Spreading drowning prevention in children

Nguyen Tran Minh Tue (grade 6, Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School, Ngu Hanh Son Ward) won the Special Prize in the painting category at the contest "Drowning - Prevention steps by 2025". Photo: KHÁNH HUYỀN

The contest was launched nationwide by the Young Pioneers and Children Newspaper in collaboration with the Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) in Vietnam from May 10 to July 10, 2025 for children aged 4-15. After 2 months of launching, nearly 700 paintings and more than 100 video clips were sent in by children nationwide.

At the award ceremony on July 22 in Hanoi , the outstanding works honored were not only artistic recognition, but also a meaningful message about the right to live safely and be equipped with essential skills of every child.

In the painting category, the Special Prize was awarded to Nguyen Tran Minh Tue, a 6th grade student at Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School (Ngu Hanh Son ward).

Tue's painting vividly depicts children learning to swim under the guidance of adults, highlighted with the slogan "Learn to swim to protect yourself".

With bright colors, reasonable layout and practical content, the work fully conveys the message about the importance of learning to swim and self-protection. Through the painting, I also remind my friends to practice water safety skills.

No less impressive, in the video clip category, the Special Prize was awarded to two sisters Pham Ngo Tram Anh (7th grade student, Nguyen Khuyen Secondary School) and Pham Nam Anh (4th grade, Nguyen Hien Primary School), both residing in Tam Anh commune, Da Nang city.

The two children's video work conveys a strong message: children should not play near ponds or lakes, when participating in water activities they need to wear life jackets and especially must have adult supervision to ensure safety.

Sisters Pham Ngo Tram Anh and Pham Nam Anh (Tam Anh commune) won the Special Prize in the video clip category at the contest "Drowning - Prevention steps in 2025". Photo: KHÁNH HUYỀN

Tram Anh shared: “We hope that children understand that learning to swim early is very important. When swimming, they must be accompanied by an adult, do not enter the water without permission and always remember to wear a life jacket. They should participate in skills classes organized by the school or family, and remember the emergency phone number 112 to know how to handle dangerous situations.”

Although it is just a short clip, the work of Tram Anh and Nam Anh is impressive because of its concise, easy to understand, intuitive content and suitable for children's psychology. Many parents and teachers consider this a smart, easy to understand approach and creates a positive effect in teaching life skills.

Ms. Ngo Kim Thanh, mother of Tram Anh and Nam Anh, expressed her joy and pride when her children received high awards, and hoped that the award-winning works would continue to be spread more widely.

Each picture and each video is not only a creative product but also a reminder of the importance of equipping children with accident prevention skills. From there, it contributes to raising community awareness, while affirming that every child has the right to live safely, be protected and develop in a healthy, friendly environment.

According to Mr. Tran Van Hong, Principal of Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School, the contest has become an effective propaganda model for drowning prevention. This is an approach that needs to be replicated in schools and localities, with close coordination between the education and health sectors and mass organizations and youth to protect children's safety.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/lan-toa-phong-chong-duoi-nuoc-o-tre-em-3297916.html