GIA LAI, Vietnam – November 14, 2023

In Gia Lai province, many primary schools are located on high-density traffic roads, often overflowing with heavy traffic, putting young students at significant risk as they travel to and from school. To prevent further senseless risks that school students face, Prudential Vietnam Assurance Private Ltd is supporting theSAFE STEPS KIDSkick-off ceremony as part of theSAFE STEPS KIDS – Road Safety (SSK-RS)program. The kick-off event will take place at Ha Bau Primary School in Dak Doa District of Gia Lai province.

Empowering student safety at Ha Bau Primary School

At Ha Bau primary school, a large number of students walk or take a bicycle to school. The lack of sidewalks and the poor road infrastructure near the school area seriously affects students’ safety. According to the result of the Star Rating for School (SR4S) Assessment, this school zone is rated 1 star, exposing students and parents to high risks of road crashes.

As part of the kick-off event this year, 721 helmets will be distributed to the students and teachers at Ha Bau school. The event will be followed by a series of school-based activities that will take place for the rest of the implementation duration, including road safety lessons, school-zone modifications, and the cross-platform public awareness campaign on helmet safety, pedestrian safety, and riding a bicycle safely.  Through interactive fun and games, students will practice their road safety skills and knowledge, focusing on quality helmet use, pedestrian safety, and riding a bicycle safely.

The day symbolizes a key meaningful message to parents, policymakers, and local residents in the community on establishing a safe school environment and providing road safety education to primary students. This will be one of the largest events of theSSK-RSprogram this year.

A sustainable regional program for road safety

TheSSK-RSprogram is part of theSAFE STEPS KIDSprogram, developed by the Prudence Foundation in partnership with Cartoon Network and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC).\nThe program aims to equip millions of children across Asia with actionable information designed to save lives in the event of emergencies or disaster situations. To date, the program has been deployed in Asia, in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

This is the 4th year that the program is implemented in Vietnam.