecting children is the responsibility of the whole community. When we speak up together, it creates change."

Not only adults, children are also given their rights and voices. Le Van Khanh, from Ngu Loc commune (Hau Loc), recounted a time when he saw his friend being punished by his teacher with a ruler, he boldly asked: "Teacher, is there any other way other than hitting him?". A seemingly innocent question, but it contained maturity in the perception of the results of the communication sessions at the school where he studied.

Building a safe living environment for children

One of the highlights of the Project is the provision of knowledge and practical skills to the community, where all members, from parents, teachers, to village cadres, are considered the “first shield” of children. More than 30 training courses (for both adults and children) on positiveeducation have been organized in localities such as Hoang Hoa, Hau Loc, Thanh Hoa City. Here, people not only learn the Law on Children, but are also instructed on methods to resolve conflicts without using violence, how to react when discovering child abuse, or how to talk to children when they show signs of psychological crisis. Not stopping at theory, the Project also promotes mass communication through a system of loudspeakers, billboards, posters, video clips, and social networks. Each channel is a piece of the puzzle that helps form positive behavioral habits in daily life. Children are also organized to have talks, competitions, and "Listen to children speak" forums to help them confidently share and know how to protect themselves.

Mr. Trieu Huy Tao, Chief of Office of the Association for the Support of People with Disabilities, Orphans and Protection of Children's Rights in Thanh Hoa province shared: "What is special is that we not only propagate to people to understand that beating, threatening, and scolding children does not make them good people, but only makes them hurt, but also helps them realize that there are many more appropriate ways to love their children. The project's success is thanks to the synchronous participation of the whole society. We do not bring alternative solutions, but accompany and suggest so that the community can create changes themselves. The people themselves are the "architects" of a safe living environment for children."

The success of the Project lies not only in the training sessions and classes, but also in the awakening in each family and each community. When adults understand that violence is not the way to educate children, when children know they have the right to be loved and protected, that is when a truly safe society is formed. And what is more meaningful is that in small villages, ordinary farmers are building a "shield of love" for the future generation every day with warm hearts and understanding. Children do not need perfect adults. They just need adults who are gentle enough to love properly with all their hearts so that children can live in a safe environment, have a peaceful life and grow up happily.

Article and photos: Tran Hang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/kien-tao-la-chan-yeu-thuong-cho-tre-em-251036.htm