VSF empowers communities through micro-credentials

The For Vietnamese Stature Foundation (VSF) held its 10^th anniversary ceremony on November 15 in Hanoi.

VSF chairwoman Tran Thi Nhu Trang reported that over the past decade, the foundation has connected and mobilised the community to create positive and sustainable changes.

“After 10 years, the VSF has implemented many activities, benefiting 11 million people, including five million children and two million young people,” Trang said.

“The theme of the celebration, “Understanding creates changes”, is an action strategy that the VSF has pursued for the past 10 years. We have put ourselves in the position of fathers and mothers, with all our hearts and souls, to understand the best way to protect and care for the health and improve the stature of our children,” Trang said. “We put ourselves in the position of disadvantaged women to understand their need to change their lives sustainably. We also do the same for the future young generation to understand the social responsibility they must shoulder. We understand the needs of society and the nation to build the right action strategy.”

One of the outstanding actions the VSF has taken over the past year is organising training courses for women, which have helped them increase their awareness and protect themselves.

“Before this course, I had no idea how to challenge gender norms and stereotypes. Now, I have learned practical skills that help make my family members equal and able to work together to improve our income, something I never thought was possible before,” Lo Thi Tien, an ethnic minority woman from a remote village in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien, shared.

In another case, after attending a training course on child protection in early November, Lo Van Su, a junior high school student from Sapa in the northern province of Lao Cai, said that this course had helped broaden his horizons.

“I learned how important it is to speak up and protect ourselves and each other. Now, I feel confident enough to start a group at my school where we can discuss ways to support and protect one another and raise awareness about children’s rights,” Su said.

The VSF’s training course on gender equality for ethnic minority women. Photo: VSF

Over the past decade, the VSF has led efforts in providing accessible education through its innovative short-term training programmes. These short-term training programmes are the micro-credentials that the VSF offers, providing practical, skills-based education that directly meets the needs of the communities it serves.

As micro-credentials gain momentum globally, the VSF has developed a unique model that emphasises not only market relevance but also social impact. By tailoring training programmes to meet the specific needs of communities, especially those in remote and underserved areas, the VSF has made a tangible difference for individuals who face challenges in accessing formal education and skill-building opportunities.

“Skills and knowledge training, even in a short format, has the power to transform lives and uplift communities. When thoughtfully designed around the unique needs and aspirations of those we serve, it fosters resilience, opens new doors, and lays the foundation for sustainable growth,” said VSF director Tran Hong Diep.

Young communications officers and journalists participating in one of the VSF’s training courses. Photo: VSF

One of the VSF’s core commitments is to reach the most vulnerable communities, including ethnic minorities, women, youth, and people in underserved areas. Through its micro-credential programmes, the VSF provides training that is accessible, practical, and directly relevant to their needs, covering vital topics such as healthcare, school nutrition, child protection, gender equality, vocational skills, and environmental protection.

Community capacity-building activities are a central component of all the VSF’s programmes and projects, aimed at fostering positive changes in the awareness and behaviour of beneficiaries and stakeholders. On average, the VSF conducts approximately 30 training courses annually, each lasting between one and three days. The participants are diverse and include youth and children from local communities, students from universities and schools, ethnic minority women, caregivers, teachers, as well as policy planners and implementers.

To plan and design community training courses, the VSF uses a model which defines the desired positive changes at various levels: input, activity, output, outcome, and impact. The model reflects the change process, starting from resources invested (input) through specific actions (activities), leading to tangible products (outputs), then medium-to-long behavioural changes (outcomes), and finally, broad, lasting impacts on society (impact).

The VSF also applies Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model (1984), which includes three phases: experience, reflection, and application. In the experience phase, participants engage in activities designed specifically for each course. The reflection phase involves analysing the experience and discussing the lessons learned, while the application phase encourages participants to apply the new knowledge in their daily lives.

Looking ahead, the VSF plans to strengthen and expand its micro-credential initiatives to address the educational needs of underserved communities in Vietnam. Over the next decade, the VSF will focus on strategic goals based on thorough analysis of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges.

A key priority for the VSF is building strong partnerships with academic institutions, businesses, and government agencies to ensure the recognition and value of its micro-credentials. Additionally, the VSF will invest in digital platforms to enhance course accessibility, verify credentials securely, and expand the reach of its programmes across Vietnam.

The VSF will focus on promoting inclusivity by empowering marginalised communities, such as ethnic minorities and women, through its micro-credential programmes. This aligns with the demand for lifelong learning and supports social equity. Furthermore, the VSF will tailor its training programmes to align with global sustainability goals, ensuring that its programs remain relevant both locally and globally.

The VSF will continue to enhance the quality of its training courses, as shared by VSF chairwoman Tran Thi Nhu Trang. Photo: VSF

As for future directions, Trang said, “Despite the challenges, we are committed to enhancing the quality of our training in community development projects. We look forward to collaborating with both domestic and international educational institutions to provide the best training opportunities for our target groups. Our focus will continue to be on five main themes: school health, child protection, talent nurturing, gender equality and women’s protection, and environmental protection.”

VSF provides lunches for students in Cao Bang and Son La The Vietnamese Stature Foundation’s (VSF) Growing up with mountainous preschool students project commits to sponsoring school lunches for students in difficult teaching locations in Cao Bang and Son La provinces.