"Life of a child start with a birth certificate"
According to statistics from the report 'Survey on Sustainable Development Goals for Children and Women in Vietnam,' conducted by the General Statistics Office in 2020–2021, 98.1% of children under five nationwide have had their birth registered, with 97.2% possessing a birth certificate. This means that there are still thousands of children still lack a birth certificate.
Birth registration may seem simple, but it can be extremely difficult, and sometimes even impossible, for children in special circumstances. Many children are unable to obtain a birth certificate due to reasons such as: Being orphaned or abandoned, parents lacking identification documents, families unable to provide proof of parentage or afford DNA testing, parents unaware of the importance of birth registration for their children,....
Without a birth certificate, children may face the following challenges Unable to attend school, unable to access healthcare services through health insurance. As they grow up, they will also face challenges such as Unable to obtain a citizen identification card, no access to formal employment opportunities, forced into heavy labor, illegal, or hazardous work. Lacking identification documents also means Unable to register for marriage, and their children will face the same predicament as their parents—being born without a birth certificate.
For this reason, the 'A New Page Of Life' project has been established since 2014 to promote the right to birth registration and other fundamental rights. for children and youth in special circumstances in Ho Chi Minh City, supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged children in obtaining a birth certificate—opening a 'new chapter of life' as a citizen with full rights and responsibilities.
Over the past 10 years, the project has supported more than 300 orphans and disadvantaged children in obtaining birth certificates, enabling them to access education and fundamental children's rights; more than 7.000 children have received support in education, healthcare, and nutrition in Ho Chi Minh City.
