The Wild Daisy project, founded by four Gen Z girls, aims to educate children in Dak Nong province on preventing sexual abuse.

Meeting at a community development summer camp in 2019, Dang Thi Hanh, Pham Le Khanh Trang, and Nguyen Thi Ngoc My - three girls born in 2001 in Dak Nong province - along with Tran Thi Huyen, born in 2000 in Da Nang, conceived and launched the Wild Daisy project. This community initiative focuses on providing children with knowledge and skills to prevent sexual abuse in Dak Nong province.

The project's message is clear: "One more child learns skills to prevent sexual abuse, one less victim of this painful social problem."

Hanh explained the name Wild Daisy: "We chose this name because wild daisies symbolize children's purity and simplicity, reflecting our focus on helping children."

Transitioning from students to project leaders brought numerous challenges. "We had to make plans, convince experts to be speakers, and gain schools' trust to allow us to organize programs," Hanh shared. Despite their inexperience, the group received enthusiastic support from teachers and psychologists.

The project faced logistical hurdles, as none of the members lived in Dak Nong. "Trang is an international student in Singapore, Huyen is in Da Nang, and Ngoc My and I are studying in Ho Chi Minh City," Hanh said. The members worked online, recruited local collaborators, and personally funded their travel to Dak Nong for events.

To date, Wild Daisy has organized seminars in more than 11 secondary and high schools, educating over 7,000 students about preventing child sexual abuse.

"We owe much of our success to psychological experts like Mr. Le Minh Huan, Mr. Vo Minh Thanh, and Mr. Dao Le Tam An," Hanh noted. These experts also cover topics such as reproductive health, student relationships, and soft skills - subjects often avoided by parents and teachers.

The group's greatest joy came after their first workshop when schools across the province began inviting them. "We are extremely proud that Wild Daisy has become a familiar name to Dak Nong students. Some parents and teachers even learned new information from our workshops," Hanh said.

Currently, only Hanh and Trang remain active in the project, despite living outside Dak Nong. "We recognize the need to provide children in our homeland with adequate sex education and self-protection skills," Hanh said. The group is determined to continue their efforts and plans to raise funds to ensure the project's sustainability.

Nguyen Thao