Ministerial Consultation and Youth Forum
Accompanied by Ms. Somsanit Keodouangdy the Deputy Director of Pioneer Department of Lao Youth Union and the interpreter Mr. Soulivanh Sithprasay, Khamphan, 14 years, a volunteer of DCDC for 5 years and a girl from Savanakhet were selected to represent Lao Children and Youth to this important meeting.
Accompanied by Ms. Somsanit Keodouangdy the Deputy Director of Pioneer Department of Lao Youth Union and the interpreter Mr. Soulivanh Sithprasay, Khamphan, 14 years, a volunteer of DCDC for 5 years and a girl from Savanakhet were selected to represent Lao Children and Youth to this important meeting.
The two youth delegates from Laos will join 18 other youths from 10 countries. They will have their own forum and will present their own Declaration to the Ministers of the 7th East Asia and The Pacific Ministerial Consultation for Children. The meeting expects about 300 delegates from 20 countries. The conference is sponsored by UNICEF. Mme Olivia Zambia of UNICEF Laos will be there too.
The Lao high-level delegation is headed by H.E. Ms. Bunpheng Mounphoxay, Vice Minister of Education and Vice Chairperson of The National Commission for Mothers and Children – NCMC.
Since the World Summit for children in 1990 in New York, there were 6 East Asia and The Pacific Ministerial Consultation on Children. The first one was held in Bangkok, Thailand in 1991.
At the last Ministerial Consultation in Bali, Indonesia in 2003, ministers agreed to commit to tackling four areas: malnutrition, maternity mortality, HIV AIDS, and the trafficking and commercial exploitation of children. Progress made on each of these issues will be presented by countries in Siem Riep.
This is the very first time for Khamphan to go abroad, the first time to go on an airplane, the first time to Cambodia and to the famous Angkor Wat. He is excited! Good luck to you Khamphan! See you back in Laos soon.
Khamphan has prepared a short speech in case he has a chance he will speak about how he learned The Convention of the Rights of the Child at DCDC and how DCDC has practiced CRC.
Here is his speech:
My name is Khamphan. I come from Donkoi Village, Vientiane, the capital of Lao PDR. I am 14 years old and I am in grade 9 in high school.
Four years ago, at DCDC I learned about CRC and I was surprised to learn that PLAYING is also a Child Right as I have learned a lot at DCDC, but also play a whole lot!
We have a library, we read, write stories, play acting, story telling, clown, Lao dance, music, song. We are quite good in creating Lao poem for every activity club, gardening, tree planting, dividing garbage and recycling.
We have a dream garden, a dream library. When the summer activities end, we have a Children’s Fair where we parade around the neighborhood with a theme: ‘A DREAM Village’
At Donkoi I see a lot of Child Rights have been realized. I thank the Government of Laos who built a big hospital at Donkoi four years ago where my family, for example, all have benefited from the hospital services (my two brothers and I all have been in the hospital and gotten well!) We bring theatre dance like Ramakien (Ramayana) to perform at sick children’s homes or bring ‘The little clown doctor show’ to the hospital to visit our sick friends.
Up to last year, our school had not had electricity, now we have fans and electrical lights! We also have running water and a ‘Dream toilet’.
DCDC also helps provide uniforms and notebooks to my friends whose parents cannot buy these for them. DCDC also helps older youth to stop taking amphetamines.
At DCDC we have a lot of chance to meet in groups to talk and bring our ideas to the manager of the center who listens to us. We learn how to raise our hand and ask questions when we do not understand. We can request things we NEED for our group activities, i.e., when we request to go to a picnic or to organize the Children’s Day or the Fair Day. I have also understood and practiced how to be responsible.
At DCDC I have learned a bit of everything, but my friends like me best when I act as a clown, a storyteller, or chant a Lao poem. I can play the drum petty well. I would like to share our Lao culture with you and share how we learn CRC through Lao poetry:
(please help me by clapping hands and chanting after me)
Dek noi thuc khon
Dek chon dek mi
Pen khop khrua di
Pho me luk lan
Bo khat ahan
Hang kay teup yai
Nham dek pen khay
Mi ya pien pua
Dek bo yan khua
Mi sit yu lot
Tha dek ta bot
Mi sun yu luam
Dek mi suan huam
Nay ngan tang tang
Phuoc haw tong sang
Hay dek kao na
Hay kan suc sa
Dek noi thuc khon
Bo wa dek chon
Dek di mi yu
Khua kao pay su
Dek thi cha lat
Dek noi thua chat
Hay thau thiem kan
(Summary translation:
All children
Rich or poor
In good family
Parents and children
No lack of food
For the body to grow
When the child is sick there is medicine to treat
We should not be worried because the survival principle is CRC
If the child is blind there is a center to help him.
I had attended some children festivals in Lao PDR before, but have never attended such a huge and important meeting in this special city of Angkor Wat, a World Heritage of Cambodia. I have learned CRC at Donkoi and that gave me this chance to share my experiences and speak on behalf of others.
I used to be very shy, never dared to raise my hand or to ask questions. Now I dare to raise my hand in a big meeting and dare to stand here to speak with YOU.
I thank you for this opportunity, thank you for supporting CRC and the children of Lao and of the world.
Khamphan
Xuyen Dangers
Social work supervisor
Donkoi Children Development Center
CWS Laos
Xuyen Dangers is a social worker in Laos/Vietnam. She serves as a Social work supervisor of Donkoi child center and 5 other centers, Social work advisor, Faculty of Social Sciences, and the National University of Laos.