TukTuk in South Asia
Source: BangkokPost
In South-East Asia, faced with the threat of COVID-19, Aide et Action innovates
March 25, 2020, Paris: In Southeast Asia, where Aide et Action has been working for 17 years, faced with the threat of COVID-19 for the most vulnerable and marginalized populations, Aide et Action, an international association for the development of education, adapts its intervention and innovates.
In Southeast Asia, as in the rest of the world, vulnerable and marginalized populations, living in poverty and / or in remote rural areas, are most at risk in the face of the current global pandemic of COVID-19.
This is why, in Cambodia, where persistent poverty and high levels of illiteracy hamper access to precise information on the Coronavirus and on preventive measures, Aide et Action launches an intervention in two parts: 1. education hygiene and prevention, thanks to the dissemination of messages, audio and printed, in Khmer; 2. distance learning using digital technologies to compensate for the closure of schools.
Aide et Action thus transforms 12 “tuk-tuk“ - hitherto used as traveling libraries - into mobile information stations. Instead of books: soap, clean water, brochures and information posters on prevention. Books also, so that children can continue reading outside of school. Each tuk-tuk will be fitted with a speaker system so that messages from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF can be heard. The tuk-tuk volunteers will be trained online. To ensure everyone's safety, they will wear protective clothing and hygiene kits will only be given to one member of the community who, in turn, will ensure that everyone benefits. A pilot phase will be carried out for 1 to 2 weeks in the province of Kandal, before rolling out the device to other rural areas. A total of 130 villages should therefore be covered.
In addition, to compensate for the closure of schools, our association is working to develop existing educational solutions to develop distance learning. In Cambodia, Aide et Action had created an application, free and available on iOs and Android platforms, offering educational books and games - in Khmer and in the languages “‹“‹of ethnic minorities - to children. In the coming weeks, Aide et Action will create and share more online resources, via this application, for teachers and parents, so that home learning can continue, in Cambodia but also in Laos.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Vietnam, where schools are also closed, we are present in the remote and mountainous provinces of Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Hoa Binh, with marginalized communities. Aide et Action is currently in regular contact with school structures to support them in supporting children and families and in promoting home learning. Aide et Action also signed a partnership with the Taiwanese Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) to support 5,657 students by providing them with soap, masks and disinfectant. “In these uncertain times for everyone and everywhere, we must adapt quickly. More than ever, education can help deal with this crisis. As we adapt learning methods and innovate to reach the most vulnerable and marginalized populations, solidarity is key. Individuals, communities, organizations and governments must support each other in the common objective of working for a better, post-pandemic world, “calls Charles-Emmanuel BALLANGER, Director General of Aide et Action.
