Project Vietnam 2015 (Hanoi)

Project Vietnam 2015 (Hanoi)

Time: June 16 to June 30, 2015
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Email: pv15hanoi[at]sealnetonline.org
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Executive Summary

Project Vietnam 2015 (Hanoi) aims to empower slum children living in Red River Banks, Hanoi through the use of the theater. We hope to provide slum children with the means to analyze problems they encounter and come up with practical solutions to deal with them through the use of the theater. We are inspired by the practitioner Augusto Boal who utilized Image theatre and Forum theatre as tools to understand social reality and be able to change it. The project also acts as a bridge to foster better mutual understanding and communication between the slum children and the community. In addition, PV15 (Hanoi) also emphasizes on youth empowerment. We hope to equip local high school students in Hanoi with necessary leadership sense and inspire local high school students in Hanoi to engage in more community services.

Community Issue

Theatre is not a priority in Vietnamese education. The lack of focus on the arts culminates in a lack of expression and creativity which we believe are vital tools in any education. Phuc Xa ward of Ba Dinh district (Hanoi) is located by the dyke of the Red River, the major river in the Northern Delta of Vietnam flowing to the South China Sea. This is an area frequently debilitated by floods, social issues, and overpopulation, most of whom are migrant laborers. These migrants are mostly impoverished flowing from rural areas to Hanoi to look for employment opportunities and a better life for their children. However, they find themselves living in a strip of land along the Red River, where their children have to live in dilapidated houses and unsanitary conditions. A lot of these children are deprived of education and suffer from poverty, lack of social awareness and extremely low standard of living as well as face evil threats such as HIV/Aids, gangs, etc every day. Thus through Boalian-inspired activities and techniques, we hope to not only empower the children and increase their confidence but also teach them the strong value of the artistic expression in facing, solving and celebrating obstacles in their lives.

Objectives
Community Engagement
  • Use Boalian-inspired theatrical activities to increase the slum children’s confidence and aid them in facing/solving/celebrating obstacles in their lives.
  • Use theatre to teach slum children collaboration skills.
  • Execute a theatrical performance by the slum children at the end of the project.
Leadership Component
  • Develop a strong sense of leadership and engagement in every team member.
  • Equip the mentees with the necessary skills and first-hand experience in setting up a service club.
  • Inspire the mentees to engage in making social changes.
Approach
Leadership component

We will run a series of youth leadership workshops with a group of 15-20 high school students selected from local high school. The workshops designed by the SEALNet team members with the guidance of the project mentor will run over the course of 12 days. The leadership skills will not only help them in implementing our project but also help them in establishing the SEALNet Club in Hanoi at the end of the project. In order to equip the students with leadership skills, the workshops will focus on introducing to them skills such as communications skills, teamwork teambuilding skills, organization skills, event planning, self- evaluation, and the importance of community service.

The student will be provided a chance to design various components for the closing ceremony of the project as an application of what they have learned in the workshops. Their responsibilities will include designing publicity materials, giving interviews, local advertising, MC-ing, venue preparation, ushering and so on.

Community Outreach (Service component)

PV15 aims to offer children living in Red River Banks with social and emotional support with the use of theater under the collaboration of high school students, local partner, and international volunteers. Furthermore, the project also aims to build stronger communication and interaction between the slum kids and the local community.

We plan to organize theater activities with the implication of social issues, followed by a debrief and discussions about the social issues that they face as well as how they will deal with those problems. Our main aim is to create theater production with the kids at the end of the project. The project members will work one-on-one with each kid to help them understand the activities better and express themselves more easily.

Team Member Responsibilities
  1. Be devoted and enthusiastic about the goals of the project
  2. Willing to play a strong part in the planning, execution, and sustainability of the project. Take initiatives!
  3. A willingness to form a close relationship with their mentees through the mentor program.
  4. Fundraise and prepare for the project from April – June
  5. Each team member is responsible to raise a minimum of $350 towards the project.
  6. Have fun!
Skills Needed
  1. A love for working with children
  2. An understanding and appreciation for the arts
  3. A positive attitude
  4. Creative thinking and open-mindedness
  5. Patient, flexibility, reliability, responsibility, motivation, and willingness to try and learn new things
Project Leaders

Mary Baillie (UK/Brunei Darussalam)
Thao Hoang(Vietnam)
Email: pv15hanoi[at]sealnetonline.org