This month, let's meet Thuy Phan Doan, Early Childhood trainer in Vietnam.
Thuy, would you like to tell us a little about yourself?
You're welcome! My name is Thuy, I'm 37 and I'm from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
I started my career in tourism, more precisely in the offices of a tour operator. Then I decided to change jobs. So I became a kindergarten teacher. I taught for 8 years, in direct contact with children.
How did you meet the association and what is your role today?
I discovered Planète Enfants & Développement on Facebook. The association was looking for a trainer specialized in preschool. I applied and joined the team in June 2022.
My job is to train childcare assistants in Thu Duc district (Ho Chi Minh City).
In Vietnam, there is a desire to improve care for children under 6. In practice, however, there is a shortage of early childhood assistants trained in recognized institutions. There are still no strict regulations governing private kindergartens and home-based childcare groups, which sometimes leads to abuses, especially in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods.
In 2023, with my colleague An, we trained 89 childminders on the basis of a program recognized by the Vietnamese government (created by the NGO One Sky). The training, comprising 17 theoretical modules, lasted 8 months, and we supplemented it with regular coaching visits to the establishments where our students were practicing.
What motivates you in this project?
I enjoy working for the well-being of young children and their future. It's not always easy: you have to identify the establishments that need training, gain the trust of the professionals, travel on roads that are sometimes bad, especially in the rainy season.
But I love my job. I've learned a lot over the last few months through this training program, but also through contact with all these women.
I'm delighted that we've launched the 2nd class of certified childminders. There are now 40 in the program! I hope it will be extended to even more districts.
