The Educational Radio Program (ERP) reaches Vietnamese young children -- primarily in rural areas--to teach them social values and to expose them to the rapid advances that young people from all over the world are making. Started in September 1991, the program broadcasts short entertaining stories about children's good behavior, offers children moral advice, and teaches joyful children songs. The ERP's main audience is elementary and secondary school children. These programs are broadcasted twice daily, in the morning and in the late afternoon. Teachers in rural areas of Viet Nam find the program particularly instructive, providing them with materials for teaching their own students. VNHELP's assistance included children's books and funds for the Environmental Awareness Contest.

Environmental Awareness Contests

During the 1994-1995 and 1995-1996 school years, VNHELP provided the main funding for the Environmental Awareness Contests conducted by the Educational Radio Program.

There were 935 entries in 1996 from children from Dong Nai, Song Be, Lam Dong, Binh Thuan, Long An, Kien Giang, An Giang and Ho Chi Minh City. The greatest number of entries came from Dong Nai and Ben Tre provinces. The entry that came from the farthest distance belonged to Tran Thi Quyen of Phu Quoc, an island below the southern part of the mainland.

Contestants had to send in written answers to five questions on environment, sanitation, drinking water, and waste. Many answers in 1996 contest demonstrated the children originality. Besides submitting correct answers and well-written essays, many children also attached illustrations such as drawings or photographs.

The contest ended in June 1996 with 21 prizes awarded. Ms. Hoang Ngoc Anh, the ERP coordinator, noted that this year's contest highlighted significant efforts from children in the provincial areas. Most of their entries were better than the overall average. These children had a clear understanding of the environment in which they live. Not only did they comprehend the adverse environmental impact of air pollution and deforestation, but also they wrote about water contamination, pesticides, ecology, and population.

Regarding the ERP programming, Ms. Hoang Ngoc Anh also noted a correlation between the contestant's scores and ERP broadcasting schedule. Those children who regularly followed the twice -a-day ERP programs which included invironmental issues in its content, answered the contest questions very well.

Drawing from the insight gained in 1996 contest, the ERP plans to move the contest to summer so that the children will have more time to follow the broadcast program and participate. Also, the contest questions need to be broadcasted more frequently so that they can be correctly copied.

VNHELP continues to support the third Environmental Awareness Contest which will be in August 1997 with a budget of $1,500.