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Together we learned 'We are ABLE'

“All classrooms are diverse because all children are unique. A diverse classroom can have positive benefits for all learners. Children have different experiences, skills, knowledge, and attitudes. All children can contribute and bring some ingredients to the learning "soup". The teacher serves as a facilitator who provides the right environment and opportunities for all children to learn actively.” 
- UNESCO, Embracing Diversity: A Toolkit for creating inclusive, learning-friendly environments, 2015
Students from We Are ABLE projects
© UNESCO
6 May 2021
Last update:20 April 2023

Ha Giang, Ninh Thuan, Soc Trang provinces - Viet Nam - Following , the “We are ABLE” project organised two capacity building workshops for each province from September to November 2020. With an aim of raising awareness and enhancing knowledge of school-related gender-based violence, the trainings covered the theme of education’s significance with a focus on green living pedagogies to boost students’ self-esteem and acknowledge ethnic diversity.

Respecting mother languages - Breaking down language barriers

Language is often a barrier to dialogue and capacity building activities. While Kinh (Vietnamese) is the official language in the country’s education system, ethnic languages are the mother tongue of the major “We are ABLE” project’s beneficiaries. It was noted, for example, that Raglai students in Ninh Thuan Province remained silent when questioned by the facilitators but discussed actively in their mother language within their groups. Students later shared they understood the questions but could not clearly express their ideas in Kinh language. Their fear: being judged as not being able to learn well. This small example illuminates a much more significant challenge.

The training took this situation into account, asking students to express their thoughts in their mother languages, followed by a discussion note in Vietnamese for the facilitators. Students immediately became active. And when the students learned that the facilitators also came from other ethnic minority backgrounds, they felt more relaxed sharing their opinions and stories.

Understanding the students' self and thinking positively: The foundation of empowerment

I AM ABLE TO……

After the workshop, those students expressed that they were able to

…open a restaurant to supply happy meals to make sad people happier
Student, Dai An 1 lower secondary school, Soc Trang province
...overcome difficulties, developing my strengths to become a good farmer
Student, Dong Dau lower secondary school, Ninh Thuan province
...convey and express the cultural traditions of our people - the Cham people, so together, everyone knows to preserve and be proud of the culture of the Cham people
Student, Dong Dau lower secondary school, Ninh Thuan province
... be who I am
Student, Ban May primary and lower secondary ethnic semi-boarding school, Ha Giang province

The capacity building workshops were organised in the framework of the “We are ABLE project” project, implemented by UNESCO in close partnership with the Ministry of Education and Training and the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, with financial support from CJ Group and the UNESCO Malala Fund for Girls’ Right to Education.

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